Railway Research and Innovation Agenda (RRIA), ERRAC

The Railway Research and Innovation Agenda (RRIA) sets out a strategic roadmap for research and innovation to transform European rail into a high capacity, sustainable, resilient, and people centric backbone of multimodal transportation. It is intended to inform the next European Research Framework Programme and follows from prior ERRAC work, including the 2020 Manifesto, as well as progress under Shift2Rail and the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking. Key aims of the Agenda: Strategic Research Priorities: Resilience, Net Zero and Competitiveness. This priority fosters sustainability in design, manufacturing, and operations, reducing both direct and embedded emissions, and ensuring agile, cost efficient systems that deliver value over life cycles. Understanding Systems Interdependencies. This priority applies systems thinking across scales, integrating legacy and new technologies such as digital twins and co simulation, while considering human, environmental, and external dependencies. People Centric Railways. This priority adapts design, operations, and business models to user and workforce needs, with emphasis on inclusivity, human machine interaction, and ensuring that digitalisation enhances both experience and wellbeing. Cross cutting Challenges and Opportunities:System Optimisation focuses on enhancing capacity, reliability, cost efficiency, and interoperability, while balancing investment and operating costs.Multimodality strengthens integration of rail with other transport modes, freight corridors, and hubs, and improves first and last mile solutions.Sustainability delivers green, clean, and future ready rail through energy efficiency, alternatives for non electrified lines, biodiversity protection, noise and emissions reduction, climate resilience, and whole life cycle impact reduction.Inclusive and Personalised Service ensures affordability and accessibility for diverse populations, offering demand responsive services, modular and standardised solutions, and new business models. Enablers for Implementation:Digitalisation supports the development of data protocols, digital twins, and robust governance of data.Governance and Policy provide supportive regulatory frameworks, harmonised standards, and stakeholder coordination.Co creation promotes the involvement of stakeholders early in research and innovation design.Skills development focuses on upskilling the workforce and encouraging diversity and inclusion. Potential Impacts: Accelerated decarbonisation of rail operations and infrastructure.Increased capacity, reliability, and quality of passenger and freight rail services.Enhanced competitiveness of rail compared to road transport.More equitable and inclusive access to rail services.A solid basis for policy, standardisation, and research funding aligned with European climate, mobility, and societal goals. Keywords: European rail; research and innovation; net zero; sustainability; system interoperability; multimodality; people centric design; digitalisation; governance; infrastructure resilience.