The first call is being funded by the European Commission (EC), which is contributing €90m, while the remaining €80m is being provided by Shift2Rail members.

Funding will be allocated to projects which demonstrate their ability to improve the quality, reliability, and punctuality of rail transport while reducing operating costs and facilitating cross-border travel.

The first calls cover the five Shift2Rail Innovation Programmes, with €63.7m allocated to Shift2Rail members and an call with a total value of €26.1m, which is open to suppliers, universities, and research institutes which are not members of the programme.

The deadline for the submission of proposals is March 17 and full details of the calls for proposals can be found on the EC's Research & Innovation Participant Portal.