OVERVIEW

ERRAC was set up in 2001 with the ambitious goal of creating a single European body with both the competence and capability to help revitalise the European rail sector and make it more competitive, by fostering increased innovation and guiding research efforts at European level. Within ERRAC, all major rail stakeholders are gathered. ERRAC comprises of 45 representatives from each of the major European rail research stakeholders: manufacturers, operators, infrastructure managers, the European Commission, EU Member States, academics and users’ groups. ERRAC covers all forms of rail transport: from conventional, high speed and freight applications to urban and regional services.

SET UP

ERRAC is currently chaired by Prof. Andy Doherty, Mr.Nicolas Castres Saint-Martin and Prof. Sebastian Stichel. Since its start in 2001, ERRAC has been producing a number of vision-setting documents – among which the Joint Strategy for European rail Research – Vision 2020, the SRRA – Strategic Rail Research Agenda and its 2007 SRRIA updated version, the FOSTERRAIL Roadmaps. Building on these documents, it released its newest strategy vision document – Rail 2050 Vision – in December 2017.

GOAL

ERRAC’s primary objective is to deliver the common railway sector vision of R&I to the European Institutions and important stakeholders, in order to contribute shaping a favourable funding landscape for railway research and innovation, developing innovation via calls for projects and joint undertaking like Shift2Rail.