More about the project
Advancing Maglev-Derived Systems Toward Integration with Europe’s Railway Network
After the successful completion of the original MaDe4Rail initiative, the successor project MaDe4Rail 2 officially kicked off on 18 February 2026, marking the beginning of its ambitious journey toward advancing next-generation railway technologies.
Co-ordinated by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) and supported by the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail JU), the project will drive the development and refinement of Maglev-Derived Systems (MDS) with the aim of achieving seamless compatibility with Europe’s conventional rail infrastructure.
MaDe4Rail 2 will build on the outcomes of its predecessor to accelerate innovation in critical areas such as propulsion, levitation, guidance and electromagnetic compatibility, combining high-fidelity simulations and field testing up to TRL 6. The project will also deliver a concept for a full-scale, fully autonomous MDS demonstrator and a comprehensive technical and socio-economic feasibility assessment for deployment on the TEN-T network, contributing to a European roadmap for future implementation.
With a total budget of approximately €4.6 million, of which nearly €3 million is co-funded by EU-Rail JU, the initiative will run for 36 months from its official start on 1 December 2025.
The consortium brings together a broad range of European partners representing infrastructure managers, research organisations, universities and industrial stakeholders
HORIZON-ER-JU-2025-FA7-01
partners
19
duration
36M
Total Budget
4.6million
Technical Objectives and Methodology
The core objective of MaDe4Rail 2 is to consolidate and extend this research through a structured engineering approach. The project refines MDS configurations and systematically evaluates their compatibility with existing railway infrastructure.
Key subsystems under development include:
- Power supply
- Propulsion
- Levitation
- Guidance
Advanced simulations will address critical Technical Open Points by analysing:
- Vehicle dynamics and performance
- Electromagnetic compatibility
- Interaction with trackside signalling systems (e.g., Eurobalises, odometry, radio communication)
These studies are complemented by targeted field testing of essential MDS components. Where full-scale validation cannot be achieved on test tracks, hybrid validation strategies combining on-field testing and high-fidelity simulations ensure robust performance verification and integration readiness.
Expected Impact
MaDe4Rail 2 supports the accelerated deployment of innovative and sustainable rail technologies in Europe. By strengthening interoperability, enabling modal shift, and reinforcing rail as the backbone of Europe’s mobility system, the project contributes to a resilient, high-capacity, and climate-aligned transport network.
A broad consortium of infrastructure managers, authorities, industry partners, and research organisations ensures effective knowledge exchange and promotes the uptake of MDS solutions across Europe.
