Rail sector presents research priorities to achieve doubling market share

Rail sector presents research priorities to achieve doubling of railways’ market share in freight and passenger transport by 2020

Brussels, Belgium – The European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC) – representing the major stakeholders of rail research in Europe – publishes its strategic agenda 2020. At a reception in the Rennaissance Palace in Brussel, ERRAC Chairman Åke Wennberg (Bombardier Transportation) explains in presence of Andras Siegler, Director for Transport in the Research Directorate-General of the European Commission, where innovative solutions in rail transport are needed in order to achieve the vision 2020 of doubling market shares and tripling volumes for rail transport.

In their Strategic Rail Research Agenda 2020, operators, infrastructure managers, academics and users’ groups, together with the European Commission and Member States identify seven priority research areas:

  • Intelligent Mobility – for a European-wide infrastructure to support customer information systems.
  • Energy and Environment – increasing the level of environmental protection and safeguarding the commercial competitiveness of rail.
  • Personal Security – improving security for customers and staff.
  • Test, Homologation and Security – speeding up of product approvals while squeezing out risk through improved safety management.
  • Competitiveness and enabling technologies – improving product attractiveness for customers and reducing life cycle costs through modern technology.
  • Strategy and Economics – developing new accounting and planning models for the costs of rail infrastructure.
  • Infrastructure – developing cost efficient maintenance, and maintenance-free interoperable infrastructure systems.

ERRAC Chairman Åke Wennberg said: “By focusing all our efforts on these priority areas, our ambitious vision 2020 can become a reality. The co-operation of the stakeholders within ERRAC allows the most efficient use of all available research resources with this target in view. The agreement on the Strategic Rail Research Agenda is an important milestone of this co-ordinated approach.”

ERRAC is a body set up on the initiative of the European Commission in order to reach consensus on priorities for European railway research and to guide research efforts towards a common strategy. ERRAC, a unique body of this kind, brings together railway undertakings and infrastructure companies, public transport operators, manufacturing industry, and representatives of the EU Member States, European Commission, customer groups, consultants and academic institutions.

ERRAC partners are: the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), the European Rail Infrastructure Managers (EIM), the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), the International Union of Railways (UIC) and the Union of European Railway Industries (UNIFE)

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Auteur: Redactie Infrasite

Bron: ERRAC (European Rail Research Advisory Council)