Europe must take decisive steps to modernise and simplify the rail system to strengthen competitiveness, sustainability and sovereignty, a High-Level Paper on “A Future Policy-Based Public-Private Partnership for Rail”, adopted by EU-Rail says.
This paper which proposes a major co-investment strategy between the public and private sector to make rail systems more agile, resilient and competitive across the EU. The paper is calling for EUR 18 billion between 2028 and 2034 – with EUR 3 billion for research and innovation, plus EUR 15 billion for pre-deployment of harmonised technologies and system-wide implementation. The EUR 18 billion investment represents a strategic opportunity to position the EU as a global leader in affordable, flexible and reliable rail solutions and operations.
“I welcome this strategic contribution, which is timely in view of the next Multiannual Financial Framework. We remain committed to working closely with all partners to ensure that rail continues to be a driving force for Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy,” Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism said.
Developed by the members of EU-RAIL, the paper sets out ambitious targets to simplify and digitalise rail operations, harmonise standards, and accelerate the deployment of interoperable, affordable, and secure solutions. It builds on the success of Shift2Rail and the current Europe’s Rail programme, while expanding its scope to support policy-oriented research, innovation, and pre-deployment activities, capable to respond to the European Union priorities for a Prosperous and Competitive Europe.
Investing in innovation and making it happen together is not just a necessity. It’s an opportunity to build a more competitive, and more independent Europe. By focusing to simplify the rail system and therefore reducing complexity across the network, economies of scale can be increased for a more agile, resilient and competitive the rail sector,” Giorgio Travaini, Executive Director, Europe’s Rail JU, said.
To preserve rail’s essential position as a major socio-economic and sustainable asset, the EU must adopt a bold R&I and deployment strategy. Without a coordinated European approach towards system simplification, the EU’s industrial leadership and competitiveness will be significantly undermined, along with Europe’s ability to respond to passengers’ and businesses’ transport needs.
To achieve its mission of simplifying the rail system to make it more attractive, and creating the conditions for a faster and more effective and affordable deployment of innovations, the High-Level paper identifies three core objectives requiring targeted investment:
- Agility: Developing systems capable of reacting dynamically to disruptions and implementing shorter innovation cycles through enhanced modularity and simplified certification processes. This includes advancing digital systems integration and automated harmonised operations to improve responsiveness to market demands.
- Resilience: Ensuring cybersecurity, maintaining sovereignty over rail system operations, building environmental change resistance, and supporting critical infrastructure protection against current and future threats. This objective directly supports the EU’s strategic autonomy goals.
- Competitiveness: Targeting significant cost reductions in both upfront and lifecycle expenses, improved asset utilisation and system performance, and strengthened EU industrial leadership in global markets. The aim is to deliver EU reliable and competitive solutions that make rail more attractive for both passengers and freight operators
This current global industrial leadership within the rail sector has been achieved through the development of products and solutions within the internal European market, with both public and private investments.
The new public-private partnership for rail would go even further by preparing the rail sector for greater agility in responding to market demands and enhanced competitiveness in the broader transport and mobility landscape. A coordinated EU-level approach is essential due to the cross-border nature of rail operations and the need for standardised solutions. All stages of the innovation pipeline must be supported, from early-stage research and demonstration to pre-deployment at scale.
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