CAPACITY4RAIL · Increasing Capacity 4 Rail networks through enhanced infrastructure and optimised operations

In 2011, the White Paper on European Transport reasserted how fundamental transport was for society, for the mobility of European citizens and for the growth and vitality of the European economy.CAPACITY4RAIL will deliver research that is innovative, prepares rail for the future and takes into account results from previous research projects and programmes. The project builds on previous useable results and will deliver both technical demonstrations and system wide guidelines and recommendations that will be the basis for future research and investment, increasing the capacities of rail networks in the future.The time used for infrastructure monitoring, maintenance and renewal means ‘down time’. New concepts for low maintenance infrastructure, using standardized and “plug-and-play” concepts will be proposed. Non-intrusive innovative monitoring techniques or self-monitoring infrastructure will be investigated, allowing low or no impact on train operations.The fragility of some key component of the infrastructure system (especially in extreme weather conditions) such as switches may impact the efficiency of the whole system. The resilience of switches to any kind of known failure will be reinforced, as well as the ability of the operation system to recover from incidents.Capacity enhancements will also be achieved by higher speed freight vehicles, allowing an optimized interleaving of freight trains into mixed traffic, and improved planning models for operation.Intermodal integration within the global transport system will be improved through enhanced transhipment of passengers and freight.CAPACITY4RAIL will also look towards 2030/2050, by proposing guidelines for future deployments in the mid-term, recommendations for technologies to de developed and deployed in the long term and investigating the key opportunities for funding these within national and EU funding schemes.