Research

ERRAC - The European Rail Research Advisory Council

The European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC) is an advisory body to the European Commission representing Member States and all stakeholders in the sector. Its mission to develop a ‘Strategic Rail Research Agenda’ to inform on the planning of research programmes across the EU was achieved in 2007 with the publication of the updated Strategic Rail Research Agenda 2020 (SRRA).

ERRAC encountered important changes in 2008. On 6 March 2008, during the 17th ERRAC Plenary held at DG RTD, European Commission, Mr. Andrew Mc Naughton (Network Rail) took over the excellent Chairmanship of Mr. Ake Wennberg (Bombardier).

Future activities of ERRAC will focus on concrete and detailed roadmaps or common European Research activities. For this purpose ERRAC submitted to the European Commission on 7 May a FP7 2nd call project proposal called ERRAC-Roadmaps.

Its main purpose is the development of yearly roadmaps enabling a step by step tool to reach the goals developed in the Strategic Rail Research Agenda 2020.

ERRAC Stakeholders agreed to begin to undertake the work planned for the project ERRAC-Roadmaps already in 2008, without any funding by the European Commission.

The general framework of the activities for the next financed years is organised under the following working groups and with a clear defined involvement by the rail stakeholders and the participation to the working group is open to any expert:

WP01 The greening of surface transport (leader: SNCF; co-leader: Knorr-Bremse);
WP02 Encouraging modal shift (long distance) and decongesting transport corridors (leader: Banverket; co-leader: EFRTC);
WP03 Ensuring sustainable urban transport (including modal shift, light rail vehicles and metros (leader: UITP; co-leader: Ansaldo STS);
WP04 Improving safety and security (leader: Italcertifer/RFI; co-leader: MER-MEC);
WP05 Strengthening competitiveness (leader: Network Rail; co-leader: Corus Rail);
WP06 Past projects evaluation and Evaluation Database (leader: Trenitalia; co-leader: Newrail);
WP07 Communication (leader: CER; co-leader: UNIFE)

ERRAC also decided to develop a closer and better focused relationship with the DG TREN. On 7 July 2008, an ERRAC delegation met Maurizio Castelletti, the Head of Unit for Rail transport and interoperability at DG TREN.

Finally, ERRAC enhanced the collaboration within the other existing European and National Technological Platforms. Cooperation with ERTRAC, the European Road Transport Research Advisory Council, was established under the ERRAC-Roadmaps WP02 and WP03 and cooperation over all ERRAC activities was set with the Spanish (PTFE) and Czech Technology Platforms for Rail.

Remembering ERRAC’s goal to build consensus in defining future rail research needs, each ERRAC WP contributed to the new Framework Programme (FP7) with the definition of eleven R&D topics priorities, submitted to the European Commission, DG RTD, in December 2008 and to be taken into account for the drafting of the FP7 3rd call.

To visit UNIFE's section on Research, click here

To visit ERRAC's website, click here

For further Information, please contact

Giorgio Travaini

Senior Technical Manager

+ 32 2 643 70 89

giorgio.travaini@unife.org