Pilot impact on communities

After almost three years of implementation, the SUSTANCE project is approaching its conclusion. What began as an ambitious idea gradually grew into a shared effort involving institutions from four countries and the collaboration of countless stakeholders. Together, we worked toward a clear objective: improving cross-border connectivity. In line with the European Union’s broader vision for sustainable mobility, SUSTANCE introduced a series of pilot actions designed to encourage citizens to leave their cars at home and rediscover cleaner ways of travelling – by bus, train, and bicycle. Judging by the strong levels of participation throughout the project’s lifecycle, local communities welcomed these initiatives with enthusiasm.

In total, SUSTANCE developed six pilot actions, four of which actively involved the participation of local populations. The first introduced a temporary direct cross-border train connection linking Trieste in Italy with Rijeka in Croatia, passing through Divača and Pivka in Slovenia. Running from April to September 2024, the service attracted more than 8,200 passengers and transported 425 bicycles, demonstrating the clear demand for simple and sustainable cross-border mobility.

Another pilot action that recorded very positive results was the creation of a web application supporting the Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) service implemented in the Emilia-Romagna Region of Italy. Between March and December 2025, the system facilitated more than 7,600 bookings and carried around 9,000 passengers, offering flexible and accessible mobility options to local users.

Moving toward Central Europe, the pilot action connecting Neusiedl Lake in Austria with Sopron in Hungary also proved successful. Before the pilot, passengers wishing to cross the border had to change trains along the route. Through the project, however, stakeholders from both countries tested a direct train line. Over the course of 20 weekends between April and August 2024, eight train runs transported more than 2,000 passengers and 600 bicycles, simplifying cross-border travel and improving the overall user experience.

Finally, in the Istria Region, a pilot action focused on strengthening the connection between cycling and rail travel through a bike-sharing service located near train stations. From its launch in the summer of 2025 until December of the same year, more than 550 bicycles were rented, highlighting the growing interest in combining active mobility with public transport.

Beyond the pilot actions themselves, the project also contributed to improving existing services. In Istria, Croatia, a dedicated application integrating bike and train travel recorded more than 3,000 downloads. At the same time, the Croatian Railways website expanded its online services with a new section devoted to bike-and-train travel. The platform now provides publicly available information on public transport options, cycling routes and official EuroVelo routes, cycling service information, bike-friendly accommodation facilities, and recommended local sights.

As the SUSTANCE project comes to an end, the results tell a compelling story. The pilot actions demonstrated that when convenient, well-designed alternatives are offered, citizens are willing to embrace more sustainable ways of travelling. More importantly, the project showed how cooperation across borders can translate ambitious goals into practical solutions that benefit both local communities and the environment.