Within “Horizon 2020” programme, the partnerships with the transport industry will be intensified to overcome fragmentation and thus to accelerate the market penetration of innovative solutions. Along SHIFT2RAIL Technology Initiative, launched by Horizon 2020 programme, a series of three funding applications have been launched, intended to enhance and solidify the competitiveness of European industries in the field of transport and equally to obtain an efficient transport system in terms of resource use, a secure, unified, more environmentally friendly one and to the citizen’s benefit.
Therefore, the Work Programme for 2014 – 2015 was launched and it includes three funding applications for the projects: Mobility for Growth, Green Vehicles and Small Business and Fast Track Innovation for Transport.
The results of this investment in “Smart, green and integrated transport” will contribute, among others, to reaching the primary objective of reducing by 60% the carbon dioxide emissions in the transport sector by 2050, as set out in the 2011 White Paper on transport. The activities of the “Horizon 2020” programme in the field of transport will also focus on the acceleration of the implementation of the most promising innovations.
The budget for the transport sector for 2014-2015 within “Horizon 2020” amounts to about EUR 1.5 Billion.
Through the investments in research and innovation in the field of transport amounting to EUR 6.3 Billion, the entire transport sector in the European Union will significantly benefit from the “Horizon 2020” programme. This represents an increase by 50% compared to the previous funding period. The objective is to transform the European transport system into an efficient and competitive one.
1.5 km-long “super train”
At the beginning of this year, the operation of a 1.5 km-long freight train was successfully tested.
The project is part of FP7, funded by the “Horizon 2020”, the total amount reaching EUR 4,448,869 Million of which EUR 2,699,992 Million is the EU contribution. The project will be completed in September 2014 and the participating countries are Italy (coordinator), France, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Sweden.
Operation of longer and heavier freight trains on the European will save network operators from additional fees, will reduce congestion and polluting emissions.
So far, the European signalling and braking systems limited the rolling of longer freight trains. In the light of the new technologies analyzed, Marathon project will allow the operation of such trains safely and in accordance with the imposed rules.
Earlier this year, the team in charge of this project tested at a speed of 100 km/h the first 1.5 km-long train from Lyon to Nîmes, France, carrying a 4,000 tonnes.
Thus, the tests referred to the composition of two standard trains of 750 m or three trains of 500m each. According to the statements of specialists, it took less than 15 minutes to couple the trains and the savings totalled 30% in the transportation costs. The construction of new expensive infrastructures is not necessary in this way.
Instead, different types of trains simply converge at a given hub, to be assembled into a Marathon-type train. This train would then run to its destination (or destinations), to be disassembled and unloaded when and where required. By creating an additional capacity on the existing railway infrastructure, more road traffic can be shifted onto rail, thus easing road congestion and reducing noise, pollution and accidents. For this type of transport new braking systems and new communication technologies have been developed, so that the signal should not be interrupted between trains in tunnels, forest or mountain areas or regardless of weather conditions. The team of specialists believes that the new technologies will be made available to operators in 2016.
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