On 2 September 2021, Adina Vălean, European Commissioner for Transport, attended the departure ceremony of the ‘Connecting Europe Express’ from Oriente Station in Lisbon, Portugal.

The ‘Connecting Europe Express', a special train put together as part of the European Year of Rail 2021, will pull out of Lisbon train station on 2 September. It will stop in more than 100 towns and cities during its five-week journey, before arriving in Paris on 7 October. Departing from Lisbon and ending its trip in Paris, the train will make a notable stop in Ljubljana, connecting the Portuguese, Slovenian and French Presidencies of the Council of the EU.