Commission Pilot Projects

The European Commission introduced the Action plan to boost long distance and cross-border passenger rail as part of the “Efficient and Green Mobility” Strategy on 14 December 2021 and announced they will publish a call for 10 Pilot services as part of their measures to boost rail traffic and the call was published half a year later in Connecting Europe days on 29 June 2022. CER has welcomed the initiative, as the sector appreciates any proactive engagement in order to strive towards a safe and fully interoperable railway system as Single European Railway Area. CER pointed out the need for financial support for certain aspects of pilots and would benefit the overall impact.

In early 2023, the Commission unveiled the chosen pilot projects, with 10 projects showcasing a mix of incumbents and new entrant companies applying. Given the active involvement of numerous CER members in pilot projects, the ambition of this document is to consolidate the experience of CER members, creating a platform for sharing experiences and facilitating discussions. We are convinced that this initiative has the potential to streamline the efforts and objectives of CER members, while also offering valuable insights to other stakeholders involved in the process.

Download below our position paper.