Rail Industry Leaders Call on Brussels to Support the Next Generation of European Rail Initiatives

EUROPE: A coalition of trade organizations from the rail and logistics sectors has come together to advocate for a new initiative to replace Europe’s Rail research body.

The nine groups are urging European institutions to establish a successor to the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking as part of the upcoming European Research framework Programme.

They emphasize that advancing rail research and innovation is crucial for enhancing the single market, creating a unified Single European Rail Area, and boosting both competitiveness and global leadership in the European rail supply sector, which ultimately benefits the broader economy.

The position paper outlines an expectation for this new initiative to receive at least €3 billion in funding—split evenly between EU contributions and investments from within the rail industry.

An additional €15 billion will be necessary for pre-deployment efforts aimed at achieving technological readiness and speeding up market adoption. This investment is expected to attract long-term private funding,enhance competitiveness within Europe’s rail supply chain,and help meet SERA’s objectives by increasing rail’s share in transportation.

The authors argue that establishing a Joint Undertaking has been vital in addressing inconsistencies in research and innovation across the rail sector by fostering collaboration among all stakeholders through a cohesive long-term strategy. They highlight several key advantages:

• A unified EU approach that aligns technology deployment across diverse national systems;
• Tangible outcomes with real value: The program’s consistency allows technologies to progress from initial progress stages through deployment;
• Predictability coupled with shared risk management encourages private investment;
• A thriving R&I ecosystem involving smes, startups, and academic institutions fosters public-private collaboration.

the signatories point out notable achievements from previous EU-funded initiatives like Shift2Rail and Europe’s Rail. These include advancements such as Future Railway Mobile Dialogue System development; Digital Automatic Coupling; enhancements of ERTMS; digital Twin technologies; solutions promoting zero-emission propulsion engines; or cost-effective options for regional transport systems.

The position paper is backed by:

• The Community of European Railway & Infrastructure Companies;
• ERTMS Accredited Labs;
• EIM (European Infrastructure Managers’ Association);
• Fedecrail (European Federation of Museum & Tourist Railways);
• The International Union of Wagon Keepers;
• The intermodal freight association UIRR;
• The public transport association UITP;
• The suppliers’ association UNIFE;
• The International Union of Railways.