Projects

Summary

Regional railway lines with lower usage or belonging to the secondary network play a crucial role not only in providing essential services to European regions, but also as feeder routes for passenger and freight traffic towards the main network. As such, they fulfil an essential function as an environmentally friendly mode of transport. Moreover, their connection with other public transport services and with first- and last-mile solutions—such as shared bicycles, cycling, walking or car access to and from stations in remote areas—is fundamental. Unfortunately, many of these routes were abandoned in the past, mainly due to their high associated costs. These railway lines now require revitalisation or even full renovation to ensure their economic, social and environmental sustainability, as well as to respond to current user needs and challenges.

Objectives

The overall objectives of the FutuRe project are to ensure the long-term viability of regional railways by reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) while maintaining high service quality and optimal operational reliability. The project aims to increase user satisfaction and make rail an attractive and preferred mode of transport. These goals will be achieved through a concept tailored to regional railways yet transferable across Europe, integrating digitalisation, automation and the use of common and emerging technologies for control, command and signalling, as well as for track components, rolling stock and customer information systems.