Submit Applications for Rail4Climate Program 2026 (Austria)

The program focuses on increasing productivity and capacity in the rail sector, strengthening the competitiveness of Austrian railway companies, improving the use of digitalization and automation, increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the mobility system, strengthening the resilience of the mobility system, ensuring workplace safety and employee health, supporting innovative products and digital services, contributing to the implementation of the “R&D&I for the Rail Industry” measure under the Industrial Strategy – Austria 2035, transitioning advanced development projects into implementation, preparing concrete procurement of project results, increasing the innovative capacity of the rail industry through knowledge transfer, and promoting fairness, equal opportunities, gender inclusion, diversity, accessibility, and consideration of the mobility needs of women, people with disabilities, and people with a migration background.

Rail4Climate 2026 recognizes the railway as the backbone of future mobility and supports the continued development of a highly networked transport system with a low environmental impact. The program promotes research and development activities that improve the productivity and capacity of the railway sector through digitalization and automation while enhancing the attractiveness of rail transport as a climate-friendly mobility solution.

The initiative is aligned with the Austrian Federal Government’s Industrial Strategy – Austria 2035, which identifies mobility technologies as one of the country’s key technology areas. Through the “R&D for the Rail Industry” initiative, the program contributes to strengthening the global leadership of the Austrian rail industry, supporting Austria’s position as a competitive business location, and creating national value across the entire rail sector.

The program encourages the development of innovative products and digital services that contribute to a future-proof mobility system. By supporting research and development projects, Rail4Climate aims to increase operational efficiency, improve transport capacity, and accelerate the implementation of advanced technological solutions across all areas of the railway system.

The strategic objectives of the program include increasing productivity and capacity within Austria’s rail sector, improving the competitiveness of Austrian companies in the rail industry, making greater use of digitalization and automation to improve efficiency, strengthening the resilience of the mobility system, and enhancing workplace safety and health for employees working in the railway sector.

The operational objectives include supporting the implementation of the “R&D&I for the Rail Industry” measure under the Industrial Strategy – Austria 2035, facilitating the transition of advanced development projects into practical implementation, preparing the procurement of project results, and strengthening the innovative capacity of the entire industry through targeted knowledge transfer.

The program also integrates gender and diversity considerations into both the technical design of projects and the composition of project consortia. During project selection, attention is given to solutions that address the mobility needs and travel behavior of women, people with disabilities, and people with a migration background, while promoting fairness and equal opportunities to ensure that developed solutions are accessible and beneficial to all users.

The total budget for Rail4Climate 2026 is EUR 2,000,000. Eligible applicants include railway undertakings such as railway transport and infrastructure companies, businesses from the railway industry, research institutions, research and development organizations, service companies, public authorities, local authorities, advisory bodies, and other stakeholders active in the railway sector.

For more information, visit Climate and Energy Fund.