TRAFIKVERKET - TRV

Their core work

Trafikverket is Sweden's national transport administration, responsible for the long-term planning, construction, and maintenance of the country's road and railway infrastructure. Within H2020, they bring real-world infrastructure operator expertise to European rail research — contributing operational data, testing environments, and requirements from one of Europe's most extensive rail networks. Their work spans track and switch engineering, freight rail modernization, advanced signalling systems, and intelligent asset maintenance, making them a critical end-user voice in shaping next-generation European rail standards.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015–2018), Trafikverket focused on foundational rail research — track infrastructure (IN2RAIL, IN2TRACK), initial signalling work (X2Rail-1 with ATO and moving block), and early freight automation concepts (ARCC, FR8RAIL). From 2018 onward, their portfolio shifted decisively toward implementation and demonstration: wagon design and running gear prototypes, condition-based maintenance systems, cybersecurity for communications, and system-of-systems architecture with digital twins. The trajectory is clear — from research into physical infrastructure toward digitalization, predictive maintenance, and integrated system design.

Trafikverket is moving from physical infrastructure research toward digital integration — expect future interest in digital twins, cybersecure communications, and data-driven maintenance at scale.

How they like to work

Trafikverket primarily participates as a partner (30 of 37 projects) rather than leading, which reflects their role as an infrastructure owner bringing real-world operational requirements and testing environments to research consortia. With 315 unique partners across 27 countries, they operate as a well-connected hub in European rail research, particularly within the Shift2Rail ecosystem. Their 5 coordinator roles (IN2TRACK, FR8RAIL, FR8HUB, IMPACT-2, plus one more) show they can and do lead when the topic aligns closely with their infrastructure mandate — especially track engineering and freight.

An exceptionally well-networked organization with 315 unique consortium partners spanning 27 countries, deeply embedded in the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking ecosystem. Their geographic reach covers virtually all EU member states active in rail research, with particularly strong ties to the Shift2Rail core partners.

What sets them apart

As one of Europe's major national rail infrastructure managers, Trafikverket offers something most research partners cannot: direct access to a live, large-scale railway network for validation and testing. They bridge the gap between laboratory research and real operational deployment — any technology tested with Trafikverket has been tested against the demands of Scandinavian climate and geography. For consortium builders, they bring both credibility with the Shift2Rail community and a concrete path to deployment on national infrastructure.

Highlights from their portfolio

• IN2TRACK2
  Their largest single funding (EUR 3.2M) for advanced track and switch research — demonstrates deep commitment to infrastructure innovation.
• FR8HUB
  Coordinated with EUR 1.06M budget, covering real-time freight management and condition-based maintenance — their most ambitious leadership role.
• X2Rail-1 through X2Rail-4
  Sustained participation across the entire X2Rail signalling series (2016–2023), showing long-term commitment to next-generation European train control systems.