Discover the key innovations of FP3-IAM4RAIL Express project, driving the digital and technological transformation of European railways. These innovations include AI and big data platforms for predictive infrastructure maintenance, digital twin technology for station asset management, in-situ additive manufacturing, robotic inspection platforms and upper-body hybrid exoskeletons supporting railway workers. 

This EU-Rail project, coordinated by ADIF and involving 29 partners, highlights the value of European collaboration in advancing railway innovation.

On 27 January, our EU-Rail FP5-TRANS4M-R project delivered a successful presentation on European Railway Checkpoints (ERCS) during the webinar “European Railway Checkpoints – Intelligent Monitoring of Seamless Rail Freight Transport”, which was attended by over 100 participants. 

The webinar highlighted how artificial intelligence, standardised European Railway Checkpoints, and harmonised data sharing are enabling more efficient cross-border rail freight operations and supporting the future of seamless European logistics. 

Four modules from Germany, Sweden, Spain, and the Netherlands were showcased, focusing on the following use cases: 

• Condition monitoring 

• Improving the sharing of logistics information 

• Capturing yard movements 

• Recognition of hazardous goods and UIC code 

The event was organised by Lindholmen Science Park, hosted by KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and included presentations from DB Cargo, Trafikverket, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, ADIF, Indra, CEIT Centro Tecnológico, ProRail, and the University of Twente. 

Our EU-RAIL FP6-FutuRe project research explores the potential of remote-control technology as an operational alternative for light regional rail vehicles. 

Sweden and Norway collaborated to develop a prototype train and remote-control system with students from Linköping University. Successful demonstrations in Namsos, Norway, showed reliable control over 5 km with minimal latency and high radio redundancy.  

Through these developments, FP6-FutuRe is advancing the technical maturity of remote-controlled rail systems, integrating safety measures, modern communication technologies, and operational concepts that could be introduced across Europe.

Our EU-Rail Pods4Rail project explores the development of a future supermodal transport system that combines the flexibility of road transport with the efficiency and sustainability of rail.  
To support this work, the project has launched a stakeholder questionnaire targeting actors such as public authorities, transport operators, industry stakeholders and the research community. 
The questionnaire seeks to better understand key expectations, challenges, and requirements for implementing pod-based mobility solutions in a rail setting. 
 
It takes around 15 minutes to complete and all responses are confidential. 
Deadline: 23 February 2026 
 
Your perspective would be highly appreciated and will help ensure that the project’s results reflect real operational and policy needs.

Recently, our EU-Rail InBridge4EU project completed a large-scale reassessment based on extensive monitoring data from railway bridges across Europe. Using measurements from nearly 90 bridges in five countries, the study supports improved design assumptions, informs updates to EN 1991-2, and identifies cases where soil–structure interaction is particularly relevant, including portal frame bridges. 

Beyond its direct impact on standards and design practice, the project also supports academic research. In close collaboration with InBridge4EU, Carlos Rodrigo (Universitat Jaume I) analysed how the dynamic behaviour of railway bridges influences interoperability and operational safety, identifying critical parameters for high-speed and mixed-traffic lines. This work was awarded First Prize for Best Master’s Thesis in Industrial Engineering. 

Our EU-Rail NEXUS project has conducted a study to provide insight into the current and future needs of metro operators worldwide. The research focuses on three key dimensions—predictive maintenance, cybersecurity and energy consumption—essential areas for achieving operational efficiency and system resilience.

Combining literature review, survey data, and in-depth discussions with operators, the study evaluates internal processes, organisational frameworks, and innovative strategies. Its three-dimensional analysis presents a clear picture of existing practices, shared priorities, and forward-looking approaches. The results offer a global snapshot of metro operations and provide a robust foundation for guiding future projects, supporting the development of metro systems that are secure, efficient and adaptable to emerging challenges. 

In the future European mobility system, freight rail will play a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions and achieving the goals of the European Green Deal. Our EU-Rail project ESEP4Freight successfully came to an end on 31 August 2025, providing freight customers and stakeholders with an overview of available rail freight services across Europe through its web platform. 

At the core of the platform is an interactive map that displays intermodal terminals and enables users to plan routes primarily by rail, with the option to incorporate available barge connections. Key features include visualisation of TEN-T rail corridors, infrastructure characteristics and freight volumes.  It also features schedules to access rail and barge timetables and optimise planning and a searchable database of intermodal actors across Europe for easy matchmaking.