Today’s ‘renaissance’ of the railways has only been possible thanks to a multitude of powerful research initiatives aimed at making fundamental improvements in the system as a whole. Now, keeping rail at the forefront as the most environmentally friendly major transport mode requires an even more rapid adoption of new technologies for clean and effi cient energy. The European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC), set up in 2001 by industrial stakeholders, national governments and the European Commission, has been a key mover, paving the way towards new and innovative forms of collaboration and improving synergies between EU, national and private.
