Projects

Summary

FP5-TRANS4M-R aims to establish rail freight transport as the backbone of a low-emission and resilient European logistics chain, capable of fully meeting end-user requirements. Two technology clusters, the “Fully Digital Freight Train Operation (FDFTO)” and “Seamless Freight Operation,” will develop, validate, and demonstrate FP5-TRANS4M-R technologies, following an integrated, systemic, and cross-sector approach. The integration of solutions enabled by Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) with software-defined systems and digital rail freight services will ensure increased capacity, higher freight throughput, and faster transport operations. These developments will also strengthen cross-border coordination and cooperation among infrastructure managers and allow optimised management of the railway network.

The integrated, interoperable, validated, and EU-authorised FP5-TRANS4M-R solutions aim to achieve a unified technological framework for rail freight transport in the EU, with rigorously managed interfaces enabling effective system integration and smooth operations across borders, actors, and transport modes. These objectives constitute the foundation, framework, and motivation of the project, which is expected to have significant impact on the transport and logistics sectors in the EU.

Objectives

The overall objective of FP5-TRANS4M-R is to position rail freight transport as the backbone of the most resilient and low-emission European logistics chain, fully satisfying end-user requirements. To this end, the project aligns with the goals and vision of the European Commission, addressing the need to significantly boost rail freight through increased capacity, enhanced cross-border coordination and cooperation among infrastructure managers, improved network-wide traffic management, and the deployment of new technologies such as digital coupling and automation. These objectives form the basis, framework, and ambition of the project.

• Objective 1: Higher throughput and shorter transportation duration
• Objective 2: Maximize flexibility and reliability of rail freight services
• Objective 3: Mitigating demographic change