€245 Million for Europe’s  Rail Joint Undertaking

The Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU‑Rail) has officially launched its Call for Proposals 2025‑02, signalling a major investment into the future of rail across Europe. The call seeks to channel an estimated €245 million worth of projects, of which €148.2 million is being contributed by EU funding. This initiative builds on prior flagship efforts and aims to move innovations from the laboratory into real‑world deployment, raising technology readiness levels (TRLs) and accelerating the transformation of rail operations in Europe.

Key thematic areas targeted by the call include automation and digitalisation of rail operations, strategic freight system transformation, sustainable and resilient rail networks, and enhanced management of regional and capillary lines. In addition, the call explicitly invites proposals in newer fields such as Rail Industry 5.0, climate‑finance innovation for rail, and the creation of new talent, including PhD programmes, to support knowledge generation and workforce renewal. Importantly, it opens the door widely to a mix of participants: universities, SMEs, start‑ups, operators, infrastructure managers, and suppliers. The intention is to foster an inclusive innovation ecosystem across the European rail sector.

For stakeholders, the significance is multifold. Firstly, the size and scale of the funding reflect the strategic priority being placed on rail as a mode of sustainable mobility, aligned with the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. Secondly, by emphasising higher TRLs and real‑world deployment, the call is signalling a shift from theoretical research towards actionable, operational solutions that can integrate into existing rail networks and spur actual market uptake. Thirdly, the broad eligibility—encompassing entire ecosystems from research through industrial application—means that the call is not just about new technologies, but about reshaping business models, operations, and governance in the rail sector. In short, the 2025‑02 call by Europe’s Rail is a clear invitation for innovation players across Europe to help drive the next generation of rail systems.