Despite the challenges faced, 2024 proved to be a year rich with opportunities. As a new EU Commission and Parliament started their mandate, both brought a renewed focus on critical areas such as economic competitiveness, sustainability, strategic autonomy, defence and security, and resilience.

The electrification of the European railways is progressing with around half of the network already upgraded.

Telematics applications ensure constant interfaces and dialogue between the train and the infrastructure at all stages of the process.

The rail sector is fully engaged in addressing the important societal need for better accessibility of persons with disabilities to public infrastructure.

The EU budget is crucial to translating EU Members States’ political priorities into concrete programmes and activities.

The ‘European Rail Traffic Management System’ (ERTMS) is the European standard for automatic train protection.

The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) is a set of rail, road, air and water transport networks in the European Union.

Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move along a railway, i.e. powered and unpowered vehicles such as locomotives (including on-track machines – OTMs) and passenger carriages.

Noise pollution is one of the most widespread public health threats in industrialised countries and the second largest environmental cause of health problems in the EU, impacting the railway sector and rail operations.

Under the “Horizon Europe” multiannual research and innovation (R&I) programme (2021-2027) the European Union and the rail industry have funded the Joint Undertaking “Europe’s Rail”.

IMs are increasingly using drones for inspections, maintenance and other purposes. In addition, unsolicited drone flight operations over rail tracks are becoming a safety and security issue.

It shall support shifting cargo from road to rail and waterways, incentivising the purchase of low-emission lorries, and establishing an easier and more accurate method to calculate the carbon footprint of freight journeys.

Railway interoperability by means of a harmonised traffic management across Europe is crucial for establishing SERA and cross-border services, while also ensuring the safety of railway operations

In Europe, some rail infrastructure managers own or operate stations. In some cases, the operational part of station management is delegated to another entity, which could also be a railway undertaking.

Track Access Charges (TACs) are the charges payable by a Railway Undertaking (RU) to an Infrastructure Manager (IM) for running a train on the IM’s railway network.

To ensure a high-level of safety, Rail Infrastructure Managers (IMs) are committed to delivering a safe, high performing and reliable rail network.

The digitalisation of rail increases cybersecurity threats for IT systems for Rail Infrastructure Managers (IMs) but also Railway Undertakings (RUs).