Only four months after the publication of the legislative proposal by the European Commission, Technological Initiative Shift2Rail is closer than ever to becoming reality in the sector of research and innovation in the rail industry. March and April were characterised by a series of successive agreements approved during the meetings of the Transport Ministers Council of the European Union (TTE), the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and, more recently, on April 15th during the meeting of European Parliament which gave the green light to the Technological Initiative. Also, a favourable vote for Shift2Rail has been granted by the EU Council. Now that both TEE and EESC have endorsed Shift2Rail favourably, it only needs to receive the formal confirmation from the Council of the EU Member States. The respective final and formal adoption of Shift2Rail will mark the end of the procedure at political level and will allow the establishment of the Technological Initiative. Shift2Rail mandate will end on December 31st, 2024.
Shift2Rail, a technological project launched by the European Rail Industry Association (UNIFE), will play an important role in coordinating and informing stakeholders about the railway research and innovation throughout Europe. The technological project will ma-nage all railway research and innovation actions co-financed by the EU. Shift2Rail will actively promote the involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including, for example, manufacturers of railway equipment, passenger associations and beneficiaries of freight transport, as well as the relevant scientific community.
Shift2Rail performance will be measured by means of quantitative indicators, including a 100 % increase of the railway transport system capacity, a reduction by 50% of the life-cycle cost and a 50% increase of reliabi-lity and punctuality.
Innovative technologies and solutions to be developed, demonstrated and validated by Shift2Rail are expected to boost the competitiveness of the EU railway sector with the other modes of transport and the foreign competition, as well as to create jobs and increase exports.
The budget proposed for SHIFT2RAIL in the financing period 2014-2020 is EUR 920 Million, EUR 450 Million of which will be allocated by the European Union and EUR 470 Million will come from the railway industry partners involved in the development of the research and technological innovation initiative. For research and innovation, out of the EUR 450 Million allocated by the EU, EUR 180 Million will be available for SHIFT2RAIL founding members, EUR 180 Million will be allocated to associated members, and the rest of EUR 180 Million will be attributed to other partners. This objective aims at attracting SMEs and Research Institutes into the project.
“SHIFT2RAIL is one of the top transport priorities of the Hellenic Presidency, it will move rail transport forward, and help the market grow. The European Rail Industry should remain the leader of the global market and SHIFT2RAIL is the instrument to achieve this”, declared Michalis Papadopoulos, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks for the Hellenic Republic.
“Rail is facing significant competition from other transport modes and, from ot-her regions of the world; in order to combat this SHIFT2RAIL combines a significant amount of EU and sector R&D resources with a long-term vision that will produce tangible results that contribute to the EU’s ambitious transport goals”, pointed out Olivier Onidi, Director for the European Mobility Network at the European Commission.
Henri Poupart-Lafarge, President of Alstom Transport and Chairman of UNIFE, highlighted why the sector needs such dedicated funds to invest in rail R&D to increase the attractiveness of the rail mode and the competitiveness of the European rail industry, which accounts for 50% of the world market for rail supplies and services.
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