EU

The European Commission has established a new public-private partnership, called SHIFT²RAIL, to invest around €1bn in research and innovation to enhance rail transport and freight in Europe.

The new partnership aims to enhance the capacity of the European rail system to meet growing passenger demand, as well as increasing the reliability and quality of rail services, and reducing the lifecycle cost of the overall system.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

With SHIFT²RAIL, the commission will triple its funding to €450m for 2014-20. The European rail industry will add a further €470m to the partnership.

The investment will be co-financed by the EU and the private sector under the Horizon2020 budget across the seven-year lifespan of the partnership.

"This investment will allow for a major industrial effort."

The European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC) will play an important role in the partnership.

European rail industry association UNIFE director-general Philippe Citroën said: "SHIFT²RAIL will bring together on a large scale for the first time in our history, industry, railway undertakings, urban operators, infrastructure managers, SMEs, research centres and academia from all over the European Union to solve our collective transport challenges."

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

European commissioner for research Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said: "This investment will allow for a major industrial effort, combining public and private funding from throughout the whole rail sector.

"This is a perfect demonstration of the leverage effect of the EU budget for growth and jobs."

Image: The partnership is aimed to to get more passengers and freight onto Europe’s railways. Photo: courtesy of European Commission.