Global rivals will win if EU cuts Rail Research Fund

The European Rail Supply Industry can maintain its generational advantage and world-leading status over non-EU suppliers - but only if EU policymakers continue a cutting-edge public-private rail research program.

UNIFE Director General Enno Wiebe outlined today at a Rail Forum Europe event at the European Parliament what’s at stake for the industry and EU manufacturing, if the European Commission does not invest in a successor to Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking, while other nations like China heavily support their domestic industries.

An ideal future program would include investing €3bn from Horizon Europe/FP10 (Framework Programme for Research & Innovation for the period 2028-2034), and €15bn in the pre-deployment of key technologies developed from the European Competitiveness Fund.

Failure to do so would risk giving non-EU countries a global competitive advantage over European industry, at a time when Europe is supposed to be prioritising innovation, competitiveness and strategic autonomy.

Technologies developed in the last decade over two rail research programs such as FRMCS (Future Railway Mobile Communication System) and DAC (Digital Automatic Coupling), can be deployed to help boost capacity and services on rail networks across the EU, if investment is assured.

The Future Railway Mobile Communication System is central to the upcoming planned rail signalling switch from 2G (GSM-R) to radio-based communication in Europe, while the Digital Automatic Coupling is one of the many technologies available to help the rail freight sector compete against the emissions-heavy air and truck freight sectors.

High-level representatives from each of Europe’s key institutions spoke and were present at the event, such as Member of the European Parliament Andreas Schieder, Deputy Head of Cabinet for EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas Pierpaolo Settembri and Executive Director of Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking Giorgio Travaini.

By supporting approximately 650,000 jobs across Europe industry wide, the European Rail Supply Industry is vital to the continent's security and future prosperity. Investing in these technologies, and continued future research, will ensure the European Rail Supply Industry’s place as leading global innovators.

Quotes attributable to UNIFE Director General Enno Wiebe

“Investing in a successor to Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking means the European Rail Supply Industry can compete with the EU’s global rivals, who are focusing and investing in tech to pull ahead and achieve market supremacy.”

“This is what Europe does best – policymakers working with private industry to ensure tech development that achieves strategic EU goals like growth, decarbonisation and strategic autonomy.”

“We’ve spent a decade working with the European institutions to develop rail technologies and breakthroughs that have kept us number one in the world. Pausing would put all of that hard work and investment to waste, and benefit rivals.”