photo: GeorgeTan#5 SIGNS OFF / CC0 (Public Domain Dedication) / Flickr/Truss bridge part of the railway corridor
Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking has launched a €148 million call to fund next-generation innovation across the continent’s rail system. The 2025-02 Call aims to turn research into real-world solutions that make European rail cleaner, smarter, and more connected.
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Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (JU) has launched the Call for Proposals 2025-02, with total EU funding of €148.2 million for expected projects worth €245 million. Funded projects will contribute to research and innovation activities under the Europe’s Rail Amended Work Programme 2025-2026. The Call is open until 11 February 2026 (17:00 CET). It reinforces Europe’s Rail’s ambition to deliver a modern, sustainable, efficient, and digitally integrated rail system that supports the European Green Deal and the EU’s digital transition objectives.
From Lab to Track
The 2025-02 Call builds on results from EU-Rail’s Flagship Projects and pushes innovations toward higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), paving the way for deployment of new operational and technological solutions. It covers European network management, automation and digitalisation, sustainability, rail freight integration, and regional lines.
EU-Rail also invites studies on rail industry 5.0 and climate finance innovation, while continuing to support PhDs and emerging talent. Through this Call, Europe’s Rail advances the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and prepares for the next EU programming period, tackling the challenges rail faces today. The System Pillar continues to steer system harmonisation toward a single European Rail Area under European Commission guidance.
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Voices from the Launch
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, said: "The launch of this major call for proposals from EU-Rail is a decisive step for the future of European rail. Through Flagship Projects, EU-Rail will take innovations from the lab to the tracks, making rail more digital, more sustainable, and more reliable for passengers and freight. This initiative also strengthens Europe’s competitiveness by accelerating the deployment of interoperable solutions across the Single Market. Open to all innovators, including SMEs, universities, and start-ups, the call encourages strong partnerships and practical solutions that deliver impact quickly and at scale. I look forward to ambitious proposals that will help move European rail forward."
Giorgio Travaini, Executive Director at Europe’s Rail, added: "EU-Rail is looking forward to receiving impactful applications from all entities eligible under Horizon Europe. Our R&I Programme is unique, bringing together the research community, SMEs, operators, infrastructure managers, and suppliers around the same goal: making rail the everyday mobility choice. We are working in partnership with the rail stakeholders and beyond to realise the ambitions of the European Union and to make rail the clean engine of our mobility and logistics economy. Participating in the EU-Rail call 2025-2 is an opportunity to shape the future of rail in Europe—our future."
To foster partnerships, Europe’s Rail has launched an online networking platform where stakeholders can express interest, hold virtual meetings, and form consortia. The platform is open from 8 October 2025 until the 11 February 2026 deadline.
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Source: Europe's Rail Press Release