As Europe races towards climate neutrality, rail transport is set to play a pivotal role. Yet, the sector faces a persistent challenge: trains are too expensive, and delivery times are too long, Duurzaam Mobiel writes. At the recent Bundesverband SchienenNahverkehr (BSN) industry conference in Kassel in Hesse in Germany on 5 and 6 May 2026, a clear call to action emerged: the era of endless customisation must end.
The cost of customisation
While the European Union’s Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI) provide a robust framework for safety and quality, covering everything from crashworthiness to ventilation, these standards only set technical benchmarks. They do not enforce uniformity in industrial design or components.
The result? A proliferation of unique technical requirements that drive up costs and delay deliveries.
A case in point is Belgium’s Siemens Desiro fleet. Though built on a standard platform, the Belgian configuration suffered from severe reliability issues in its early years, particularly with doors and other subsystems. This highlights the risks of tailoring proven designs to meet specific national demands for weight, cost, or capacity. Every deviation from the standard can compromise overall reliability.
From bespoke to off-the-shelf
To break this cycle, the sector is advocating for a ‘catalogue model’, where manufacturers offer a limited number of fixed variants (e.g., urban, regional, or express) within their platforms. The BSN has identified six key areas for standardisation, from uniform driver cabs to accessible design.
Crucially, the core technical elements, software, propulsion, and vital subsystems, would remain identical across all variants. This approach avoids the need for lengthy, expensive approval processes, as the foundational components have already proven their reliability.
For Germany’s regional rail market (SPNV), industry estimates suggest that a more standardised fleet could save around €200 million annually from the 2030s onwards. The shift to true catalogue-based production would also pave the way for a healthy second-hand market.
While technical barriers – such as varying platform heights, overhead line voltages, and signalling systems (e.g., ETCS) – still complicate cross-border interchangeability, a uniform technical architecture would make it far easier to redeploy vehicles elsewhere, provided spare parts remain readily available.
A scalable future
The vision is clear: if rail is to become the backbone of European mobility, trains must transition from ‘handcrafted luxury products’ to reliable, mass-produced commodities. By embracing off-the-shelf solutions, rail can finally become a scalable and affordable alternative to road and air transport.
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