On 4 February 2026, Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking launched its Call for Proposals 2026-01, offering €6.1 million in EU funding to support research and innovation activities promoting sustainable and passenger-centred rail transport. This targeted call focuses on forward-looking transport concepts with strong emphasis on regional and suburban transport systems through innovation, digitalisation, and breakthrough technologies. The call addresses critical challenges in making rail more attractive for citizens whilst supporting Europe's broader objectives of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and strengthening industrial competitiveness in global markets.

Europe's Rail, the European public-private partnership established under Horizon Europe as successor to Shift2Rail, brings together nearly 1,000 entities from across Europe to develop solutions for a more efficient, flexible, demand-led, safe, and environmentally sustainable European railway system. With rail transport responsible for only 0.4% of EU transport greenhouse gas emissions whilst providing 5.1% of passenger mobility, enhancing rail's modal share represents a critical pathway for achieving the EU's Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy goal of reducing transport emissions by 90% by 2050.

• The regional rail services topic targets development of lightweight, cost-effective rolling stock specifically tailored to meet demands of regional networks, designed to reduce operational costs whilst improving efficiency, energy consumption, and carbon emissions. 
• Hyperloop technology receives dedicated support through the development of robust safety guidelines and certification processes essential for gaining public acceptance and operational reliability. 
• An online networking platform launched on 4 February 2026 facilitates collaboration and consortium building, enabling stakeholders to express interest in specific topics, organise virtual meetings, identify partners, and form consortia until the call deadline of 7 May 2026, ensuring broad participation across the European rail ecosystem.

This call advances Europe's Rail strategic priorities by addressing both incremental improvements to existing regional rail services and disruptive innovations that could transform future mobility. By supporting lightweight, cost-effective vehicles specifically designed for these networks, the call enables technological solutions addressing real operational constraints whilst making rail more competitive against road transport for shorter-distance journeys. 

Source: https://rail-research.europa.eu/press-releases/europes-rail-launches-e6-1-million-call-to-advance-sustainable-and-passenger-centred-rail-transport/