On 29. October, EPF was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the mid-term event of the FP1 – MOTIONAL project in Madrid. The event presented a unique opportunity to showcase and discuss the progress and milestones of the project with industry professionals and gain valuable insights.

FP1 – MOTIONAL is one of the Flagship (FP) projects funded by the EU-Rail Joint Undertaking’s ‘Innovation Pillar’. It aims at dramatically improving the flexibility, efficiency, resilience and capacity of the European rail network, and supporting the development of a Single European Rail Area, while exploring synergies with other transport modes. FP1 – MOTIONAL started in December 2022, and its scope is to develop the functional requirements and specifications for operational and technological solutions that will enable a future European Traffic Management System and Capacity Management System, and the integration of rail traffic with door-to-door mobility.

At the project’s mid-term event, EPF delivered a keynote speech (presentation here), highlighting two main points:

• “What’s in it for the passengers?” is a key question to ask, to make sure that rail R&I delivers tangible benefits to end-users.
• Transport is an integrated system: while rail is the backbone of a multimodal ‘network of networks’, it’s important to facilitate end-to-end journey making.

We then zoomed in on three topics that will, in particular, be addressed by FP1: rail integrated with other modes (which requires interoperability and standardised interfaces – but also collaboration among rail & other mobility stakeholders); the importance of multimodal hubs (enabling smooth transfers, providing user-friendly information and wayfinding – also for people with a disability and persons with reduced mobility); and addressing disruptions (journey continuation guarantee, practical info, advice and support, redress and complaints options).

➡️ Find out more about the FP1-MOTIONAL project here