In Europe, different and often not perfectly suitable tools are in use today to simulate railway operations. This leads to results which may not be comparable and to a data landscape that has no proper data interfaces between different countries implemented. This renders the simulation of cross-border connections difficult. Moreover, no tool has yet been implemented that is able to simulate large networks and that can also be used for large networks. In PLASA, the concept and a first prototypical implementation for an integrated Smart Planning simulation is being developed, addressing tactical to daily capacity planning. In PLASA-2, a new integrated Smart Planning simulation approach will be developed, which will be capable of analysing entire networks. The possibilities of interplay between microscopic and macroscopic simulation will be particularly evaluated and a concept for applying the PLASA model for capacity analysis will be defined in view of enabling strategic capacity planning to support investment and reinvestment decisions. In the field of Virtual Certification, a reduction of the duration and cost of the process for an appropriate authorisation to put a new train into service is needed. Today, the authorisation process for putting new rolling stock into service is largely based on full-scale field and line tests, which is expensive, time and capacity consuming. A breakthrough in performance can only be made if numerical simulations are progressively introduced in a mixed virtual/experimental authorisation process, resulting in less field tests. In PLASA-2, a very lean structure will be created to coordinate the activities related to virtual certification within the relevant TDs of IP1 and IP2, to define comprehensive practical industrial processes for validation of rolling stock sub-systems/systems. Hence, a common interface with standardisation and regulatory bodies will be proposed to steer the projects outcomes in the standards and guidelines.

GNSS is amongst the “game-changing” technologies for future digital and automated rail operations, acknowledged in a 2015 report from the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) on the longer-term perspective for the evolution of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) and the EU Parliament in its adopted report on railway safety and signalling from July 2021 also calls for a joint effort towards the introduction of GNSS in ERTMS. Three major railway operators in Europe – DBN, SBB and SNCF – endorse and support the efforts of the EU Parliament and propose a follow-up-project to the "Certifiable Localization Unit with GNSS in the railway environment” (CLUG) project to demonstrate the technological readiness of the CLUG Localisation On-Board (LOC-OB) System. In CLUG 2.0 (CLUG Demonstration of Readiness for Rail), the system architecture aims to complement the existing European Train Control System (ETCS) odometry system by using GNSS to enable absolute safe train positioning whilst also transforming the way of train localisation is done today by demonstrating a GNSS-based multi-sensor fusion architecture. To ensure that an enhanced on-board localization in ERTMS/ETCS using GNSS is interoperable, the technological readiness of the LOC-OB System shall be demonstrated in CLUG 2.0. To achieve its objectives, the consortium continues the work started in the first CLUG project, by improving the design of the safe functional architecture and validating it against the requirements defined by the operators. Ultimately, all thanks to an improved LOC-OB System for ERTMS, benefits such as increasing the line capacity, reducing headways between trains, reducing expenditure for rail infrastructure rollout can help reduce emissions, and accelerate the adoption of sustainable and smart mobility solutions that revolve around rail. LOC-OB can make rail transport more attractive, enhance the competitiveness of rail for citizens and businesses.

The FINE 1 project aims to reduce operational costs of railways by a reduction of energy use and noise related to rail traffic. The project results are expected to enable an increase of traffic in Europe and to enhance the attractiveness of railway in relation to other modes of transport. The project activities will support the innovation process within the S2R Technical Demonstrators (TDs) by providing methodology and know-how to enable development of low noise and low energy TDs. The project is fully in line with the EU objectives with eight technical work packages (WPs) addressing technologies to support these objectives. The reduction of energy use for rail vehicles is as addressed in WP 3 and WP4 and will indirectly lead to reduced green-house gas emissions, also with most rail transport powered with electricity. Further, reducing energy use will lower the life cycle cost and the costs of vehicle operation. The project also aims at development of practical methods for predicting noise and vibration performance on system level including both rolling stock, infrastructure and its environment. Prediction of interior vehicle noise is addressed in WP 7 and source modelling for interior and exterior noise in WP 8. With an accurate characterization of each contributing source, it will be possible to optimize cost benefit scenarios, as addressed in WP 6, as well as take exposure and comfort into account. Finally, the auralisation and visualisation techniques of traffic noise scenarios and the noise control techniques developed in WP 9, support the reduction of noise exposure for residents by efficient traffic planning and novel mitigation techniques. In summary, the expected FINE 1 advances of the state-of-the-art in noise modelling and control as well as in energy management and control methodology, will improve the competitiveness of the European railway system compared to other modes of transportation and thus promoting a modal shift to rail.

This Project aims to perform the socio-economic Research for Shift2Rail, to develop the SPD Scenarios and the KPI integrated assessment. Smart Maintenance, Standardisation, Integrated Mobility Management and Human Ressources are cross-cutting activities of Shift2Rail as well and consequently topics of the Project, too. The objectives of this proposal IMPACT-2 are: - Evaluating the effects for mobility, society and environment induced by new technology solutions and developments, - Introducing relevant targets and needs to create a more attractive, a more competitive and more sustainable rail system - Defining System Platform Demonstrators (SPD) that represent future application use cases - Defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that enable the monitoring and assessment of the Shift2Rail overall target achievement. - Smart Maintenance - Prepare an efficient process for bringing Shift2Rail results into standardisation - Develop a common platform for the intelligent mobility management - Human ressources The project IMPACT-2 is planned to fulfil all respective topics of the Shift2Rail Annual Work Plan 2017.