Don’t Derail the Future: Industry Urges EU to Back Combined Transport and Successor to Europe’s Rail JU

Combined Transport is no longer a footnote in EU freight policy. As Brussels rewrites the rules on emissions, resilience, and rail R&I, industry leaders are making one thing clear: leave Combined Transport behind, and you derail Europe’s climate, competitiveness, and connectivity goals.

A coalition of Europe’s leading rail, intermodal, and transport organisations is calling on the EU to back Combined Transport and launch a new public-private research partnership to succeed Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail). Their united appeal, released on 29 April, focuses on the vital role of rail freight and R&I investment in meeting Europe’s climate goals, improving competitiveness, and achieving Single Market integration.

The statement, signed by CER, EAL, EIM, FEDECRAIL, UIC, UIP, UITP, UNIFE and UIRR, says that Combined Transport is uniquely placed to deliver energy efficiency, reduce congestion and emissions, and increase EU resilience. The sector warns that proceeding with the revision of the Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD) without advancing the Combined Transport Directive (CTD) risks distorting the market and undermining green logistics.

Rail's Role in Europe's Climate and Competitiveness Goals

Rail remains the greenest form of motorised transport, accounting for just 1.8% of the EU’s transport energy consumption while moving 17% of freight and 8% of passengers, according to EFIP. Yet, rail is facing pressure from road freight and fragmented regulations. The organisations argue that Combined Transport—linking road, rail, inland waterways and short sea shipping—offers the most effective, scalable and low-emission solution to rebalance Europe’s freight system.

"Combined Transport delivers massive external benefits, from reducing road congestion—currently costing over 1% of EU GDP annually—to improving safety and cutting dependence on fossil fuel imports," the statement notes. It enables flexible, multimodal logistics chains without sacrificing the climate agenda.

Coordinated Action Needed: CTD and WDD Must Advance Together

The signatories urge the European Parliament and the Council to launch the first reading of the Combined Transport Directive in parallel with WDD revisions. Combined Transport is back on the EU agenda—and this time, it’s at the heart of the bloc’s push for cleaner, more resilient freight. With the Greening Freight and Weights & Dimensions directives under review, industry leaders warn that undermining Combined Transport could unravel Europe’s climate goals, infrastructure efficiency, and energy independence.

The EU’s legislative direction must not favour longer road transport at the expense of rail, waterways and maritime freight, they caution. Incentives for Combined Transport must be preserved and expanded, not diluted through a piecemeal approach.

Don’t Leave Research Behind: New Europe’s Rail JU Successor Essential

In a complementary call, the same group of transport stakeholders is pressing the European Commission to commit to a successor to the EU-Rail in the next European Research Framework Programme (FP10). They propose a EUR 3 billion budget for R&I, matched by EUR 15 billion for pre-deployment to scale up technological solutions.

As pointed out in the recent policy paper released by UIRR and its partners, the current Europe’s Rail JU has delivered tangible outcomes, including standardisation of ERTMS, advancements in Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC), and progress on zero-emission propulsion. "This collaboration must continue if we are to complete the Single European Railway Area (SERA), strengthen global competitiveness, and expand modal share," the report argues.

R&I: Key to Unlocking a Unified and Competitive Rail System

The new JU, if approved, would focus on digitalisation, standardisation, and reducing system complexity across Europe. It aims to overcome historical fragmentation and establish an interoperable rail system that works seamlessly across borders. It also pledges to expand the rail R&I ecosystem by bringing in SMEs, start-ups, and academia, while focusing on real-world business cases and pre-deployment strategies. "A long-term, coordinated platform like a Joint Undertaking is essential for aligning investment and unlocking private capital," the group says.

Failure to Act Risks Derailing EU Green and Industrial Goals

Delays or underinvestment in Combined Transport and rail R&I threaten to undermine the EU’s Green Deal targets, stakeholders warn. Without legislative and financial support, Europe risks falling behind global competitors and increasing its reliance on high-emission transport. As the EU prepares for its next legislative cycle and research framework, transport leaders urge policymakers not to squander this opportunity to build a cleaner, smarter and more competitive Europe—on rails.

Sources: UIRR; EFIP