FOSTER RAIL

The previous SRRAs produced by ERRAC were based on business scenarios targeting a time horizon for 2020. These scenarios, produced in 2002 and 2007, will be revised by WP2, taking into account the new target date to be considered on the basis on the additional information available: 2050. WP2 work package aims therefore at defining a rail business scenario for 2050. The preferred Railway Business Scenario shall be the reference for future research agendas (WP3) and roadmaps (WP4) to be developed in the timeframe from now on until 2050. In addition, UITP has performed in 2006 on behalf of ERRAC a suburban and regional (passenger) rail market analysis which will be updated in the frame of WP2.

The objective of WP3 is to review and update the Strategic Rail Research Agenda – SRRA- issued by the European Rail Research Advisory Council – ERRAC – in 2007 as well as the document Rail Route 2050, the latest vision of the platform published in November 2012. ERRAC needs to take into account the expected evolution of the European rail business to identify major challenges and research priority areas which would contribute most effectively to the achievement of a successful rail transport – attracting new customers and improving the cost effectiveness of rail freight and passenger transport, the reliability of the system and the capacity of the rail mode. This Work Package will produce the Strategic Rail Research and Innovation Agenda – SRRIA – in line with existing transport ETPs research agenda and alliance strategies taking into account multi-modal research and innovations. The SRRIA will also build up on the rail business scenario developed in WP2 and the Transport White Paper published by the European Commission in 2011. This newly published Strategic Agenda will also take into account the innovation and market uptake aspects in the drafting of the vision and priorities. One part will be dedicated to detailing and explaining the implementation strategy for research priorities of ERRAC.

This work package will deliver updated and upgraded technology and innovation roadmaps in line with the SRRIA’s strategic alignment and fill the gaps in the existing ERRAC Roadmaps. The new set of roadmaps (fully taking into account the work performed under the ERRAC Roadmap project) will be a plan that matches short-term and long-term goals with specific solutions to help meet those goals. The roadmaps will apply to a new product or process, or to emerging technologies. In addition, WP4 will establish two standards recommendation & exploitation groups (mainline & urban) for kicking-off, assessing and recommending the establishment of a technical standard, which could be a standard specification, standard test method, standard definition, or standard procedure for the railway sector. The groups will recommend and advise to add the task of “Standardisation potentials” to new collaborative rail research proposals, evaluate standardisation potentials coming out of rail research projects and assess the maturity and recommend the exploitation of standardisation potentials to the standardisation bodies. This voluntary standardisation process might either lead into proposing contents for Technical Recommendations or International Rail Standards. Based on a recommendation of the standards recommendation & exploitation groups the involved associations can propose a standard potential to JPC Rail. (Joint Programme Committee Rail).

FOSTER-RAIL foresees an activity related to the creation of the interfaces between ERRAC and the proposed rail JTI, SHIFT²RAIL. These tasks will be carried out as part of WP5 (Fostering innovation and partnerships: ERRAC and SHIFT²RAIL). This activity fits into the objectives set by the European Commission’s Transport White Paper, published in 2011, by promoting modal shift from road to rail for both passengers and freight. Research and Innovation will play an instrumental role by developing new technologies necessary for achieving these objectives. Whilst this work package relies on the implementation of the proposed joint undertaking for research, development and innovation for rail (under the acronym: SHIFT²RAIL), it is anticipated that the core activity in this WP is a sensible step in ensuring that the rail sector is visualising the future technical requirements based on business needs for the development of the rail system. WP5 will: • Propose the necessary strategic and operational links between ERRAC and the SHIFT²RAIL initiative and identify the coordination requirements. • Create/Manage under the ERRAC umbrella the so called “pre-system requirements and implementation groups” of the future SHIFT²RAIL to embrace the business needs for the entire sector • Analyse and ensure the synergies between the ERRAC research priorities and the SHIFT²RAIL research activities • Provide an effective tool and wide database for managing future partnership within SHIFT²RAIL projects • Consider the appropriate links not only between ETPs but also with other JUs/JTIs and PPPs • Provide the tools for proper internal and external communication on SHIFT²RAIL future activities proposed.

This WP addresses the strengthening of the effectiveness of research and innovation capacities of the rail sector in Europe by determining the innovation of previous research. Monitoring of rail research projects from relevant programmes will be undertaken to determine from all publicly funded research which previous research has really been implemented and had a significant market impact. ERRAC Evaluation Working is providing essential information and tools on the lessons learnt from the evaluation of past projects, to allow relevant rail related stakeholders and roadmap producers to make better choices and decisions, to achieve a more effective and measureable success of future rail research projects, in terms of concrete outcomes and real market uptake. Under the ROADMAP project, the ERRAC Evaluation Working Group has used the evaluation method developed to evaluate 60 projects from over 160 projects on the ERRAC rail projects database, which is continuously enlarging. The method will continue to be used to evaluate 10 to 15 past rail research projects per year. Considering the impact of the previous evaluations carried out, the Evaluation Working Group wants to develop further its methodology and activities, in order to support the strengthening of the effectiveness of research and innovation capacities.

In order to keep close watch and control on the progress of all work-packages, WP 8 will coordinate the necessary flow of information needed between the different Work Package leaders and partners and together with the Steering Committee will ensure consistency and adherence to the agreed concepts for the deliverables of FOSTER-RAIL. The co-coordinators (UIC supported by UNIFE) will operate as a co-coordinating back office to support the work-package leaders in all relevant matters.