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        • Our R&I Programme
          Discover Innovation pillar

          Innovation Pillar

          EU-Rail’s Innovation Pillar (IP) is tasked to deliver operational and technological solutions that contribute to a more efficient, flexible, and demand-led, yet safe and environmentally sustainable European railway system.

          Discover System pillar

          System Pillar

          The System Pillar provides governance, resource, and outputs to support a coherent and coordinated approach to the evolution of the rail system and the development of the system view.

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          About

          Outputs

          Governance

          Key documents

          Discover Deployment Group

          Deployment Group

          The Deployment Group advises the EU-Rail Governing Board on the market uptake of rail innovation developments and support their deployment.

          About Deployment Group

          Deployment Group Participants

          Explore the DAC Delivery Programme

          For a successful and effective implementation of the Digital Automatic Coupler for European rail freight (DAC), it is of crucial importance to have open, close and efficient cooperation between rail stakeholders. The European DAC Delivery Programme enabled by Europe’s Rail, offers a unique European platform for such cooperation and collaboration.

          Discover Shift2Rail

          The Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking is the predecessor programme of the Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail), established by Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 of 19 November 2021.

          Explore Shift2Rail

          About Shift2Rail

          Shift2Rail R&I Programme

          Shift2Rail Key Documents

          Shift2Rail Members

          Governing Board & Decisions

          Shift2Rail Projects

        • Projects

          Discover detailed information on Europe's rail innovation initiatives, showcasing flagship and other projects aimed at enhancing rail systems across Europe. It highlights collaborative efforts funded by the European Union to develop sustainable, efficient, and competitive rail transport solutions.

           

          Solutions catalogue

          Europe’s Rail Catalogue of Solutions illustrates successful R&I results in the form of possible products and solutions, while highlighting the benefits for final users, operators, infrastructure managers and/or suppliers. This publication also outlines the advantages of integrating demonstrators into market solutions so that they can deliver the rail innovation Capabilities of the future.

        • Who we are?
          About Europe's Rail

          Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail) is the European partnership on rail research and innovation established under the Horizon Europe programme (2020-2027) and the universal successor of the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking.

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          Mission and objectives

          Preparatory Activities

          Jobs

          Discover Europe's Rail Members

          Find out the full list of Europe's Rail Members.

          Discover Structure of Governance

          Discover the full structure and governance of Europe's Rail, including the decisions of the Governing Board.

          Explore Structure of Governance

          Governing Board

          General Assembly

          States Representatives Group

          Scientific Steering Group

          Executive Director

          Discover Reference Documents

          Get access to Europe's Rail main reference documents, including Annual Work Plans, Annual Activity Reports, Annual Accounts and other important information.

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          Key Documents

          Annual Work Plan and Budget

          Annual Activity Report

          Annual Accounts

          Functioning of the Europe's Rail JU

FP4 – RAIL4EARTH

List of Technical Enablers

To achieve the operational outcomes targeted in this Flagship Area, several technical capabilities were identified by FP4. To develop flagship demonstrations, some functions must be delivered with enough maturity, with a target TRL indicated for each enabler.

nabler 1 Trains with on-board Energy Storage Systems. High performance and high-efficient Batteries Electric Multi-Unit (BEMU) trains with long autonomy (80km baseline and over 200km targeted) and suburban catenary trains with high level of braking energy recovery and energy autonomy (TRL 6/7 to be achieved in 2026).
Enabler 2 Hydrogen hybrid trains – infrastructure inspection/maintenance heavy duty vehicle and loco for freight-passengers at TRL 5/6 (powered with gas H2 or liquid H2).
Enabler 3 The application of solutions for the production, storage and refuelling of hydrogen for railway vehicles on the example of a prototype refuelling station. Development of a standard refuelling interface using algorithms to ensure optimum time and safety of the process as well as provide scalability and future growth of the refuelling station depending on the demand for hydrogen with TRL6 targeted in 2025.
Enabler 4 Integration of various sources in different systems (e.g. 25kV AC, 1,5/3kV DC), of renewable energy, energy harvesting technologies, superconducting, breaking energy recovery, etc, as well as the integration of energy storage with TRL6 targeted in 2025.
Enabler 5 Solutions for the optimal energy management in the whole power system, covering traction and non-traction demand including stations as energy hubs and integrated in a smart grid under the market rules and targeting at TRL5 in 2025.
Enabler 6 Adaptation to climate change with the development of a tool on European climate variables usable for railway assets, considering risk assessment reports and the benchmark of existing solutions to accelerate the lowering of environmental footprint targeting TRL5 in 2025 to implement adaptation strategies.
Enabler 7 Development of noise indicators, simulation tools and development of optimised components and optimised maintenance regimes for noise and vibrations, aiming at TRL6 in 2025, taking also into account different climate conditions in the EU.
Enabler 8 Methodologies and guidelines for the optimal design/rehabilitation of station layout including modularity oriented towards carbon footprint reduction to be validated at TRL5/6 in 2025.
Enabler 9 Development of tools and indicators to promote eco-design, assess environmental performance improvements and ensure standardised reporting of the environmental impacts of the rail sector at TRL5 in 2025.
Enabler 10 Developing and introduce to the market electro-mechanical braking system, pantograph and suspensions while targeting energy savings on the involved subsystems and reduce associated maintenance costs by reaching TRL6 for 2025 and prepare for later evolutions.
Enabler 11 Introducing optimised motors and gearboxes, high performance bogies, suspensions and new materials following circular economy principles and reaching TRL6 in 2025
Enabler 12 Delivering alternative technologies to replace hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants by HVAC system using green refrigerants or new cooling technologies with reduced energy consumption and targeting TRL6 in 2025.
Enabler 13 Introducing enhanced experimental and numerical methods at TRL6 on aerodynamic certifications by 2025.
Enabler 14 Demonstration of a healthier environment in the rail vehicle targeting TRL7 in 2025
Enabler 15 Reinforce attractiveness via on-demand comfort for users such as access, lighting, thermal and acoustic conditions as well as with new architectures to increase passenger capacity, target TRL5-6 in 2025. Enabler 15 deals with light interiors that could lead on increasing the capacity in addition the new modular interior will balance passenger-oriented customization with current standards to increase on-demand passenger comfort
Enabler 16 Reinforce the facility to adapt rolling stock interiors to support the increase of capacity of the rolling stock targeting TRL5-6 in 2025.

Europe's Rail