We were pleased to welcome over 250 participants to the Europe’s Rail Info Day, held online on 10...
Europe’s Rail Info Day 2025-2 Engages more than 250 Stakeholders in Rail Innovation
read more
Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (JU) is pleased to announce the launch of its Call for Proposals 2025-02, with a total EU funding of €148.2 million, for expected projects worth €245 million. Funded projects will contribute to Research & Innovation (R&I) activities under the Europe’s Rail Amended Work Programme 2025-2026. The Call is now open and applications will be accepted until 11 February at 17:00 (CET).
From lab to track and more innovative ideas
The 2025-02 Call is expected to raise high interest in the transport community and beyond. It builds upon the results of the EU-Rail Flagship Projects and sets the scene for the next step, to reach higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), paving the way to the deployment of innovative operational and technological solutions in Europe.
This ambitious call represents the second wave of Flagship Projects, covering the areas of European rail network management, automation and digitalisation of rail operations, sustainable and resilient systems, rail freight in the supply chain perspective and regional and capillary lines.
Additionally, EU-Rail calls upon innovative studies in rail industry 5.0, innovation in climate finance for rail and continues to support knowledge creation and new talents with PhDs.
With this call, Europe’s Rail accelerates its contribution to the European Green Deal, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and sets the ground for contributing to the next programming period of the European Union, addressing the challenges rail is facing today.
The systemic approach introduced by the System Pillar works will continue to frame the systems harmonization towards a single European Rail Area, under the strategic guidance of the European Commission.
|
“The launch of this major call for proposals from EU-Rail is a decisive step for the future of European rail. Through Flagship Projects, EU-Rail will take innovations from the lab to the tracks, making rail more digital, more sustainable and more reliable for passengers and freight. This initiative also strengthens Europe’s competitiveness by accelerating the deployment of interoperable solutions across the Single Market. Open to all innovators, including SMEs, universities, and start-ups, the call encourages strong partnerships and practical solutions that deliver impact quickly and at scale. I look forward to ambitious proposals that will help move European rail forward.” Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism |
|
“EU-Rail is looking forward to receiving impactful applications from all entities eligible under Horizon Europe. Our R&I Programme is unique, bringing together the research community, SMEs, operators, infrastructure managers and suppliers around the same goal: making rail the everyday mobility choice. We are working in partnership with the rail stakeholders and beyond to realise the ambitions of the European Union and to make rail the clean engine of our mobility and logistics economy. Participating in the EU-Rail call 2025-2 is an opportunity to shape the future of rail in Europe—our future.” Giorgio Travaini, Executive Director at Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking |
Europe’s Rail Information Day
The Call will be presented during the Europe’s Rail Info Day, taking place online on 10 October 2025, from 09:00 to 15:00 (CET). This virtual event will offer a comprehensive overview of the call’s destinations, along with detailed guidance on legal and financial aspects related to proposal preparation and submission. Participants will also have the opportunity to network with potential partners during dedicated matchmaking sessions and engage directly with EU-Rail experts through a live Q&A session designed to address specific queries.
Visit and register here: https://www.b2match.com/e/eu-rail-info-day
Support for Collaboration: Networking Platform Now Open
To facilitate collaboration and support proposal development, Europe’s Rail has also launched a dedicated online networking platform. The platform enables stakeholders to express interest in specific Destinations, organise virtual meetings, identify partners and join or form consortia. The platform is open from 8 October 2025 until the Call deadline on 11 February 2026.
Geographical coverage, gender balance, equity creation, synergies, openness are all elements underpinning the Call and its destinations.