UNIFE welcomes Military Mobility Package for EU rail

UNIFE welcomes Military Mobility Package as a timely move, with the European Rail Supply Industry Association calling it a key step towards strengthening the European Union’s defence readiness by making transport systems more interoperable, resilient and responsive for both military and civilian use, in line with the objectives set out by the European Commission.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

UNIFE welcomes Military Mobility Package and EU defence readiness

From UNIFE’s perspective, the European Commission’s Military Mobility Package is primarily about tackling long-standing bottlenecks that slow down the movement of troops and equipment across Europe. At the same time, the very same measures designed for military mobility are expected to translate into faster, safer and more efficient passenger and freight services across the EU, bringing defence needs and everyday mobility closer together. UNIFE lays out this position in more detail in its dedicated press release on the initiative, published on the association’s website UNIFE.

UNIFE Director General Enno Wiebe emphasises that the Commission’s communication on military mobility clearly sets out today’s challenges, and above all the lack of interoperability that still limits effective military movements by rail. In his view, this is no longer a theoretical issue: urgent, concrete action and rapid implementation of measures are needed so that Europe’s rail infrastructure can reliably support the quick deployment of forces across borders whenever the situation demands it.

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ERA, European rail supply industry and dual-use standards

To turn the Military Mobility Package from strategy into practice, UNIFE stresses that the European rail supply industry will work hand in hand with EU institutions, Member States, infrastructure managers and railway operators. The association is also ready to contribute in an advisory capacity to the new Military Mobility Transport Group, helping to ensure that decisions take into account the operational reality of rail networks and the capabilities of the supply industry.

The Regulation linked to the package strengthens the role of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), making the preparedness of the Union’s rail system for military mobility a core part of its remit. UNIFE commits to assisting ERA in simplifying and accelerating vehicle authorisation and registration procedures so that interoperable rolling stock can be brought into service more quickly and the overall resilience of the railway system can be improved.

In parallel, UNIFE stands ready to cooperate with the European Commission, ERA and the European Standardisation Organisations CEN, CENELEC and ETSI in reviewing existing technical specifications and standards. The idea is to ensure that military requirements are properly reflected while building a dual-use by design railway system, in which infrastructure and rolling stock are conceived from the outset to serve both civilian traffic and defence needs.

Research, innovation and investments in European railways military mobility

UNIFE also draws attention to the role of joint Research and Innovation activities in supporting enhanced military mobility capabilities. It argues that these efforts should be financed under both the current and future Horizon Europe Framework Programme, while a successor to the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking will be needed to coordinate the development and deployment of new solutions that facilitate military mobility by rail.

On the investment side, UNIFE notes that projects carried out under the Military Mobility Package — especially those targeting the 500 cross-border infrastructure hotspots — will ultimately strengthen the European railway system and civilian use as a whole. Developing an efficient, resilient, high-capacity and truly interoperable dual-use railway system that builds on the TEN-T network together with the full deployment of ERTMS® is seen as an enabler not only for military mobility, but also for Europe’s wider economy and society. A broader picture of how EU funding has previously been used to adapt infrastructure for military use is provided in an overview by Railway Supply.

Governance, coordination and funding for EU Military Mobility Package rail projects

UNIFE also welcomes the proposed governance and coordination mechanisms that accompany the EU Military Mobility Package. The appointment of National Coordinators for Cross-Border Military Transport, the creation of a Military Mobility Transport Group and a strengthened TEN-T Committee are expected to clarify responsibilities, streamline cooperation and make cross-border coordination more effective in practice.

Finally, the Regulation creates a framework for acquiring transport assets with support from the upcoming European Competitiveness Fund (ECF).

In practical terms, this opens the door to investment in dual-use, interoperable cross-border rolling stock that could later become part of the Solidarity Pool foreseen in the Regulation. Such investments must comply with the European preference principle and exclude high-risk suppliers from third countries.

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