Spanish train manufacturer Talgo is leading a €105 million project to develop a new generation of high-speed trains designed to operate across Europe. The three-year BasqTrain 35 programme aims to overcome technical differences between national railway networks, which complicate cross-border services and increase train development costs.
Presented on 5 October 2026 as part of the Basque Government’s Industry Plan – Euskadi 2030, the project will involve 20 organisations and is expected to create more than 140 highly skilled jobs in the Basque Country in Spain. Of the total investment, €78 million will go towards research and development.
The ambition is to create a versatile, energy-efficient train that can be adapted to different European railway systems without requiring a separate design for each market. However, Talgo has not yet announced the train’s maximum speed, technical configuration, intended markets or expected entry into passenger service.
Twelve Basque companies involved
The consortium includes 12 Basque companies, ten of them small and medium-sized enterprises, alongside the Spanish railway industry association Mafex and research organisations from the Basque Science, Technology and Innovation Network. Technology centre CEIT will serve as the principal research partner.
Participating companies include Ingeteam, Multiverse Computing, Basquevolt, Bronymec, Birziplastic, Bilerro, Indutri-SL, InspecRail, iTree, LIS Data, Orbik, and Titanium.
Ingeteam will develop power electronics, train control and energy management solutions, including distributed traction and monitoring technologies. The programme will also investigate new materials, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence to reduce train weight, improve energy efficiency and support predictive maintenance.
Talgo president José Antonio Jainaga said the project would strengthen the region’s industrial and technological capabilities while helping the company remain competitive in the global railway market. Priorities include more efficient traction systems, adaptable passenger coaches and improvements to comfort and accessibility.
Industrial ambitions and passenger benefits
Basque Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability Minister Mikel Jauregi described sustainable mobility as a strategic sector in the Euskadi 2030 industrial plan. He said the project would build on the region’s existing industrial and technological expertise to develop the next generation of European high-speed trains.
Elixabete Etxanobe, Deputy General of Bizkaia, highlighted the importance of retaining research, technological development and strategic decision-making in the region, while creating opportunities for local businesses and young professionals.
BasqTrain 35 is one of 25 transformative projects under the Euskadi 2030 industrial plan. Nineteen have already been launched, and the programmes collectively aim to mobilise more than €965 million in initial investment and create over 3,990 jobs.
A European train still to be defined
BasqTrain 35 remains a research and development programme rather than a confirmed train order or a finished vehicle design. Its success will depend on whether the technologies developed can accommodate different national railway requirements and attract operators across Europe.
Talgo has previously explored opportunities in Central Europe, signing an agreement with Polish manufacturer Pesa in 2024 to examine the development and production of high-speed trains for Poland and neighbouring markets.
The new project sets out a three-year, €105 million commitment to developing more interoperable high-speed technology. Whether it ultimately delivers a train capable of operating throughout Europe remains to be seen.
More on cross-border trains
- ALISA presents modular double-deck concept for Europe’s night trains.
- ÖBB adds international train connections to Germany, Italy, Serbia and Slovakia to 2027 timetable.
- BALTIC STATES | Rail Baltica train tender fails to attract compliant bids.
- Deutsche Bahn expands international train services with new Frecciarossa trains to Italy.
- Paris to Vienna night train could cut emissions equivalent to almost 4,000 people.
- NETHERLANDS | The Hague pushes for direct Brussels train from 2029 with formal manifesto.
- France and Spain revive cross-border rail links as Hendaye broad-gauge tracks are saved.
- VIDEO | Nox Mobility to launch Hamburg to Munich night train on 23 March 2027.
- VIDEO | The Longest Train Journey in the European Union: From Finland to Portugal by train in just 125 hours and 31 minutes.
- Italo interested in running trains to / in Belgium and the Netherlands, after conquering Germany.
- YES TO THE NIGHT TRAIN | A plea for reclining seats and six-berth compartments.
- Back On Track Belgium salutes return of Brussels–Milan night train as “a real feat”.
- Antwerp now linked to Cologne in Germany with direct Deutsche Bahn ICE via Brussels Airport.
- Antwerp-Central sees increase in international train travel.
- Europe’s night-train revival: a real comeback or a false dawn?.
- Dutch and Belgian passenger advocates call for swift reopening of Hamont-Weert railway.
- European Sleeper plans Brussels – Antwerp – Malmö night train service for 2028.
- ‘New’ Amsterdam-Hamburg ICE service is actually a diversion of Berlin trains.
- RAIL IN EUROPE | Off-the-shelf trains to speed up delivery and cut costs.
- GoVolta unveils ambitious expansion with new services to Cologne, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, plus high-speed trains to Paris.
- PASSENGER PACKAGE | European Rail Passengers’ Federation and Back-on-Track Europe welcome EU rail reforms but call for stronger cross-border rights.
- European Sleeper, Nightjet and OUIGO Train Classique services through Belgium to change from September 2026.
- Catalonia and Andorra launch studies for first cross-border Tramvalira project.
- Arriva expands Paris train ambitions with extra The Hague to Belgium connections.
- EUROSTAR | From Brussels to London in Eurostar Plus (2026).
- NMBS / SNCB: International train travel continues to grow in popularity with Belgian holidaymakers.
- Political push in the Netherlands for Eindhoven to Brussels EuroCity.
- TGV inOui Brussels – Strasbourg – Basel from July 2027.
- Deutsche Bahn Cologne – Ostend ICE caters to 700,000 Belgian Coast-loving tourists from Germany.
- RAIL BALTICA | Tallinn – Valga / Valka – Riga – Vilnius by train.
- SPAIN | Renfe suspends Paris high-speed project amid certification deadlock.
- Finland and Sweden to be linked by rail this summer.
- European Parliament rubberstamps new regulation to upgrade cross-border railway capacity coordination.
- GoVolta launches daily Amsterdam to Paris day train via Antwerp and Ghent, with tickets from €19.
- ÖBB NIGHTJET | New generation carriages to debut on Amsterdam–Zurich route in December 2026.
- 8.7 billion rail trips in Europe in 2024 as Switzerland leads and Belgium’s data remain unavailable.
- Deutsche Bahn, DSB and Vy present direct Berlin to Oslo route, from summer 2028.
- European Rail Passengers Union: EU must act now to make cross-border rail travel seamless, fair, and green: passengers demand guaranteed rights and simpler ticketing.
- European Sleeper sets out vision for 40-route night train network across Europe, including London.
- RAIL BALTICA | Elron, Vivi, and LTG Link launch joint tender for regional trains.
- Trenitalia / FS Group advances Paris hub to power European high-speed expansion, looking at Belgium and the Netherlands in the long term.
- Train Charter Services replaces Keolis as operator for GoVolta trains.
- Trenitalia unveils €2 billion investment plan and orders 74 new Frecciarossa high-speed trains.
- Snälltåget to run Stockholm – Malmö – Copenhagen – Hamburg day trains from May 2026.
- Nox night trains: a smart new cabin concept or just an unachievable dream?.
- How firm are Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn’s “2030s” Germany to London train link plans?.
- Leo Express files plans for extraordinary 2026 Bratislava–Ostend and Venice–Northern Germany services.
- Rail should be functional, not fine art: EU leaders call for standardisation and lower costs.
- Subsidies for night trains? “You cannot fix this until someone builds more sleeper and couchette carriages”.
- Leo Express and Arenaways plan direct train between Prague and Venice.
- Italo targets the German high-speed rail market.
- Trenitalia eyes expansion into Germany’s high-speed trains market.
- European Commission wants to link all EU capitals by high-speed train by 2040… and that’s not going to happen.
- Travellers in Europe increasingly open to choosing trains over planes for short-haul journeys.
- REVIEW | European Sleeper night train.
- Paris Nightjet axed: France’s withdrawal threatens Europe’s night train revival.
- Iron Rhine gets renewed political attention in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
- ÖBB prioritises Railjet over Nightjet: Is the night train revival a False Dawn?.
- EU train travel report sees increase in cross-border passenger trains and easier bookings.
- Brussels to Luxembourg by train under 2 hours by 2030?.
- Eurostar and five more train operators joined the European Agreement on Journey Continuation.
- ÖBB’s new Nightjet sleeper cars accommodate solo travellers with Mini Cabins.
- EUROCITY EC-8 | Basel to Cologne in SBB’s Panoramic Car.
- REVIEW | Trenitalia Frecciarossa 1000 Paris – Milan in Business Executive.
- RAIL TOUR OF EUROPE | How easy is touring Europe by train?.
- Eight train connections between the Netherlands and Belgium by 2030?.
- REVIEW | ÖBB Nightjet Amsterdam – Zurich night train.
- Nightjet Vienna/Innsbruck to Brussels, or how we got thrown off the train in Aachen.
- Why the expensive ÖBB Nightjet is really not that expensive.
- Ticket Distribution: the failure of railways to sell themselves.
- To use night trains in Portugal and Spain or not?.
- Night trains in Europe.
- Low-cost, long-haul trains to conquer Europe?.
- Fly now before it’s taxed and consider using the train instead.