As part of the European Year of Rail, the special ‘Connecting Europe Express’ train will cross the continent and demonstrate in real time the power of rail to connect people and businesses. Beginning its journey on 2 September 2021 in Lisbon and stopping in more than 40 cities in 26 countries, the Connecting Europe Express train will link the Portuguese, Slovenian and French Presidencies of the Council of the EU, arriving in Paris on 7 October 2021. The project is to serve as a reminder of the lack of interoperability between some parts of Europe’s rail network, and will comprise, in reality, of three different trains that fit the different gauges used in Europe. But it will also demonstrate the very good cooperation in place between railway undertakings and infrastructure managers. Involved in the project is the European Commission (EC), the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), European rail operators, infrastructure managers and numerous other partners at EU and local level.