IMPACT-1 and IMPACT-2 (RV33)

Project Coordinator - DLR/Trafikverket

Project Leader at KTH - Mats Berg

Scientists at KTH - Mats Berg

Other Scientists - From 7/13 European Partners

Source of Funding - Trafikverket and European Commission (Horizon 2020)

The Shift2Rail research programme is monitoring the impact of its research and demonstration activities. For this purpose, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are used. In particular, three high-level KPIs are defined and quantified:

• Capacity of the European rail system should be doubled.
• Life Cycle Cost of the system should be halved.
• Reliability of the system should be improved so that the lack of punctuality is halved (e.g. increasing punctuality from 80 to 90%).

To coordinate these efforts a so-called Cross Cutting Activity through IMPACT-1 and IMPACT-2 (WP4 in both projects) is launched. A challenge in the KPI definitions is that the Shift2Rail research is very broad in scope covering all components (infrastructure, vehicles, operation etc.) in the rail systems which in turn comprise of high-speed, regional and urban passenger systems as well as rail freight. The research is organized in more than 40 so-called Technology Demonstrators (TDs) and in principle each TD should contribute to the goals listed above.

Each TD leader is to indicate which (low-level) KPIs the TD has defined and how these can be linked to the high-level KPIs through interface KPIs, including their units, proposed by the IMPACT projects. Further, reference parameters and values are being defined as a baseline for Shift2Rail and estimates on percentage improvements on these are obtained from the TD leaders. KTH is mainly involved in the railway infrastructure part (IP3), excluding signalling, in this process and is collaborating with VTI.

A model for the IP3 contributions to the Shift2Rail high-level KPIs is formulated and quantitative estimates are calculated. Further model improvements are ongoing.

M. Meyer zu Hörste, F. Brinkmann and M. Berg: Impact of Shift2Rail – A KPI model for the entire railway system, Proceedings of the 7th Transport Research Arena conference, Vienna, Austria, April 2018.