Newcastle University

Project:

ERRAC Roadmap

From June 2009 to May 2012
Project Leader(s): Prof. Mark Robinson
Staff: Dr. Cristian Ulianov
Contact: newrail@ncl.ac.uk
Sponsors: European Commission
Partners: European Rail Infrastructure Managers; Knorr-Bremse; Ansaldo; Trenitalia; Network Rail; Italcertifer; Community of European Railway and Infrastructure; European Federation of Railway Trackworks Contractors; Corus; UNIFE; Mer Mec; Eurnex ; Bombardier
Homepage: http://www.errac.org/spip.php?article13

ERRAC Roadmap project addresses the broad coordinating challenges of the FP7’s call STT.2008.5.2.2 - Competitive transport operations; it is a Level 1 Coordination and Support Action aiming at the very important area of coordinating rail research activities. The main aim of the 3 year project is to draft a strategic plan to turn ERRAC 2020 Vision into reality.

ERRAC Roadmap will deliver ROADMAPS to guide rail research in order to provide a rail option that is reliable, environmentally friendly, efficient and economic to customers. The development of the yearly roadmaps enables a step by step tool to reach the goals developed in the Strategic Rail Research Agenda 2020.

ERRAC Roadmap covers research related to all types of freight and passenger rail services as well as their interaction with other modes within the transport system (high speed and conventional rail over long, medium and short distances, as well as urban rail and co-modal services), the implementation of such research, and supports the various activities of the European Rail Research Advisory Council in 2008 and beyond and to favour the sustainable mobility of European citizens. ERRAC Roadmap will contribute to translate, monitor and disseminate to the whole European industry the strategic recommendations and guidelines of the SRRA.

The ROADMAPS themselves will address the issues, stakeholders and subjects to be considered. Four major issues to be addressed have been highlighted:

• Holistic rail strategies for the minimization of operation, environmental maintenance and inspection costs for vehicles and infrastructure in general;
• Simple and economical rail maintenance and renovation of rail infrastructure;
• Improved real time information systems for rail operators, infrastructure managers and customers;
• Coordination with other public and private bodies in order to better fit the customers’ needs.

NewRail is co-leading alongside TRENITALIA the WP6 - Past projects evaluation and Evaluation Database.