Deadline Date: February 11, 2026
Applications are now open for Sustainable Competitive Digital Green Rail Freight Services Initiative to make rail freight more attractive by improving service quality, cross-border operations, and multimodal connectivity through smart, efficient, and harmonized solutions.
The focus areas of this initiative include increasing capacity and efficiency (e.g. with Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC) and other technological and operational solutions) in a smart way for all types of rail freight transport, improving cross-border operation (cross border implies an important share of freight traffic and is expected to grow) and finally a better multimodal service offering. In addition to all these, this destination aims to contribute, if necessary, in the delivery of harmonization by means of contributing on the definition of European Standards.
Those objectives should be addressed aiming to deliver solutions in the following areas: full digital freight train operations enabled by key technologies for transforming the European Rail Freight sector which will increase productivity (time and cost reduction), efficiency (through process automation) and service quality, all of that leading to an increase of competitiveness. Together with a “smart” increase of capacity, more freight traffic can be shifted to the European rail system, significantly contributing to the EU Green Deal.
The total indicative budget allocated for this opportunity is EUR 20.4 million, with an indicative project duration of 30 months. The development of innovative freight assets (e.g. innovative freight wagons, last mile solutions, terminals) allow to further improve the competitiveness of rail freight by reducing LCC, operational costs and also increasing automation. A seamless rail freight with a significantly reduced average transportation time based on an agile, interoperable and open environment within integrated and harmonized European mobility networks which interacts with other businesses; an environment in which companies can optimize their operations; for railway undertakings and intermodal operators, this results into higher productivity, better capacity utilization, improved planning possibilities and, through the reduction of cross-border barriers and multimodality, faster transport handling, altogether resulting into higher reliability. In addition, comprehensive multimodal and transparent customer information in combination with easy booking and managing functions, lead to an increase in customer satisfaction and easier access to rail-based services. Being based on harmonized European data this leads to higher predictability and planning possibilities.
The expected outcome builds upon prior EU rail research and innovation activities including S2R IP5, EU-Rail FP5-TRANS4M-R, and the European DAC Delivery Programme (EDDP). The flagship project aims to contribute to Europe’s Rail Programme by addressing two main workstreams: Work Stream WS1, which focuses on Full Digital Freight Train Operations with DAC as the enabler for fully digitalized freight train operations, and Work Stream WS2, which focuses on Seamless Freight, offering easy access and reliable intermodal transport services through digital solutions.
For more information, visit European Commission.
