In the past, deploying innovative solutions in Railways sector often led to patchwork systems in which the intrinsic benefit of investment was lost, as was the opportunity for major fast transformation. Only an integrated and coordinated implementation approach for future technological and operational solutions can accelerate implementing the innovations, a return on investment, secure the virtuous cycle of research and bring about a systemic transformation. EU-Rail’s way of innovative working guarantees a strong focus on prototyping, large-scale demonstrations and increases collaboration by ensuring the openness of its initiatives. By setting the third pillar ‘High Level Deployment Group’ it now also focusses on faster and coordinated implementations, so that innovation cycles are optimised, and impactful results delivered.

The Deployment Group, established under the Single Basic Act, is a crucial foundation for achieving more acceleration to implementing the outcomes of the Innovation and System pillar. As a C-level stakeholder group, it advises the EU-Rail Governing Board on the market uptake of rail innovation developments and support their deployment. Its activities thus form a bridge between the research and innovation process and the coordinated implementation through recommendations for deployment in the rail system.

The Deployment Group examines and provides recommendations on:

• Alternative scenarios for the rollout of innovative solutions
• Roadmap for an integrated deployment of results
• Consideration of human factors and necessary behavioural and organisational changes
• Consideration of the diversity of situations within the EU
• Alignment of deployment and investment plans
• Risks and opportunities of uncoordinated initiatives
• Phasing out of existing legacy systems
• Application of a performance scheme

and all other aspects contributing to optimising the innovation cycle and increasing the railway system’s performance, while maintaining a high safety level. Recommendations from the Deployment Group could, for example, relate to the level of commitment in the deployment of solutions, to economic analyses for relevant stakeholders, or to the timing of synchronisation at European level.