UNIFE’s new vision paper, titled ‘’Urban Rail for cities and metropolitan areas”, is the first document outlining the European Rail Supply Industry’s stances on urban mobility. In this publication, we highlight the strengths of metros, tramways and suburban trains using contemporary case studies from across Europe to illustrate why urban rail is an essential instrument in our collective effort to address the most pressing mobility challenges.In this ground-breaking examination of this universal urban fixture, we present the crucial contribution of rail to a sustainability-based model for public transport. The paper pays particular attention to this mode of transportation to traffic congestion, air quality and urban land management. We also investigate how these projects foster a city’s social cohesion and economic regeneration. UNIFE also explored how rail can lead to bold opportunities in urban planning and development. The publication then explains why urban rail projects are key components of an urban mobility mix as they are capable of physically and digitally connecting different transport options and business models. It concludes with a presentation on available funding programmes or tools and financing actors to help promote best practices needed to implement the discussed urban rail projects.The decarbonisation of the transport sector is pivotal for a fully climate-neutral Europe. Achieving this goal for coming generations is dependent on our efforts in cities and metropolitan areas. Urban rail, with its supply industry at the forefront, is ready to contribute to those efforts and play a decisive role in forging a more sustainable European Union.
