EU-Rail welcomes 5 new JU members

Following the open selection procedure for Associated Members launched in 2024, the EU-Rail Governing Board on 5th of February selected and, EU-Rail welcomed five new JU Members:

• Acciona (Spain)
• Frequentis (Austria)
• Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) and the Alliance (Portugal)
• Kontron (Austria)
• XLAB D.O.O. (Slovenia and Spain)

By bringing unique expertise in key technological and operational areas, each of these members will help advance EU-Rail’s commitment to delivering a more competitive, digital, resilient, and sustainable railway system.

A bold united path ahead of Europe’s Rail future

The European rail sector is a strategic asset. It supports jobs, enables clean transport, and drives economic value. Rail is also central to achieving sustainability in transport, being the greenest and most energy efficient mode of mass transport.

To preserve rail’s competitive position, this year EU-Rail called for a bold, coordinated investment strategy that simplifies and modernises rail systems across the EU. As outlined in our high-level paper entitled A Future Policy-Based Public-Private Partnership for Rail (adopted on 24th June by the Governing Board), the entire membership call for a EUR 18 billion investment from 2028 to 2034, with EUR 3 billion earmarked for research and innovation and EUR 15 billion for the pre-deployment of harmonised technologies and system-wide implementation.

EU-RAIL’s High-Level paper Annexes (adopted on 2nd December by the Governing Board) outline the key strategic areas of R&I and pre-deployment needed to simplify the rail system, boost performance, and strengthen Europe’s agility, resilience, and global competitiveness. It reflects an enlarged partnership perspective, looking across the full portfolio of actors and capabilities needed to deliver meaningful and lasting change.

The high-level paper and its annex received the positive opinion of the State Representative Group, Scientific Steering Group and was also developed in full cooperation with the European Union Agency for Railways.

• FP1-MOTIONAL launched demonstrations for optimised timetabling and capacity simulation and enabled real-time integration between national Traffic Management Systems to improve train operations.
• FP1-TRAVELWISE has developed a roadmap for a federated, interoperable data space supporting air and rail multimodal travel, .
• FP2-R2DATO implemented several demonstrations, including Remote Train Operation in the Netherlands, full ATO GoA4 in the Czech Republic, and Moving Block operation in Germany.
• FP2-MORANE-2 refined the tests cases and prepared Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) technology prototypes to be tested in laboratories and under real track conditions, including on both conventional and high-speed lines.
• The FP3-IAM4RAIL project successfully demonstrated  advanced infrastructure management tools validated in operational environments and the ERTMS TrackBot (an autonomous robotic platform for installing trackside ERTMS equipment), which progressed from concept to live field tests and first production deployment, proving its operational value. For track infrastructure use cases, results indicate potential reductions in maintenance costs (up to 15%) and in-service failures (up to 33%), while improving inspection accuracy and enabling predictive maintenance.
• FP4-Rail4EARTH demonstrated a public transport Energy hub in Rotterdam, Netherlands – featuring a large battery demonstrator that can store energy recovered from tramways and feeds it back into the network when required. In parallel, alternative-to-diesel energy solutions progressed with validation of high-performance BEMU battery cells, predictive models for train energy consumption, and completed developments in hydrogen storage and integration for hybrid locomotives.
• FP5-TRANS4M-R demonstrated the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) technology on different trains in Europe and a demonstration of the intelligent video gate system took place on different networks. DAC testing covered notably challenging winter conditions and operational procedures using the EDDP basic package.
• FP5-DACTIVATE organised derailment tests and conducted tests of the DAC under severe weather conditions.
• FP6-FUTURE launched demonstration activities for next-generation regional railway assets, cost-efficient and high-performance CCS systems, and advanced communication systems.

Two exploratory projects finished in 2025:

• ESEP4Freight delivered a platform targeting logistics providers, shippers, terminal operators, authorities and researchers, offering practical tools to identify greener, more efficient freight transport solutions.
• Rail4cities delivered a suite of practical tools helping operators with the evaluation of station performance in terms of energy, mobility, social inclusion, environmental protection.

• Mature specifications in the areas of cybersecurity and trackside assets were published. These specifications are in use in procurements supporting cost reduction and strengthening the resilience of railway systems.
• The development of the solution stack for the full control, command and signalling system based on ERTMS only operations proceeded apace, including the approval of the overall traffic control and supervision By removing the need for lineside signals, the concept standardises operational processes and contributes to the Single European Railway Area.
• The overall planning of the all of the outputs relevant for harmonisation was approved in the Version 2 of the EU-RAIL Standardisation and TSI Input Plan.
• The System Pillar Transversal Domain released an updated version of the CCS/TMS Extension of the ERA Ontology, a harmonised, semantically rich knowledge model that unifies the requirements of the ERA RINF with the detailed, fine-grained specifications defined by the System Pillar CCS/TMS.

In addition to holding its inaugural meeting, the Group set up a first dedicated deployment group on FRMCS (Future rail mobile communication system). They already conducted a comprehensive FRMCS questionnaire to gather insights from key stakeholders and to create awareness of the upcoming large transition. The initiative aims to assess stakeholder perspectives and readiness for FRMCS implementation. The results are used to already advice ERA on optimising Test & validation and authorisation processes, a first initial cost-driver report and FRMCS migration scenario’s.

Calls for Proposals -2025

This year EU-Rail launched two new calls for proposals. The first call sought potential solutions to address current transport challenges and enhance the performance of the existing rail system through the introduction of Maglev-Derived Transport Systems (MDS).

The second call builds on the results of EU-Rail’s Flagship Projects and paves the way to the deployment of innovative operational and technological solutions in Europe, closing on 11 February 2026. The call was introduced during Europe’s Rail Info Day, where over 250 participants joined to gain key insights into the objectives of the Europe’s Rail Research and Innovation Programme and to learn how they can contribute to a smarter, more attractive, and more sustainable rail system for passengers and businesses across Europe.

To further strengthen networking and collaboration, Europe’s Rail opened a dedicated online matchmaking platform designed to connect key stakeholders from across Europe’s rail ecosystem and facilitate partnership building. The platform attracted over 500 registered participants and will remain open until the end of the call.

EU-Rail also held a Brokerage Event where participants could take part in a series of bilateral meetings to exchange ideas, build partnerships, and explore potential collaborations.

Net-zero logistics

EU-Rail, together with European rail and logistics stakeholders, commissioned a groundbreaking study on the critical role rail freight plays in achieving a competitive and climate-neutral transport system. The study shows how a strong shift toward rail can deliver substantial reductions in CO₂ emissions, energy consumption, and external costs.

The findings demonstrate how investing in rail freight not only supports decarbonisation but, by offering long-term socio-economic returns, contributes to Europe’s competitiveness.

The European Railcast

This year EU-Rail launched an exciting new podcast about the future of European mobility!

From cross-border travel to cutting-edge rail innovations, The European Railcast takes listeners inside the transformation of Europe’s rail system. Each episode brings together voices from across the sector and explores how rail is advancing Europe’s goals on climate, connectivity, competitiveness, and resilience.

Awards season

Now in its third edition, the Women in Rail Award celebrates the outstanding contributions made to gender equality, innovation, and inclusion happening across the European rail sector. This year’s winners are:

• Federica Santini (Trenitalia) – Leadership and Mentoring category
  Honoured for her outstanding efforts in creating tangible career opportunities for women in rail.
• Jeanne-Marie Dalbavie (IKOS Lab Consulting) – Research and Innovation category
  Recognised for her significant contributions to railway engineering and innovation.
• Diana Binnenpoorte (ProRail) – Women Empowerment category
  Awarded for her ongoing work in fostering a professional environment where women can thrive and advance.
• Kerstin Wagner & Franciska Manck (DB), Ciaran Masterson (Irish Rail), and Angeles Tauler Alcaraz (Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles) – Next Generation in Rail category
  Celebrated for their educational and outreach initiatives that encourage girls and young women (ages 6–25) to explore opportunities in the rail sector.

The award served as an occasion to release the 2025 Women in Rail Report, which highlights steady progress in female representation across the sector. According to the report, women now make up 23% of the railway workforce, an increase from 21% in 2018. Encouragingly, 80% of surveyed companies have adopted gender equality policy frameworks, with gains also seen in roles such as train drivers, traffic managers, on-board personnel, and middle- to senior management positions.

EU-Rail also participated in the European Startup Prize for Mobility, an initiative that celebrates Europe’s top clean mobility innovators. This year’s Rail Mobility Prize went to Futurail, a pioneer in safety-certified technology for self-driving trains.

Events

EU-Rail is convinced that strong collaboration across all stakeholders is key to improving cost-efficiency, fostering innovation, and building a more competitive, sustainable railway system for Europe. That’s why this year once again saw us participate in a range of industry and regulatory events and discussions, including the International Transport Forum Summit (ITF).

Not only did EU-Rail join ERA at ITF with an exhibit showcasing how policy, innovation, and regulation are shaping the future of rail, our Executive Director Giorgio Travaini participated in a roundtable discussion on transport and climate change. EU-Rail also hosted a media event highlighting our innovations, achievements, and goals.

EU-Rail had an active presence at the UITP Summit, where we highlighted some of our projects and participated in a number of discussions on the future of rail mobility, including on how technology, governance, and customer needs are reshaping the rail sector. The event served as an opportunity to engage with our members and stakeholders to further strengthen collaboration.

Stakeholder engagement

This year EU-Rail met with the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism to highlight the importance of coordinated collaboration at the EU level in rail research and innovation. A key message of the meeting was the need to develop standardised solutions validated across Member States. EU-Rail also joined other Joint Undertakings at the European Parliament to discuss how public-private partnerships can help advance Europe’s strategic objectives.

Last but not least, EU-Rail participated in a high-level event on cutting cost in rail hosted by the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Representatives from EU-Rail contributed to a panel discussion on supply market competitiveness and a workshop about ETCS. EU-Rail with its High-Level paper in particular, but also with its ongoing R&I projects set the needed basis for a simplified and cost-effective rail system.

General Assembly 2025

On 2–3 December, the Europe’s Rail General Assembly 2025 took place, providing a valuable occasion to look back at the achievements of the past year and to outline priorities for the year ahead.

The first day was dedicated to Europe’s Rail Strategic Reports, including the next chapter of EU-Rail and an update on the state of play. This session also highlighted a clear commitment from DG MOVE to support a next Joint Undertaking, alongside a strong commitment from all private members to continue their engagement in the next JU, confirming shared ambition and long-term alignment across the partnership.

The second day was hosted as an open online event, bringing together over 100 participants from across the sector. Following opening words by Kristian Schmidt, Director for Land Transport at the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (European Commission), participants delved into the operational reports, including presentations from advisory bodies. Teams from the System Pillar, Innovation Pillar, Deployment Group and the European DAC Delivery Programme (EDDP) shared insights into their ongoing work and key achievements.

Overall, EU-Rail confirmed that the programme is on track and delivering. Important discussions also took place on the use of data across the programme, complemented by the technical results presented on Day 2.

For those who were unable to join us, or who wish to revisit the discussions, the recording is now available here.