NETWORK MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND CONTROL & MOBILITY MANAGEMENT IN A MULTIMODAL ENVIRONMENT AND DIGITAL ENABLERS
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail) aims to deliver, via an integrated system approach, a high-capacity, flexible, multimodal, sustainable, reliable and integrated EU railway network for European passengers and cargo.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Action to be funded under this topic should research, develop, and deliver the following capabilities and/or any other relevant capability to achieve the aforementioned expected outcome, on the basis of the public deliveries of FP1-MOTIONAL (GA: 101101973)[2]:
WS1
To improve strategic and tactical planning of the rail network developing solutions that enable by 2028:
- Enabler 1: European cross-border scheduling with international train path planning and Improved capacity allocation using rolling planning and TTR [TRL7]
- Enabler 2: Decision support for short term planning [TRL7]
- Enabler 3: Optimization methods for timetabling and railway planning (incl. capacity efficiency and energy saving) [TRL7]
- Enabler 4: Improved rail traffic simulation models for selected Use Cases to forecast punctuality in the network (e.g. simulating proportion primary and secondary delays, simulations drivers vs. ATO over ETCS …). [TRL7]
- Enabler 5: Integration of TMS with a) yard capacity planning and b) station capacity planning [TRL7]
- Enabler 6: New planning and operational processes using feedback loops from ERTMS ATO and C-DAS [TRL7]
Developments on all those enablers should also cover important preparatory works with higher TRL for the future set of demonstration foreseen in the Multi- annual Work programme in view of the evolutions of the solutions.
To increase resilience of a connected ‘real time’ rail network developing solutions that enable by 2028:
- Enabler 7: Real-time connection of rail networks as managed by TMSs and involved actors and Modelling and decision support for cross-border traffic management [TRL7]
- Enabler 8: Integration of TMS with a) yard management system and processes; b) station management system and processes; c) energy management (Electric Traction System); d) real-time crew / rolling stock dispatching [TRL7]
- Enabler 10: Real-time convergence between planning & feedback loop from operations [TRL6]
- Enabler 11: Cooperative planning multi-actors within rail [TRL6]
- Enabler 12: Integration of incident management and customer information, with IM and RU interaction and Decision Support for Disruption management [TRL7]
- Enabler 13: TMS speed regulation of trains, precise routes and target times for ATO and dynamic timetables [TRL7]
- Enabler 14: Automation of very short term train control decisions and Real-time conflict detection & resolution for main line and optimisation [TRL7]
Developments on all those enablers should also cover important preparatory works with higher TRL for the future set of demonstration foreseen in the Multi- annual Work programme in view of the evolutions of the solutions.
To integrate rail traffic within door-to-door mobility developing solutions that enable by 2028:
- Enabler 15: Improved rail integration using B2B intermodal services leveraging existing European standards: cross-operator information sharing on e.g. sales and distribution, traffic information, end-user experience, … [TRL8]
- Enabler 16: This enabler focuses on delivering a smooth, hands-free, and accessible journey for all passengers by integrating smart, user-centric services across the rail network and with other modes of transport. It aims to enhance comfort, autonomy, and inclusivity throughout the entire travel chain. [TRL7]
- Enabler 18: Innovative platform-based passenger guidance solution, measurement and guidance of customer flows to and on the platform [TRL7]
- Enabler 19: Short term demand forecast calculation using run time data (e.g. ticketing data, short term weather forecast, passenger density, ….) [TRL8]
- Enabler 20: Long term demand forecast with focus on data analytics based on a variety of sources (e.g., public events, holiday calendar) and operators’ data (e.g., fare, passenger density data) and historical information for predictive models related to passenger clustering [TRL7]
- Enabler 21: Integrated traffic simulation and demand forecast in a Digital Twin to optimize offer, passenger occupancy, connection time and other service-related elements [TRL7]
- Enabler 22: Disruption management across different mobility modes enabling operators to collaboratively solve the disruption and properly inform passengers [TRL8]
Developments on all those enablers should also cover important preparatory works with higher TRL for the future set of demonstration foreseen in the Multi- annual Work programme in view of the evolutions of the solutions.
WS2
Connectors for Federated Data Spaces, TRL7 by 2028
A need for federated data spaces to make all heterogeneous data available to specialized digital applications in multiple domains while a) allowing incremental extensions and avoiding the rigidity of synchronized and centralized deployment timelines and b) providing data owners with the ability to retain control of their assets.
A federated data space is a distributed secure and reliable data sharing and communication infrastructure enabling data federation, access and processing services through standardized interfaces. Incremental extensions of the federated data space are achieved by new devices and systems using the exposed services to add themselves to the federation as they become available, while data asset protection by their owners is achieved by each participant implementing their own data access policies at the interface between their system and the federated dataspace. Connectors using these interfaces must be developed for existing or legacy/proprietary systems to participate in the federation. The sequence of successive federations must take into account the dependencies identified in Annex B between Destinations.
Common Domain Ontology, building upon S2R works on Conceptual Data Model (CDM) and ERA Ontology, TRL 7 by 2028
For Research & innovation and demonstrations activities (within the action) making use of data models related to the interoperability or safety of the rail system, those data models should be aligned with the ERA Ontology[4]. This ontology defines the conceptual framework and the specific terms and relationships for the interoperability or safety of the rail system in the EU that shall be used or where relevant extended. This includes the reuse of the ERA ontology with its semantic artifacts (shacl rules, skos ..) and in cases where it is not sufficient, extensions should be proposed to maintain semantic consistency and interoperability across systems. Those extensions proposals should cover the processes to validate extension to the ERA Ontology with compliant datasets and related competency questions and linked SPARQL queries based on interoperability testbed validation tools (Interoperability Test Bed Guides — ITB Guides[5]). Corresponding documentation should also include any mappings or transformations considered in the Research & Innovation activities and any assumptions made.
High quality data and its accessibility is key to the success of the next generation of railway application and services. Therefore, data does not only need to be of high semantic quality, but also has to be specified by a standardized high-quality syntax.
Digital Twin support, development and execution environment, TRL6 by 2028
As a virtual representation able to imitate the behaviour of a physical system, a Digital Twin is a software implementation of a structural and behavioural model of the represented system. A development environment for Digital Twins shall be composed of standard modelling tools, editors, compilers and debuggers used by specialists to create self-contained, compiled functional mock-up units (FMUs). Searchable libraries of FMUs are also part of the Digital Twin development environment, used to implement higher level FMUs as compositions of submodels through standardized interfaces.
Compiled FMUs are deployed to an interoperable Digital Twin execution environment in which models are initialized with data obtained from the federated dataspace through the dataspace services, and simulations runs are performed to generate the projected behaviour of the imitated physical system.
Cybersecurity, TRL 6 by 2028
Demonstrate Shared Cybersecurity Services for the Rail System allowing stakeholders in all EU-RAIL Destinations to apply Cybersecurity applications to secure their digital assets, data and communication. Added to the Digital Assets and Engineering toolbox and shareable as a service in a cloud environment, the Shared Cybersecurity Services will provide state-of-the-art cybersecurity procedures, methods and applications.
- Coordination with EU-RAIL System Pillar and other Destinations:
- Align with EU-RAIL System Pillar Cybersecurity specification
- Feedback to EU-RAIL System Pillar from demonstrator findings (after demonstration)
- Coordination with relevant other Destinations (presentation, feasibility check, collecting conditions and requirements for use of Shared Cybersecurity Services).
- Creation and set up of the Shared Cybersecurity Services (SCS) demonstrator (TRL 6):
- Setting up the Shared Cybersecurity Services demonstrator in a cloud environment such as the Rail Data Space based on the EU-RAIL System Pillar Cybersecurity specifications.
- Testing and demonstrating the SCS demonstrator in combination with data connectors and/or digital twin supplementing with additional applicable standards.
- Test interfaces, interoperability and operational procedures of the Shared Cybersecurity Services with selected and interested Destinations.
Detailed Call Description
Key Performance Indicators
The action shall actively contribute to measure and monitor the specific quantitative KPIs defined in the Destination description above, including its contribution to the Europe’s Rail Master Plan impacts. Outcomes are to be delivered at a calendar annual basis by each year end.
Collaboration work required with other Destinations
The required collaboration work, including the resources required, with other Destinations included in this call should be foreseen by the action to be funded under Destination 1:
- Common activities/tasks related to the review of system specifications to be developed by the action to be funded under Destination 2, Destination 3, Destination 4, Destination 5 and Destination 6.
- For WS1 only, a common activity/task related to the integration and pilot test(s) of the technical enablers to be provided by the actions to be funded under Destination 2, Destination 3 and Destination 4 and Destination 5 for the demonstration to be carried out in the action to be funded by Destination 1, Destination 2, Destination 3, Destination 4, Destination 5 and Destination 6.
Interaction with the System Pillar
The System Pillar aims to guide, support and secure the work of the Innovation Pillar (i.e. to ensure that research is targeted on commonly agreed and shared customer requirements and operational needs, compatible and aligned to the system architecture), and the Innovation Pillar will impact the scope of the System Pillar where new technologies or processes mean that innovations can drive a change in approach, as well as delivering detailed specifications and requirements. In this respect, the proposal should allocate necessary resources that would be dedicated to areas linked to the System Pillar conceptual and architecture works – particularly addressing specification development and demonstration activities following architectural aspects, stemming from the work of System Pillar:
- Definition of functional enhancements for capacity management for the Telematics TSI including harmonized processes, messages and data sources (STIP_16), e.g for Integration of planning systems and processes including cross-border planning.
- Traffic Management based upon the federated model and “European Network Concept Principles” (new STIP item), to demonstrate requirements that go beyond current regulation.
- Function distribution and interface between TMS/CMS (STIP_17), for functional enhancements, e.g. to improve operational performance on cross border traffic
- Function distribution and interface between TMS/Traffic CS (STIP_18).
- the ERA-ontology derived from the SP CCS/TMS Data Model (see also STIP_8 and STIP_11: CCS/TMS Data Model) shall be taken up for data preparation, validation, processing and interface communication purpose related with CCS and TMS.
- Specification of requirements for the Service Function Configuration and the interface to the CCS/TMS subsystems (STIP_8)
- EU-RAIL Cybersecurity Specification based demonstration of Shared Cybersecurity Services (STIP_75)
The EU-RAIL System Pillar is producing specifications and other relevant documents [6]. In general the documents applicable to the Destination 1 should be used. If it is considered documents are not applicable, the proposals shall explain the reason(s) for not using them (to note the application of the documents may still be required by EU-RAIL). During the action to be funded under this Destination, there may be updating of the documents, including based on feedback from application in technical enablers and demonstrators. Relevant feedback should be provided on a regular basis to EU-RAIL and the System Pillar.
In consideration of the timing of the activities, the planning as per the STIP should be taken into account and referred to. The proposal shall foresee feedback to the SP harmonization specification as part of the relevant deliverables, as well as capacity for joint workgroups to justify SP requirements, on the basis of the demonstrations, as mature for harmonization output.
The alignment of the activities will primarily take place during the Grant Preparation Phase and ramp up phase of the awarded proposal, and there will be continued, structured and regular interaction through the life of the project.
The action shall actively contribute to the update of the EU-Rail Standardisation and TSIs input plan (STIP) wherever relevant. Similarly, the action shall contribute to the development and implementation of EU policy and legislation including Technical Specifications for Interoperability and Common Safety Methods, as well as to publications of the System Pillar.
Gender dimension
In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
60%
Thematic Categories
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Information Technology
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Transport
Eligibility for Participation
- Businesses
- Educational Institutions
- Large Enterprises
- Legal Entities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Semi-governmental organisations
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
The general admissibility and eligibility conditions are described in Annex A, Annex B and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
For additional information about the eligibility conditions and the special skills and/or capabilities expected from the applicant(s) under each call, please visit the description of the topic of your interest in the Europe’s Rail Work Programme 2025-2026 (the link can be found under the “Further information” section of this email).