Non-EU countries could gain a competitive advantage over Europe
Only if EU policymakers continue a public-private rail research program can the European Rail Supply Industry maintain its generational advantage over non-EU suppliers
At a Rail Forum Europe event at the European Parliament, the UNIFE director general, Enno Wiebe, outlined what is at stake for the industry and EU manufacturing if the European Commission does not invest in a successor to Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking, while other nations heavily support their domestic industries.
An ideal future program would include investing €3bn from Horizon Europe/FP10 (the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation for the period 2028-2034) and €15bn in the pre-deployment of key technologies developed through the European Competitiveness Fund. Failure to do so could risk providing non-EU countries a global competitive advantage over European industry.
Technologies developed over the last decade, through two rail research programs such as the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) and Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC), can be deployed to increase capacity and services on rail networks across the EU, if investment is assured.
The FRMCS is essential to the planned rail signalling switch from 2G (GSM-R) to radio-based communication in Europe, while the DAC is one of several technologies available to help the rail freight sector compete with the emissions-heavy air and truck freight sectors.
Supporting around 650,000 jobs across Europe industry-wide will enable the European Rail Supply Industry to become vital to the continent’s security and future prosperity.
Wiebe said, “Investing in a successor to Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking means the European Rail Supply Industry can compete with the EU’s global rivals, who are focusing and investing in tech to pull ahead and achieve market supremacy.
“This is what Europe does best, policymakers working with private industry to ensure tech development that achieves strategic EU goals like growth, decarbonisation and strategic autonomy. We’ve spent a decade working with the European institutions to develop rail technologies and breakthroughs that have kept us number one in the world. Pausing would put all of that hard work and investment to waste, and benefit rivals."
