CAF POWER & AUTOMATION SL

Their core work

CAF Power & Automation is the power electronics and traction systems division of CAF Group, one of Europe's leading railway manufacturers based in the Basque Country. They design and develop traction converters, power systems, and energy management solutions for trains, trams, and increasingly for electric heavy-duty vehicles. Their core technical contribution across H2020 projects has been Silicon Carbide (SiC) traction systems, independently driven motors for high-speed trains, and advanced braking technologies. They also bring expertise in condition-based maintenance, HVAC systems, and are expanding into hydrogen fuel cell powertrains for rail.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015-2018), CAF P&A established its position across a broad range of Shift2Rail topics — traction development, braking systems, rail freight maintenance, and network management. From 2019 onward, the focus sharpened significantly around SiC traction systems and independently driven motors for high-speed trains, with repeated keywords showing deepening specialization. The most telling shift is their entry into hydrogen fuel cells for rail (FCH2RAIL, 2021), signaling a strategic move toward zero-emission propulsion beyond their traditional electric traction expertise.

CAF P&A is moving from conventional electric traction toward next-generation power systems — SiC semiconductors and hydrogen fuel cells — positioning themselves for the decarbonization of European rail.

How they like to work

CAF P&A never coordinates projects but contributes as either a participant (5 projects) or third party (8 projects), which is consistent with a large industrial company supplying specialized subsystem expertise to Shift2Rail joint undertaking initiatives. With 143 unique partners across 19 countries, they operate within very large consortia — typical for Shift2Rail's multi-party structure. Their recurring presence across sequential project phases (PINTA 1-2-3, CONNECTA 1-2-3) shows they are a reliable, long-term contributor rather than a one-off participant.

Extensive European network spanning 143 unique partners in 19 countries, built almost entirely through the Shift2Rail ecosystem. This gives them deep connections across Europe's rail manufacturing and research community, from major OEMs to railway operators and academic labs.

What sets them apart

CAF P&A combines the industrial scale of a major rail OEM subsidiary with deep specialization in power electronics and traction — a rare combination in EU research projects, where most participants are either large generalists or small specialists. Their six-year SiC traction development arc (PINTA series) represents one of the most sustained technology maturation efforts in Shift2Rail, taking the technology from concept to on-train demonstration. For consortium builders, they bring both the engineering capacity to build real prototypes and the manufacturer pathway to deploy results in production trains.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PINTA3
  Highest-funded project (EUR 1.99M) and the culmination of a three-phase SiC traction development program spanning 2016-2023, reaching demonstration stage.
• FCH2RAIL
  Their newest and most strategically significant project — hydrogen fuel cell hybrid powertrains for rail — marking a clear diversification beyond electric traction.
• ASSURED
  Their only non-rail project, contributing fast charging expertise to electric buses and trucks, showing cross-sector transfer of power electronics knowledge.