FP2 - R2DATO: Rail to Digital automated up to autonomous train operations
The Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (ERJU) is the European Union’s main instrument for coordinating research and innovation in the railway sector, aiming to deliver a high-capacity, integrated, and digital European rail network. Within this framework, Flagship Project 2 (FP2), titled Rail to Digital Automated up to Autonomous Train Operation (R2DATO), focuses on advancing automation and digitalization in both passenger and freight transport. FP2-R2DATO aims to develop and deploy scalable Digital and Automated (up to Autonomous) Train Operation (DATO) technological solutions, contributing to the modernization and capacity enhancement of existing railway infrastructure.
The project encompasses several key technological innovations, including Automated Train Operation (ATO), ETCS Hybrid Level 3, Level 3 Moving Block, 5G connectivity, and a standardized onboard ICT platform. In addition to technical advancements, FP2-R2DATO addresses critical challenges related to public acceptance, synchronization with ETCS deployment, and legal and regulatory barriers. The project also focuses on developing guidelines to support the fast and cost-effective deployment and migration of DATO systems across Europe.
DATO Assessment and Potential Identification
Within FP2-R2DATO, Work Package 32 (WP32), titled DATO Assessment and Potential Identification, plays a central role in bridging technical innovation with strategic deployment planning. This work package is responsible for: (i) assessing the attractiveness of DATO technologies from the perspectives of capacity, energy efficiency, wear, and human factors; and (ii) developing a robust and generalizable methodology for constructing societal business cases to support the adoption and implementation of DATO technologies across Europe.
In this context, the Asset Management and Maintenance Engineering chair facilitated the development of a business case methodology capable of identifying, visualizing, and managing stakeholder trade-offs during the early stages of DATO deployment planning. For more information, please refer to the following infographic and the project publications.
Publications:
- Barbieri, G., Jimenez, M. S., & Braaksma, J. (2026, in press). The Role of Serious Games for Boundary-Object Negotiation in Innovation Projects. Advances in Production Management Systems conference
- Mowlaei, Z., Trauernicht, N., & Braaksma, A. J. J. (2026, in press). Co-designing responses to stakeholder misalignments in a complex infrastructure project: A design science approach. In Proceedings of the DESIGN 2026 Conference. Design Society.
- Barbieri, G., Jimenez, M. S., & Braaksma, J. (2025). From Cooking to Consensus: Using Analogy to Build Shared Vision in Inter-Organizational Innovation Projects. In 2025 IEEE International Conference on Technology Management, Operations and Decisions (ICTMOD) (pp. 1-8). IEEE.
technology Migration and Deployment Guidelines
Within FP2-R2DATO, Work Package 33 (WP33) – Technology Migration and Deployment Guidelines – focuses on developing practical strategies and methods to support the effective roll-out of DATO technologies across Europe. The work package addresses two core tasks: (i) identifying lessons learned from R2DATO demonstrators and other railway digital transformation (DT) projects, such as ERTMS/ETCS deployments and GoA3/4 initiatives in countries including Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and France; and (ii) researching and recommending methodologies that consider technical, organizational, and human aspects to support the development of tailored DATO migration strategies and accelerate the realization of operational benefits.
In this context, the Asset Management and Maintenance Engineering chair facilitated the development of a framework for complexity risks in railway digital transformation projects, as well as the identification of lessons learned within the Governance and Organizational Capabilities dimension. For more information, please refer to the following infographic and the project publications.
INFOGRAPHIC WILL FOLLOW SOON
Publications:
- Jimenez, M. S., Barbieri, G., & Braaksma, J. (2025). D-TRACK: A Framework for Complexity Risks in Railway Digital Transformation Projects. In 2025 IEEE International Conference on Technology Management, Operations and Decisions (ICTMOD) (pp. 1-8). IEEE.
UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE TEAM
