Europe: SHIFT2RAIL Issues First Open Call for Proposals
The SHIFT2RAIL Joint Undertaking has issued its first call for proposals for members and non-members to put forward proposals to join in its initiative to accelerate innovation in the railway industry, under the EC initiative Horizon 2020.
About SHIFT2RAIL
SHIFT_RAIL is a pan-European initiative which will focus on research and innovation to enhance and promote the European railway industry. It aims to pool the talents and experiences of numerous individuals and organisations across the continent to create a cohesive railway area throughout Europe, speeding up the integration of technology and innovation to produce market-driven solutions for the industry, meeting the changing needs of the European railway environment, and playing a key part of the creation of the Single European Railway Area (SERA).
The initiatives overall aims are to double to capacity of the European railways, improve reliability and service quality, whilst halving lifecycle costs. Its scope extends to all segments of the industry, from high speed, regional, urban/metro and freight. This will boost productivity, competitiveness and improve services to freight and passenger customers alike.
It has separated its focus into five Innovation programmes; IP1 cost efficient and reliable trains, IP2 advanced traffic management and control systems, IP3 cost efficient and reliable high capacity infrastructure, IP4 IT solutions for attractive railway services, and IP5 technology and sustainable and attractive European rail freight.
SHIFT2RAIL Interim Executive Director Christos Economou said:
The launch of the first calls is an important milestone for the Joint Undertaking. I am convinced the Shift2Rail partners will deliver results that no single company, country or even the EU as such would achieve alone.
P1: cost-efficient and reliable trains
Concentrating on the development of:
- Next-generation traction systems and management of wheel/rail adhesion
- New technological concepts, standard specifications and architectures for train control and monitoring, with specific applications in train-to-ground communications and safety
- Tools and methodologies assisting the development of next-generation traction systems and brakes
- Technology feasibility studies supporting the development of next-generation TCMS and safe control for brakes
IP3: High capacity infrastructure
Research into:
- Improved track and switch and crossing systems
- Intelligent maintenance systems and strategies
- New, different systems to change trains between tracks
IP4: IT Solutions
Development of:
- Interoperability framework governance, enabling market uptake and sustainability
- Interoperability framework converters
This element of the initiative has a proposed budget of 90million provided by the European Commission, with a further 80million expected to be put forward by SHIFT2RAIL members. 63million of this has been set aside for projects led by the founding members of the initiative; Alstom, Ansaldo STS, Bombardier, CAF, Siemens, Thales and infrastructure bodies Trafikverket and Network Rail, with 26million will be available for non-members.
An information day will take place in Brussels on 20 January 2016, and the deadline for submissions is 17 March 2016.