Cargo train in the railway terminal
narvikk from Getty Images Signature

Rail4Regions

Project overview

Enhancement of spatial and transport planning capacities in the promotion of the accessibility of the rail freight transport network and regional development

To reduce carbon emissions, more goods need to be moved by rail. But currently, most freight is still transported on central Europe’s roads due to rail infrastructure gaps that reduce competitiveness. The Rail4Regions project helps transport planners to integrate regional rail lines into European freight networks. The partners develop solutions to optimise regional rail lines and access points and create action plans to encourage the uptake of their solutions in regional development plans.

2,27m €

Project Budget

80%

of the Budget is funded by ERDF

Layer 1

8

Countries

9

Regions

11

Partners

4

Pilots

Duration

Start date

End date

Project progress

57%

About the project

Rail4Regions partners co-design solutions addressed to transport and spatial planners to integrate regional rail lines to the freight transport network as means to improve the accessibility and economic feasibility of rail freight transport. With a focus on regional rail lines, the partnership will elaborate and test approaches focussing on sidings, single waggon transport, loading points and branch lines.

Project partnership

Project partners

Deutschland (DE)

Lead partner

Thuringian Ministry for Infrastructure and Agriculture

Department 5 - Strategic Spatial Development, Demography and Forests Unit 51 - Regional development and Spatial planning
Address
Werner-Seelenbinder-Straße 8
99096 Erfurt
Country
Germany (DE)
Web
https://infrastruktur-landwirtschaft.thueringen.de/

Project partner

Transport and Spatial Planning Institute
Address
Altonaer Straße 25
99085 Erfurt
Country
Germany (DE)
Web
https://www.fh-erfurt.de/
Total partner budget
197,820 €
Department of Railway transport
Address
Univerzitná 1
01026 Žilina
Country
Slovakia (SK)
Web
https://www.uniza.sk/
Total partner budget
168,000 €
Address
Kolodvorska 11
1000 Ljubljana
Country
Slovenia (SI)
Web
https://prometni-institut.si/
Total partner budget
168,000 €
Department for logistics and sustainable mobility
Address
Trg dr. Žarka Dolinara 1
48000 Varaždin
Country
Croatia (HR)
Web
https://www.unin.hr/
Total partner budget
172,200 €
Address
Franjevački trg 7
42 000 Varaždin
Country
Croatia (HR)
Web
https://www.varazdinska-zupanija.hr/
Total partner budget
100,160 €
Address
Váci út 92
1133 Budapest
Country
Hungary (HU)
Web
https://rch.railcargo.com/
Total partner budget
168,000 €
Address
Kazimierza Kordylewskiego 11
31-542 Kraków
Country
Poland (PL)
Web
https://www.marr.pl/
Total partner budget
105,680 €
Address
Nové sady 30
600 02 Brno
Country
Czechia (CZ)
Web
https://www.idsjmk.cz/
Total partner budget
277,800 €
Address
Via Garibaldi 7/10
16124 Genova
Country
Italy (IT)
Web
https://www.tbridge.it/
Total partner budget
289,695 €
Financial and Human Resources Department
Address
Piazza Matteotti 1
28100 Novara
Country
Italy (IT)
Web
https://www.provincia.novara.it/
Total partner budget
99,360 €

Roadmap

1

Identification and analysis of bottlenecks for rail freight transport

(c) Ante Klečina

Based on case studies from all partner regions, the project partners and groups of local stakeholders identify and analyze the bottlenecks that hinder the transportation of goods of local companies by railway. The analysis also covers hidden costs of transport, including greenhouse gas emissions. The discussion and exchange on possible solutions to make the rail freight transport more accessible culminate in a White Paper on Freight Transport Access of Rural Areas. [Photo: (c) Ante Klečina]

2

Novel approaches in spatial and transport planning

(c) Ante Klečina

Partners of Rail4Regions team up in four transnational work groups to assess possible solutions (i) to enhance the network of loading points, (ii) to take better use of (disused) feeder lines, (iii) to promote industrial sidings, and (iv) in single waggon transport. In four pilot actions, each approach is checked against the regional background of at least one partner region to assess its feasibility and prerequirements for uptake and transfer. [Photo: (c) Ante Klečina]

3

Uptake and transfer of new solutions

(c) Ante Klečina

Together with stakeholder and key actors the potentials of found solutions are discussed for each of the Central European regions participating in Rail4Regions. Based on common criteria, the potentials to shift volumes to rail transportation and subsequent savings in greenhouse gas emissions are calculated. These findings are presented to decision-makers to call for changes in spatial and transport planning policies. [Photo: (c) Ante Klečina]

4

Policy integration and roll-out

(c) Ante Klečina

In the final phase of the project, action plans to enhance regional spatial planning and transport policies are peer reviewed by project partners and stakeholders, and later adopted by the responsible decision-makers. In Erfurt, partners from Thuringia host a Policy Conference, which is also the project's final event. [Photo: (c) Ante Klečina]

Events

Pilot actions

Outputs

(c) Ante Klecina

White Paper on Freight Transport Access of Rural Areas

The White Paper provides comprehensive information about today's challenges for rail freight transport from a local perspective and presents the consortium's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand the complexity of the issue and possible paths to overcome bottlenecks hindering the access to the European rail freight transport network.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans

Planning tool for loading points

An IT-based using GIS data and actual freight volumes aims at empowering spatial planners to better understand where additional or enhanced loading facilities would increase the potentials for rail freight transport. The output will be available by spring 2025.
Type of output: Solutions
In development

Guideline for the revitalisation of branch lines

The guideline aims at providing spatial and transport planners with a comphrensive step-by-step approach to re-connect disused branch lines to the rail freight transport network. The output will be available by spring 2025.
Type of output: Solutions
In development

Decision-making tool for industrial sidings

The output aims enhancing the capacities of planners to take decisions to maintain or build new industrial sidings to connect industrial sites to the rail network. The output will be available by spring 2025.
Type of output: Solutions
In development

Green Paper on the promotion of single wagon transport

The output will compile measures to enhance the rail transport of freight volumes smaller than those necessary for block trains. The output will be available by spring 2025.
Type of output: Solutions
In development

Peer reviewed action plans

Action plans will be elaborated and peer reviewed by Rail4Regions partners that detail how actors of the rail freight transportation system shall uptake and upscale the solutions elaborated by the project. The action plans will address Thuringia (Germany), Malopolska (Poland), Novara (Italy), Northern Croatia, the South Moravian Region (Czechia), Zilina region (Slovakia), Hungary and Slovenia. The action plans will be ready for presentation in autumn 2025.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans
In development

Rail4Regions

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Project on social media

Project Contacts

Project Manager

Klaus Bongartz
Phone: +49 361 574191312

Finance Manager

Frank Trepte
Phone: +49 351 40767672

Communication Manager

Theo Sauerborn
Phone: +49 361 574191538