The Flagship Project stemming from this topic shall develop under the following capabilities the enablers and any other which may contribute to deliver the afore-mentioned expected outcome:

CCS & Operations

1. Develop based on the work of FP6-FUTURE, develop a Destination 6 specific application based on respectively improving generic application developed in Destinations 1 and 2 of several technical enablers and components for a cost-efficient performant control command and signalling system adapted to Regional Lines (TRL5-7 in 2028).
2. Develop based on the work of FP6-FUTURE, develop a single integrated Operations Control Centre (OCC) covering interlocking, radio blocking and traffic management for regional lines that are not functionally/operationally connected with mainline. This integrated OCC will reduce the software and hardware compare to traditional non integrated architecture while ensuring the same safety level (TRL6 in 2028).

Asset

1. Develop based on the work of FP6-FUTURE, Smart Wayside Object Controller (TRL5/6) and/or infrastructure components and wayside elements focused on Regional Railway cost drivers (e.g. level crossings, switches) which are energy self-sufficient and/or wireless enabled (by using the simplified communication system developed in CCS and Operations; enable remote control or full or partial automation and/or autonomous operation (TRL6 in 2028).
2. Develop based on the work developed in FP6-FUTURE, a concept for alternative fueling/charging stations for regional railway being interoperable with other road/rail vehicles (TRL3 in 2028)

Customer service

1. Based on the work developed in FP6-FUTURE, develop cost-efficient integration of on-board and or personal device information of multimodal services integrating regional multimodal services based on demand-responsive transport (TRL7 by 2028). Developments need to take into account solutions stemming and related to work on the ontology networks that have been produced in previous FP-FUTURE to align with CEN standards such as Transmodel as well as with the connections to National Access Point.
2. Based on the work developed in FP6-FUTURE, develop passenger congestion rate monitoring, flow optimization application as well as a low-cost passenger information system (by e.g. also using train positioning, FRMCS) for regional services while integrating multimodal services at railway stations. Such an application will be using the developments done in Destination 1 in the context of multimodal timetable integration. (TRL6 by 2028)

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.

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. 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). Corresponding documentation should also include any mappings or transformations considered in the Research & Innovation activities and any assumptions made.

Integrated demonstrator preparatory work

Validated the list of requirements and an implementation plan of the integrated demonstrators in preparation for Wave 3 based on the results of FP6-FUTURE, which will showcase the demonstration of solutions in operational environment (TRL7). Outcomes under this activity are expected by M12.

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 FAs

The action to be funded under Destination 6 shall foresee developing a deliverable capturing updated or additional specific requirements coming from the specific regional rail applications and relevant for the action to be funded under Destination 1 and Destination 2, suggested to be delivered indicatively by M6.

The action to be funded under Destination 6 shall foresee a common activity/task related to the review of system specifications to be developed by the action to be funded under Destination 1 and Destination 2.

The action to be funded under Destination 6 shall foresee a common activity/task related to the Preparatory works on the integration and pilot test(s) of the technical enablers to be provided by the action to be funded under Destination 1 and Destination 2 for the demonstration to be carried out in the action to be funded by Destination 1 and Destination 2.

It is expected that the Flagship Project stemming from this topic will use the EU-RAIL System Pillar Cybersecurity specifications, provide feedback to the Destination 1 Workstream 2 covering Cybersecurity and foresee adequate structure and resources for these activities.

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 (the interaction is illustrated in the System Pillar – Innovation Pillar interaction note (Annex VI of this Work Programme)). 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 EU-RAIL System Pillar is producing specifications and other relevant documents . In general the documents applicable to the Destination 6 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.

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.