Strukton Rail
SR
Strukton Rail provides cross-border solutions in the field of rail infrastructure, railway vehicles and mobility systems.
ID: 0804666277-93
Lobbying Activity
Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and
28 May 2020 · Impacts of COVID-19 on rail industry
Meeting with Henrik Hololei (Director-General Mobility and Transport)
21 Jan 2020 · S2R
Response to European Partnership for transforming Europe’s rail system
26 Aug 2019
Strukton Rail – with a focus on maintenance, renewal and construction of rail infrastructure and as a technology supplier for measuring, monitoring and maintenance execution – is in favour of the proposal of the European Commission to include rail as one of the sectors being fit for the establishment of a European partnership. Following the achievements of Shift2Rail, the proposed instrument – ‘’Transforming Europe’s rail system’’ – shall enable rail to become the backbone of an integrated and sustainable mobility system in Europe. Strukton Rail agrees impacts that the future instrument is expected to trigger.
Concerning the limited number of priorities mentioned, Strukton Rail understands that priorities have to be set and a limitation leads to the desired focus. The focus on technologies leading to game-changer in how the rail system works is supported. However, Strukton believes that a focus on the, labour intensive, execution of maintenance and renewal tasks is necessary is needed. On this aspect, a game-changer is required as well and is also possible: further mechanisation and robotisation (using automation and digitalisation technology) will lead to reduce the cost of the rail system during its life cycle and to increase its reliability. It will tackle issues like safety, the lack of human resources in the near future for these tasks and the fact that on certain urban lines the increasing demand for 24/7 rail operation requires different maintenance techniques.
Concerning the policy options outlined, Strukton supports ‘’Option 2 – Institutionalised partnership’. This option would possibly be the best one to have a visible an active entity as the present Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking is.
Working in an institutionalised partnership will prove to be an efficient way – for ‘’Transforming Europe’s rail system’’ – to tackle the mentioned fragmentation hurdles. Strukton Rail agrees that rail sectorial challenges are better addressed at EU level by means of a common strategic research agenda and coordinated public and private R&I activities. An institutionalised partnership will be able to bring together the rail supply industry – SMEs, large companies, start-ups – , with operators, infrastructure managers, academics and Research Technology Organisations.
The current Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking is a good start for further collaboration. Based on current experience, clear roles and responsibilities between partners should be in place to address issues like deployment and a level playing field for the rail supply industry. Operators and infrastructure managers will have a clear focus on future requirements, specification, demonstration and deployment where academia and research centres bring in the research capacity and can introduce cross-sectorial technologies. The rail supply industry will have a focus on developing new technologies into viable and competitive products. These clear roles are necessary to avoid the start of possible product developments by other partners than the rail supply industry leading to less appetite for private investment in innovation and being an interference in the desired competitive market.
Furthermore, the establishment of an institutionalised partnership will likely foster both medium and long-term commitment. For rail, such commitments are fundamental and consistent with the 2030 & 2050-Visions supported by ERRAC.
With regards to the mentioned objectives, Strukton Rail supports the reference to the strengthening of the global technological leadership of the European rail supply industry. In fact, one of top objectives should be fostering the world’s competitiveness of the rail supply industry in a context of fierce international competition. In this regard, our technologies have a global dimension. Therefore, the future rail’s partnership should also be conceived as a key tool to help the European rail supply industry gain a technological advantage on international markets.
Read full responseMeeting with Henrik Hololei (Director-General Mobility and Transport)
12 Jun 2019 · Shift2Rail, Rail Baltica