PRORAIL BV

Their core work

ProRail is the Dutch national railway infrastructure manager, responsible for maintaining and developing the Netherlands' entire rail network including tracks, stations, switches, bridges, and tunnels. In H2020 projects, they serve as a critical end-user and infrastructure operator, providing real-world railway environments for testing innovations in track systems, safety, security, and multimodal transport. Their participation brings operational railway expertise — they know what actually works on a live network, making them invaluable for validating research results against daily rail operations.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ProRail's early H2020 involvement (2015-2019) focused on physical rail infrastructure — welding processes, track improvements, freight logistics, and noise reduction. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward security and resilience, with projects on cyber-physical threat detection, anomaly forecasting, and public transport security. Their most recent project (MAGPIE) signals a further expansion into multimodal port logistics, suggesting ProRail is positioning itself beyond traditional rail into integrated transport networks.

ProRail is moving from pure physical infrastructure maintenance toward digital security, threat detection, and multimodal transport — expect future interest in smart infrastructure monitoring and resilient transport systems.

How they like to work

ProRail participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an infrastructure operator that provides real-world test environments rather than leading research. With 191 unique partners across 22 countries, they operate in large consortia typical of Shift2Rail and EU transport programs. Their value to any consortium is access to a live national rail network and operational expertise that grounds research in practical constraints.

ProRail has collaborated with 191 unique partners across 22 countries, reflecting involvement in large-scale EU transport research programs. Their network spans most of Europe, with particularly strong ties to Western European rail operators and research institutions.

What sets them apart

ProRail manages one of Europe's most densely used railway networks, giving them unmatched practical experience with high-frequency operations on compact infrastructure. Unlike research institutes or consultancies, they bring the operator's perspective — what breaks, what scales, what passengers and freight actually need. For any consortium needing a real-world railway testbed or operational validation partner in Western Europe, ProRail is a top-tier choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• IN2TRACK3
  Largest EC contribution (EUR 288,778) and continuation of the IN2TRACK series — ProRail's flagship involvement in next-generation track and switch systems.
• SAFETY4RAILS
  Marks ProRail's pivot into cyber-physical security with anomaly detection and crisis response for metro and railway systems.
• MAGPIE
  Most recent and longest-running project (to 2026), extending ProRail's reach into smart green ports and multimodal transport hubs.