The project stemming from this topic shall contribute to deliver the expected outcomes and the R&I work includes:

• The development of analytical tools that will support the methodology for evaluating the costs and benefits of broadening the original purpose and functions of a railway station in the context of urban planning and mobility (from a simple departure/arrival point to a dense node of mobility, economic and social activities) as well as smart grids and energy performance (and any relevant station transformation),
• The definition of sustainability indicators (including social, economic environmental and resiliency dimensions) guiding the methodology, taking into account the existing Sustainable Urban Mobility Indicators.
• The requested methodology for enhancing the performance of new/existing stations integrated in smart cities should cover, among the other expected outcomes described above, particularly aspects related to the energy behaviour (stations as energy hubs integrated in the smart grids and, as such, improving the energy performance of the smart city), aspects related to the mobility and urban planning, for both passengers and goods, as well as aspects related to users’ experience.
• The implementation of at least four (4) specific pilot “Living Labs” (in four different Member States and including one station in regional areas serving capillary lines) that will investigate how stakeholders and citizenship can fully benefit from the new station model.
• Take stock of the output of the new station model proposed for those four specific pilots and integrate the results to fine-tune the proposed European-wide methodology of the new railway station.

The R&I work should contribute to:

• The achievement of a climate-neutral society,
• The implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (sustainable, smart and inclusive cities, transport and infrastructure, resources management, climate mitigation and adaptation, reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases, health, environmental protection and biodiversity regeneration, sustainable land use, and gender equality),
• Railway stations to become connectivity hubs connect for multimodal mobility services, for passengers and goods, and the rest of the urban environment,
• Railway Stations will be inclusive and foster equal access to public transport for all
• Railway stations to become the new urban vital centre, fostering collaborative and circular economy, and social services,
• Ability to exploit the potential of railway stations as installations of advanced engineering solutions for sustainable solutions (stations as: infrastructure networks, multimodal freight terminals, telecommunications nodes, energy hubs, water distribution and waste disposal, etc),
• Ability to respond to health crises, natural disasters and resilience considering the modularity aspects that would make feasible to readapt or convert spaces to different typologies according to the needs,
• The adoption of a EU wide model for the new railway stations, taking into account the local ad regional contexts, that should help local and national administrations achieving the following objectives:
  • Foster territorial cohesion through public transport and alternative mobility solutions
  • Decarbonise mobility and urban energy sources,
  • Implementation of the circular economy principles within the businesses and services operated in the station,
  • Promotion of new partnerships, especially between public administrations, large industrial groups, local institutions and SMEs while integrating citizens and collaborative small-sized solutions into the overall planning and policy-making process.