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Funding

Funding

Funding

Introduction

Over the years, the European Commission has come to value our activities and to take a keen interest in our efforts, and we benefit from European Union funding. The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) has awarded several funding proposals submitted under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). While some of the funding is directly supporting activities of the RNE Joint Office, RNE has also assumed the role as coordinator for common funding projects as a service to support its Members. These common funding applications shall facilitate the national implementation of European programmes such as TTR and Digital Capacity Management.

Since 2008, RNE has been awarded grants in 13 funding activities. Ten of them have already been completed, each with an achievement rate of 100%. More information on the ongoing funding activities can be found in this section.

CEF II Transport Call 2023

 Project Summary

The joint project "Digital Capacity Management – Implementation 2024-2027 [DCM IMP 24_27]" continues the Europe-wide implementation of the "TTR for Smart Capacity Management" programme, originally launched in 2014. The programme aims to boost the attractiveness and efficiency of international rail transport by removing interoperability barriers, thereby enhancing rail’s competitiveness and market share within the European transport market.

The effects of the project are expected to be transformative. It will revolutionise the timetabling process, which has remained largely unchanged for the past 60 years. By shifting from a national, annual, and manual process to an interoperable, digital (automated), and flexible European system, the sector is taking proactive steps toward modernisation. This new European IT architecture will integrate national IT systems, providing a unified view of the rail network. As a result, rail traffic is expected to increase by at least 4%, with improved punctuality.

The higher quality will be achieved through the implementation of a harmonised European capacity model, more flexible cross-border allocation of train paths, and better EU-wide coordination of maintenance planning to mitigate the effects of Temporary Capacity Restrictions (TCRs).

Key objectives of the project include:

  • Adjusting Infrastructure Manager (IM) legacy systems to enable cross-border data exchange, facilitating the digitalisation of integrated infrastructure capacity and traffic management.
  • Supporting both IMs and Railway Undertakings (RUs) in ensuring compliance with the TAP/TAF TSI and TSI OPE regulations.

Participants:

Project Duration:
Eligibility period: April 2024 – December 2027.

Project Volume:

  • Total Investment: EUR 52,178,833.08 (RNE share: EUR 13,177,537.00)
  • Maximum EU Contribution: EUR 26,139,416.54 (50%)

CEF II Transport Call 2021

Project Summary

The overall objective of this project ‘Digital Capacity Management – Implementation 22-24 [DCM IMP 22_24]’ (a study without physical interventions) is to continue the Europe-wide implementation of the programme ‘TTR for a Smart Capacity Management’ which was launched as a project in 2014 with the overall aim to increase international rail attractiveness and efficiency, so that rail can increase its competitiveness and market share on the European transport market.
This project intends to continue the valuable work started by previous EU-funded actions. It will do so by:

  • Supporting rail stakeholders in implementing the agreed and committed activities in the frame of the programme ‘TTR for a Smart Capacity Management’
  • Implementing an additional market-oriented application for Short Term Path requests – the so-called ‘Automated Short Term Path Request’ at international level (reduction of lead time from 2-3 weeks to 1-2 days)
  • Adjusting IM legacy systems to allow cross-border data exchange, to facilitate integrated infrastructure capacity and traffic management
  • Supporting rail stakeholders in developing common Telematics Reference Files, merging the existing TAF and TAP Reference File sets to be used in the telematics framework and by other registers managed by the ERA or the rail sector.
  • Supporting Infrastructure Managers and Railway Undertakings in implementing and ensuring the compliance of the rail system and its sub-systems with the TAP and TAF TSI.

Participants

  • RNE
  • DB Netz AG
  • Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
  • SNCF Réseau
  • Infrabel SA
  • Správa železnic, státní organizace
  • RFC North Sea-Mediterranean

Duration

The eligibility period for this project are the years 2022-2025

Volume

Total Investment Volume: 147 812 300 EUR (RNE share: 13 858 865 EUR)
Max EU-Contribution: 73 906 150 EUR (50%)

CEF II Technical Assistance – Phase 1

Project Summary

The overall objective of the Action ‘CEF Technical Assistance to RailNetEurope - 2021’ is to support accompanying measures that contribute to the development of projects of common interest relating to efficient, interconnected and multimodal networks and infrastructure for smart, interoperable, sustainable, inclusive, accessible, safe and secure mobility on the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), specifically to promote the effective implementation of Regulation (EU) N° 913/2010 concerning a European rail network for competitive freight, and Directive 2012/34/EU establishing a single European railway area. RailNetEurope is an association set up by a majority of European Rail Infrastructure Managers and Allocation Bodies to enable fast and easy access to the European rail system, as well as to increase the quality and efficiency of international rail traffic. Technical Assistance to RailNetEurope shall address the support to Rail Freight Corridors and the Infrastructure Managers for the development of common rules, processes, functions and IT requirements / architectures for international rail capacity and traffic management, as well as activities related to data sharing, information provision, performance and market analysis. The technical assistance shall cover the following activities:

  • The Coordination and cooperation between RNE, RFCs and rail sector stakeholders shall be facilitated.
  • A Scoping and feasibility study for a European transport market study shall be prepared.
    Further development and implementation of new approaches for rail capacity management and allocation shall be processed.
  • Specification, development and deployment of IT systems and applications for rail capacity management (‘digital capacity management’) shall be deployed.
  • European traffic and contingency management including the related data exchange and monitoring shall be assessed and further defined.
  • Performance monitoring and management for rail infrastructure and transport services, including intermodal context shall be improved
  • Provision of information on rail infrastructure and services in user-friendly, digital formats shall be strengthened.
  • RNE shall support the preparation of coordinated funding proposals involving multiple rail stakeholders

Main outputs/results for the technical assistance are:

  • The promotion and coordination of joint sector activities in the frame of RNE portfolio.
  • A completed “Scoping and feasibility study for a European transport market study“.
  • The facilitation of a harmonised European capacity management under the Program "TTR for a Smart Capacity Management" facilitated
  • European Capacity Management Tool and Temporary Capacity Restriction Tool.
  • The improvement of the performance monitoring and management for rail infrastructure and transport services.
  • The coordination of sector funding projects to strengthen the digitalisation of the European rail sector.

Participants

  • RNE

Duration

The eligibility period for this project are the years 2021-2022

Volume

Total Investment Volume: 2 800 000 EUR
Max EU-Contribution: 2 800 000 EUR (100%)

CEF II Technical Assistance – Phase 2

Project Summary

The Phase 2 of the Technical Assistance intends to continue the valuable work started in previous EU-funded actions and the Technical Assistance Phase 1, aiming to support accompanying measures under Article 9(1) of the CEF Regulation (“technical assistance”) to promote the effective implementation of Regulation (EU) N° 913/2010 concerning a European rail network for competitive freight, and Directive 2012/34/EU establishing a single European railway area.
The general objective of the “CEF Technical Assistance to RailNetEurope - 2023’ is to support the Rail Freight Corridors and Infrastructure Managers in the development of common rules, processes, functions, and IT requirements/ architectures for international rail capacity and traffic management, as well as activities related to data sharing, information provision, performance, and market analysis.

The Phase 2 includes the following activities:

  • Coordination and cooperation between RNE, RFCs, ERJU, EU Agency for Railways, and rail sector stakeholders
  • Feasibility study and detailed implementation plan for a European transport market study covering passenger and freight transport
  • Further development and implementation of new approaches for rail capacity management and allocation, in the context of the ‘timetable redesign’ programme (TTR for Smart Capacity Management)
  • Specification, development, and deployment of IT systems and applications for rail capacity management and allocation (‘digital capacity management)
  • European traffic and contingency management and related data exchange and monitoring
  • Performance monitoring and management for rail infrastructure and transport services, including in the intermodal context
  • Providing information on rail infrastructure and services in human-readable user-friendly, and machine-readable digital formats
  • Support to cross-border long-distance passenger rail pilot services, in the framework of the Commission’s invitation to submit proposals for cross-border pilot rail services

Main outputs/results for the technical assistance are:

  • Implementation of Scoping and Feasibility study on a European Transport Market study for passenger and freight transportation
  • TTR programme implementation according to the defined plan
  • Defined procedures and IT tools for European network management and incident management
  • Implementation of the revised performance indicators for international train runs
  • Increased usage of RINF data
  • Implementation of procedures to support cross-border passenger service pilots

Participants

  • RNE

Duration

The eligibility period for this project are the years 2023-2024

Volume

Total Investment Volume: 10 500 000 EUR
Max EU-Contribution: 10 500 000 EUR (100%)

CEF I 2018

Project Summary

The European Union is promoting and developing a transport infrastructure policy that connects the continent through the nine TEN-T Core Network corridors, aiming to close the gaps between the Member States’ transport networks, remove bottlenecks that still hamper the smooth functioning of the internal market, and overcome technical barriers such as incompatible standards for railway transport. It shall support and strengthen seamless transport chains for passenger and freight, while keeping up with the latest technological trends.

To achieve those objectives, a key priority is the promotion and harmonisation of the rail system interoperability through the implementation of the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs) relating to Telematics Applications for freight (TAF) and Telematics Applications for Passengers (TAP).

The overall purpose of the Action "Implementing Telematics Applications for European Interoperability" is to increase the attractiveness and efficiency of the international rail freight transport, so that rail can increase its competitiveness and market share on the European transport market, through further harmonised implementation and rollout of the EU legislation and framework on TAF and TAP TSIs (Commission Regulation (EU) N°454/'2011 of 5 May 2011, and Commission Regulation N° 62/2006 of 23 December 2005).

The Action is a study with pilots that will achieve this objective through the following activities:

  • Telematics Implementation - Rollout of Reference Files
  • Implementation of telematics Path Request and Timetable Redesign (TTR)
  • Implementation of Train Running Information and Communication

It will promote, with the Association RailNetEurope (RNE) as Coordinator and eight co-beneficiaries which are Infrastructure Managers in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Slovenia and Spain, further implementation, and development of operational tools such as the Train Information System (TIS), Path Coordination System (PCS), Capacity System. Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA), and Temporary Capacity
Restriction (TCR) in order to support Infrastructure Managers, Railway Undertakings, Terminals and other relevant stakeholders in their daily work.

The Action aims at implementing the following goals and benefits:

  • Increasing interoperability of the rail system with Technical Specifications for Interoperability concerning Telematics Applications for Passengers (TAP) and Freight (TAF);
  • Support the rail stakeholders in developing common telematics Reference Files;
  • Support the Infrastructure Managers and Railway Undertakings in implementing and ensuring the compliance of the rail system with the TAP and TAF TSI, and developing and implementing the unique Train ID in line with the commitment expressed in the TSI TAP and TAF master plans to replace Operation Train Number already in use;
  • Support the Infrastructure Managers and Railway Undertakings in implementing functions such as Train Running Information, Path Request. Service Disruption, Train Preparation and Reference Files for European Infrastructure Managers and Railway Undertakings or prearranged train paths and reserve capacity;
  • Support the rail actors in implementing TAP and TAF TSl-compliant databases
  • Provide cross-border services under TAF/TAΡ standards

Participants

  • RNE
  • ADIF
  • Banedanmark
  • DB Netz AG
  • HŽ Infrastruktura d.o.o
  • Infrabel SA
  • ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG
  • SNCF Réseau
  • SŽ-Infrastrukture d.o.o.

Duration

The eligibility period for this project are the years 2019-2023

Volume

Total Investment Volume: 28 775 964 EUR (RNE share: 10 596 250 EUR)
Max EU-Contribution: 14 387 982 EUR (50%) (RNE share: 5 298 125 EUR)

Rail Facilities Portal Maintenance & Development

Project Summary

RNE has bought the Portal in 2020 and is currently managing it with the support of UIRR. RNE has applied and the European Commission has awarded two grants for the management and
maintenance and the further development of the Portal. These activities will ensure that the Portal provides the functionalities required to serve its purpose and attract new users.
Specifically, the funding action covers:

  • Preparing the technical requirements for the development of dedicated interfaces for exchange of information with databases or IT tools (portals) containing data on service facilities and/or involve the use of alternative technological solutions (such as Linked Data) that would provide the same outcome;
  • Studying and preparing technical requirements for the development of data exchange and, where possible, data integration between the Portal and Commission-run rail-related tools and in particular the Register for infrastructure (RINF);
    Setting up a governance board involving a full range of stakeholders that will decide on strategic and operational issues.
  • Setting up a technical control board that would develop functional and technical specification for future software development and advise the governance board and RNE.
    Preparing and carrying out consultations with sector stakeholders on the software development via a governance board and other appropriate means (technical working groups, e.g.);
  • providing support to Portal users (including by a helpdesk), management of Portal user registration, of data provided by Portal users, in particular descriptions of rail facilities and related rail services;
  • cooperation projects, including drafting and signing of agreements of exchange of data with third parties (e.g., service facility operators);
  • conferences, seminars used to advertise the services of the Portal;
  • awareness and dissemination actions to advertise the service of the Portal;
  • studies, analyses, mapping projects, technical specifications, related to the development of the Portal;
  • software development and maintenance to the extent necessary to maintain and run the European Rail Facilities Portal, as long it is not funded by another EU action;
  • Development of dedicated interfaces for exchange of static information with databases or IT tools (portals) containing data on service facility description and/or involve the use of alternative technological solutions (such as Linked Data) that would provide the same outcome;
  • Developing software that would allow for a high level of automation of the data exchange and possibly, data integration between the Portal and Commission-run rail-related tools and in particular the Register of infrastructure web-based application (RINF Application) and RNE CRD, in particular for automated link of the rail facilities to operational points in RINF Linking the Portal to the register;
  • Connecting/integrating information or services provided by RNE’s Train Information System, Customer Information Platform or Charging Information System and automated exchange/update of the information to/in the Portal to the extent possible;
  • Developing multi-language versions of the Portal’s interface.
  • Additional functionalities that have been consulted with rail stakeholders in the Governance Board of the Portal.
  • The above list is not exhaustive, because further functionalities or software improvements can be proposed by the sector representatives or by users of the Portal at any time. They will be developed only if approved by the Governance Board of the Portal or if they are essential to the functioning of the Portal or for its management.
  • RNE will coordinate the detailed schedule for the developments mentioned above and any new software changes with the Commission and consult stakeholders through the Portal’s Governance Board.

Participants

  • RNE

Duration

The eligibility period for this project is from 01/2021-02/2023

Volume

Total Investment Volume: 650 000 EUR
Max EU-Contribution: 650 000 EUR (100%)

Digital Train 2.0

Project Summary

The Action “Digital Train 2.0” ‘is a continuation of the successful Action “Enhanced real-time communication about train composition and estimated time of arrival” to continue to address and solve concrete operational interoperability issues to attract railway clients (Priority 3). In addition, it tackles important issues for international rail freight related to technical and operational interoperability, namely the implementation of the Redesign of the International Timetabling Process (TTR).

Participants

  • RNE
  • International Union for Road-Rail Combined Transport (UIRR)
  • Deutsche Umschlaggesellschaft Schiene-Straße (DUSS) mbH
  • DB Cargo AG
  • Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (MIWM) of The Netherlands

Duration

The eligibility period for this project is from 12/2020-12/2022

Volume

Total Investment Volume: 478 630 EUR (RNE share: 247 000 EUR)
Max EU-Contribution: 478 630 EUR (100%) (RNE share: 247 000 EUR)