Talgo announces BasqTrain 35 to unify European high-speed rail

Talgo and the Basque Government have announced the ‘BasqTrain 35’ project, an initiative aimed at developing a new generation of high-speed trains designed to operate across all European countries. The project seeks to address the current fragmentation of the European rail market, where different technical standards and track gauges—such as the Iberian gauge used in Spain and Portugal versus the standard gauge used in France—hinder cross-border movement and increase production costs.

The initiative involves a 105 million euro investment over three years, with 75 million euros dedicated to research and development. The project is expected to create more than 140 highly qualified jobs in the Basque Country. The new trains will feature modular and sustainable traction technology to ensure compatibility across different regional infrastructures.

This project is part of the ‘Euskadi 2030’ industrial plan, aiming to bolster European industrial competitiveness against global players like the US and China by fostering technological sovereignty in the rail sector.