Safety and certification guidelines and demonstration of safety components for hyperloop

HORIZON-JU funds a single Research and Innovation Action under Horizon Europe to develop EU-level safety and certification guidelines for hyperloop systems and to validate key safety components to TRL4 in laboratory conditions, with an indicative budget of €3 million and a single-stage deadline of 7 May 2026 (opening 4 February 2026). Projects must deliver two mandatory work streams: (1) safety and certification guidelines and a certification roadmap aligned with CEN/CLC-JTC20, ERA and EASA, and (2) functional validation of control-command/signalling and at least two vehicle components and the passenger exchange interface in low-pressure environments. Funding is provided as a lump-sum RIA (HORIZON-AG-LS) with Part B limited to 70 pages and payments linked to completion of defined work packages; private EU-Rail members in the consortium have additional in-kind contribution obligations. Eligible applicants are consortia of legal entities from Horizon Europe eligible countries, typically at least three independent entities from three different eligible countries, combining hyperloop technology providers, research institutes, rail stakeholders, and standardisation/certification experts.

Opportunity Overview

Safety and certification guidelines and demonstration of safety components for hyperloop

EU-RAIL JU Call Proposals 2026-01 (HORIZON-JU-ER-2026-FA7-01)

What it funds: a single Research and Innovation Action to develop EU-level safety and certification guidelines for hyperloop systems and to validate key safety components in laboratory and proof-of-concept tests (targeting TRL4 sub-system validation). The work must cover two work‑streams: (1) safety and certification guidelines, regulatory inputs and a certification roadmap; (2) functional validation of safety-critical components (examples: control/command and signalling communication, at least two vehicle components in low-pressure conditions, passenger exchange doors/platform interface).

Type of action and funding model:HORIZON-JU-RIA (Research & Innovation Action). Funding is provided as a lump sum grant; applicants must justify detailed cost estimates in the proposal Lump Sum Guidance ¹.

Who can apply: multi‑partner consortia combining hyperloop technology providers/promoters, rail stakeholders (infrastructure managers, operators), European research institutes and relevant standardisation/regulatory experts. Eligible participants follow Horizon Europe rules (EU Member States and Associated Countries are automatically eligible; other countries may be eligible under specific conditions). Private members of EU-Rail participating in consortia must provide in‑kind contributions as specified in the call conditions.

Amount available and project scale:Indicative topic budget is €3,000,000 for around one grant. Project duration is typically 36 months (other durations may be accepted). Activities should deliver TRL4 sub-system validation and inputs to CEN/CLC-JTC20 and relevant TSIs/standards.

1. 1Deadline: 07 May 2026, 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage submission).
2. 2Type of MGA: HORIZON Lump Sum Grant; proposals must include the Excel detailed lump sum budget table as an annex.
3. 3Expected outputs: safety/performance requirements, technical safety guideline, certification roadmap with timelines and estimated costs, lab validation results and a proof-of-concept demonstrating application of certification procedures.

Assessment and award: proposals are evaluated against Horizon Europe criteria (excellence, impact, implementation). Lump sum proposals must include a detailed budget justification; evaluators will assess whether the proposed resources are appropriate for the work packages. Pre-financing and interim payments are linked to the completion of work packages under the lump sum model.

Footnotes

1. 1The Commission decision authorising lump sum contributions under Horizon Europe and guidance is available at the Funding & Tenders Portal and here: Lump Sum Decision and Guidance.

Safety and certification guidelines and demonstration of safety components for hyperloop — EU-Rail JU Call 2026-01

This Horizon Europe EU-Rail Joint Undertaking research and innovation action funds a single, pan-European project to define safety and certification guidelines for hyperloop systems and to validate critical safety components in laboratory conditions. The action will support harmonised European standardisation, contribute directly to the work of CEN/CENELEC JTC 20 Hyperloop, and coordinate closely with ERA and EASA to propose a certification roadmap for an unconventional fast track-bound transport mode operating in low-pressure environments. It also requires functional testing of key subsystems to reach TRL4, thereby closing safety-related open points and demonstrating that proposed certification procedures are applicable in practice.

Key facts

Scope and expected outcomes

Work-stream 1: Safety and certification guidelines support

Develop an EU-wide, harmonised safety framework, safety and performance requirements, and certification procedures for hyperloop systems (passenger and freight). Activities must:

• Analyse hyperloop safety needs in line with CEN/CLC/JTC 20 work; collect best practices and operational data from transport systems; benchmark safety requirements in rail and aviation to identify commonalities.
• Propose possible technical safety requirements for infrastructure, design, operational protocols, and system reliability for hyperloop, including a detailed list at sub-system and component level; contribute to prEN 18166:2025 where relevant.
• Use Hyper4Rail and EN 17930:2024 outputs to define system architecture, key safety-relevant subsystems and components, and to propose a detailed system definition for future standards.
• Perform sensitivity analyses of performance/operations versus safety targets to help set a target safety level; propose a common risk assessment and mitigation approach leveraging rail and aviation practices.
• Identify and collect hazards (building on Hyper4Rail), and establish a safety method aligned with approaches used in rail and aviation; recommend common safety methods for operations and maintenance, including methods to verify compliance with technical safety requirements.
• Conduct structured consultations with regulatory bodies and standardisation committees (CEN/CLC/JTC 20; CEN/TC 256; CLC/TC 9X; CEN/TC 391; ISO/TC 292).
• Develop a Certification Roadmap: identify legal requirements and processes for certifying future hyperloop solutions; include timelines, estimated costs (considering WS2 tests), and high-level designs for necessary certification facilities based on the Hyper4Rail concept; propose a basic decision-making structure leveraging, where appropriate, existing regulatory bodies such as EASA and ERA; run a consultation process with EASA, ERA and others under relevant regulations.

Work-stream 2: Functional validation of safety components for hyperloop

Validate key hyperloop technologies, components, and subsystems critical for passenger safety in a laboratory environment against safety requirements and verification means developed under Work-stream 1. Mandatory activities include at least:

• Validation of the control-command and signalling system, focusing on communications in low-frequency but high-density environments.
• Validation of at least two key vehicle components (e.g., braking systems, traction bogies) in low-pressure environments.
• Validation of the functional interface for passenger exchange: on-board vehicle door to platform screen door at stations.
• Design of test procedures and environments needed to validate all safety requirements and to apply/verify the Work-stream 1 certification process.
• Perform tests aimed at closing safety-related open points identified in Work-stream 1 and demonstrate feasibility of the proposed certification methods in practice.

The project must achieve TRL 4 for targeted subsystems, providing functional proof-of-concept in lab conditions and robust evidence to inform standardisation and certification pathways.

Standardisation, regulatory interfaces and alignment

The action will directly support European standardisation and regulatory convergence by working with:

• CEN/CLC JTC 20 Hyperloop CEN/CLC JTC 20 and other relevant committees (CEN/TC 256; CLC/TC 9X; CEN/TC 391; ISO/TC 292).
• The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for a certification roadmap and potential use of existing regulatory structures.
• The EU-Rail System Pillar where relevant, standardisation and TSI input planning, ensuring coherence with the wider EU-Rail programme and Europe’s Rail communication and dissemination guidelines.
• Results and architecture elaborated in Hyper4Rail Hyper4Rail project and relevant EN/prEN standards.

Eligibility, applicant profiles and consortium composition

Standard Horizon Europe eligibility applies (see Annex B of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes). Proposals are expected to form a multi-partner consortium bringing together the full breadth of expertise required to deliver both work-streams and to engage with European standardisation and regulatory stakeholders. The call explicitly expects inclusion of:

• Hyperloop technology providers and promoters.
• European research institutes and universities with relevant expertise (safety, systems engineering, low-pressure transport, CCS/communication, RAMS).
• Rail stakeholders (infrastructure managers, rail undertakings, industry suppliers) to provide cross-domain safety, operations and certification expertise.
• Partners with in-depth knowledge of standardisation, regulatory affairs, certification processes, and risk analysis.

For Horizon Europe RIAs, a consortium of at least three independent legal entities each established in a different EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country is normally required. Applicants must verify and comply with all call-specific conditions set on the portal.

Funding rate, budget and special in-kind contributions

The topic budget is €3 million with a maximum of one funded project. Funding is provided as a Horizon Europe lump sum grant (HORIZON-AG-LS). Under RIA rules, eligible direct costs are reimbursed at 100% via the lump sum shares fixed per work package and per beneficiary. Payments are made upon completion and acceptance of work packages. Pre-financing and interim payments follow standard Horizon Europe rules for lump sums.

Applicant Private Members of EU-Rail within the consortium have a mandatory additional obligation: they must provide in-kind contributions to additional activities, declared via the template available on the portal. The aggregate amount of total in-kind contributions from these applicant Private Members (operational + additional activities) must be at least 1.263 times their EU funding request; any discrepancy must be duly justified. Annual in-kind contribution deliverables and reporting may be set in the grant agreement for those applicants.

Lump-sum model and budget preparation specifics

• Applicants must submit the Excel detailed lump sum budget table as annex to Part B. Cost estimations must be reasonable, non-excessive and aligned with proposed activities per work package and beneficiary.
• Proposals must justify cost items in categories C and/or D in the ‘Any comments’ sheet if: the sum of travel and subsistence, equipment, and other goods/works/services exceeds 15% of personnel costs for a participant; other cost categories (e.g., internally invoiced goods and services) are used; in-kind contributions are used.
• Part B page limit is 70 pages for a full RIA application.
• Payments depend on completion of work packages, not on actual costs incurred. Technical evidence must demonstrate completion; financial records are not requested by EU-Rail under the lump-sum approach.

Application, evaluation and timeline

Submission is single-stage via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Proposals are evaluated against the standard Horizon Europe criteria (Excellence, Impact, Quality and efficiency of the implementation), with additional criteria in Annex VIII of the EU-Rail WP 2026. The granting authority can fund at most one project. The starting date of grants may be as of the submission date if duly justified (retroactive eligibility possible for costs from the action start date).

• Call helpdesk and Q&A: info-call@rail-research.europa.eu (queries deadline: Thursday 23 April 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time).
• Q&A publications: 20 Feb 2026 and 11 Mar 2026 releases clarify lump-sum budget justifications and template usage.
• Applicants must ensure coherence with Europe’s Rail communication and dissemination guidelines and deliver data and results to EU-Rail for monitoring, KPIs, policy, TSI and standardisation inputs for up to four years after project end, when results are reasonably expected to contribute to standards.

Data policy and compliance

Projects are expected to be compliant with EU Data Policy 2020 and associated legal instruments (Open Data Directive (EU) 2019/1024 and Regulation (EU) 2023/138 on high-value datasets, Data Governance Act (EU) 2022/868, Data Act (EU) 2023/2854, Interoperable Europe Act (EU) 2024/903). Proposals must plan appropriate resources for KPI reporting and programme monitoring. The gender dimension in R&I content is not mandatory for this topic.

Target sectors and technologies

• Transport and mobility with focus on unconventional fast track-bound systems (hyperloop).
• Rail safety, certification and standardisation.
• Control-command and signalling (CCS) and communications in low-frequency/high-density environments.
• Low-pressure systems engineering, braking and traction subsystems, platform screen door interfaces.
• Systems engineering, RAMS, risk assessment, operations and maintenance safety methods.

Structured categorisation answers

Eligible Applicant Types:Hyperloop technology providers and promoters; SMEs and large enterprises in rail and transport technologies; universities; research institutes; standardisation and certification experts; rail sector stakeholders (infrastructure managers, railway undertakings, suppliers); nonprofits and NGOs with safety, standardisation or mobility expertise; public bodies/governmental agencies where relevant. Private Members of EU-Rail may participate subject to special in-kind contribution rules.

Funding Type:Grant (Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action) awarded as a lump sum (HORIZON-AG-LS).

Consortium Requirement:Consortium. Standard Horizon Europe RIA minimum: at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. The topic explicitly expects a multi-disciplinary consortium covering safety, certification, standardisation, hyperloop technology, systems engineering and testing.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries, as per Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Some non-associated countries may participate with or without funding according to Horizon Europe rules and Programme Guide.

Target Sector:Transport and mobility; rail and unconventional fast track-bound transport; safety/certification/standardisation; control-command and signalling; systems engineering and RAMS.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are mandated. The programme concerns the EU and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. European agencies and bodies explicitly referenced include ERA and EASA; European standards bodies include CEN and CENELEC.

Project Stage:Research, development and validation. The project must define safety and certification frameworks and achieve TRL 4 for sub-system validation in laboratory environments.

Funding Amount:Indicative topic budget €3,000,000 with at most one grant awarded.

Application Type:Open call; single-stage electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Money (EU grant via lump sum). Non-financial benefits include alignment with European standardisation and regulatory bodies and contribution to EU-Rail System Pillar outputs.

Application Stages:1 (single-stage evaluation and grant preparation).

Success Rates:Not specified. The call intends to fund a maximum of one project under this topic.

Co-funding Requirement:For most beneficiaries, no co-funding is required (RIA funding rate 100% under the lump-sum model). Applicant Private Members of EU-Rail in the consortium must provide in-kind contributions to additional activities totalling at least 1.263 times their requested EU contribution; specific annual deliverables and reporting on in-kind may apply.

Templates and structure — how to prepare your application

Use the call-specific templates available in the Submission System. The following outlines the required content for Part B (70-page limit) and key annexes under the lump-sum model:

1. 1Excellence: objectives; ambition and advance beyond state-of-the-art; methodology and underpinning models/assumptions; interdisciplinary aspects; open science practices; (gender dimension is not mandatory for this topic).
2. 2Impact: credible pathways to outcomes and wider impacts; measures to maximise impact with a first Plan for Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication; contribution to EU-Rail Master Plan objectives and EU-Rail MAWP expected impacts.
3. 3Implementation: work plan (Gantt/PERT), detailed work package descriptions and tasks; deliverables list; milestones; critical risks and mitigation; effort table (person-months); management and coordination, including interactions with linked EU-Rail actions and standardisation; roles and capacities of each participant; subcontracting description; equipment justification if purchase costs exceed 15% of personnel costs.
4. 4Annexes: Excel Detailed Lump Sum Budget Table (mandatory for lump-sum); if applicable, Information on Financial Support to Third Parties template; Annex on Members’ In-Kind Contributions (if relevant for Private Members).

Key budget preparation notes under lump-sum: provide cost estimations per beneficiary and per work package across cost categories; justify purchase costs exceeding 15% of personnel costs; ensure alignment with proposed activities; use the portal-provided Excel file and upload as .xlsx or .xls (retain the original .xlsm file for records). Evaluators may use Commission personnel-cost benchmarks; justify higher-than-benchmark personnel costs in the ‘Any comments’ sheet of the Excel table.

Where to find help and information

• Call topic page and submission: Funding & Tenders Portal — Topic HORIZON-JU-ER-2026-FA7-01
• EU-RAIL JU Call Helpdesk: info-call@rail-research.europa.eu
• Guidance on lump sums: Lump sums — what do I need to know?
• Information on financial support to third parties template: Template document
• EU-Rail Work Programme 2026 and governance documents: EU-Rail reference documents

Comprehensive summary

This call funds a single, high-impact research and innovation action to anchor safety, certification, and standardisation foundations for hyperloop in Europe and to validate key safety-related subsystems to TRL 4. Applicants must deliver a European safety and performance framework, propose harmonised technical safety requirements down to sub-system/component level, develop a practical certification roadmap engaging ERA and EASA, and functionally validate critical components in lab conditions, including CCS/communications in low-frequency/high-density environments, braking/traction in low pressure, and the platform–vehicle door interface. The project will operate in tight coordination with CEN/CLC JTC 20 and other technical committees to generate standardisation inputs, align with EU-Rail System Pillar processes, and contribute data and evidence for future standards and TSIs. The action is financed as a lump-sum RIA with an indicative budget of €3 million, single-stage submission, and a 36-month expected duration. The consortium should unite hyperloop specialists with rail safety, systems engineering, RAMS, regulatory and testing expertise. It will ultimately demonstrate that proposed safety requirements and certification procedures are feasible, evidence-based and applicable in practice, thereby accelerating Europe’s pathway to safe, harmonised, and certifiable deployment of unconventional fast track-bound transport systems.

Safety and Certification Guidelines and Demonstration of Safety Components for Hyperloop

Opportunity Overview

This call under the EU-RAIL JU Call Proposals 2026-01 HORIZON-JU supports the development of safety requirements, methods, guidelines, and certification processes for hyperloop technology. Hyperloop is an unconventional fast track-bound transport system using magnetic levitation and capsules moving inside a vacuum tube, promising high-speed travel with low energy needs. The project must demonstrate that hyperloop is at least as safe as existing modes like rail or aviation, while validating key safety components to support CEN/CLC-JTC20 standardization activities.

Projects must address two mandatory work streams: (1) safety and certification guidelines, and (2) functional validation of safety components at TRL 4 in laboratory environments. Close collaboration with CEN/CLC-JTC20 and other committees (CEN/TC 256, CLC/TC 9X, CEN/TC 391, ISO/TC 292) is required, building on Hyper4Rail results. The call is part of Horizon Europe, using lump sum grants under HORIZON-AG-LS.

Key Dates and Budget

Deadline:7 May 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage submission). Opening date: 4 February 2026.

Indicative Budget:€3 million total. Maximum one project funded. Indicative duration: 36 months (flexible).

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Open to legal entities established in Horizon Europe eligible countries (EU Member States, associated countries; see Annex B of Work Programme General Annexes). Non-EU entities may participate under specific conditions. Consortia must demonstrate aggregated expertise from hyperloop technology providers/promoters, European research institutes, rail stakeholders, system engineering, certification/safety management, standardisation, regulatory aspects, and risk analysis. Private members of EU-Rail must provide in-kind contributions at least 1.263 times their funding request.

• Minimum 3 independent legal entities from 3 different eligible countries.
• Proposals limited to 70 pages (exception to standard Horizon Europe limits).
• Must address all required work streams and activities.

Expected Outcomes and Scope

Work-Stream 1: Safety and Certification Guidelines Support

Develop proposals for technical safety requirements, benchmark against rail/aviation practices, and contribute to prEN 18166:2025. Analyse Hyper4Rail and EN 17930:2024 architectures, perform sensitivity analysis for target safety levels, propose risk assessment/mitigation, and establish safety methods. Develop certification roadmap with timelines, costs, and facilities; propose decision-making structures using EASA/ERA. Consult regulatory bodies and committees.

Work-Stream 2: Functional Validation of Safety Components (TRL 4)

Validate key technologies in lab: control/command/signalling (low-frequency/high-density communication), at least 2 vehicle components (e.g., braking/traction bogies) in low-pressure, passenger exchange door/platform interface. Design test procedures/environments to verify Work-Stream 1 requirements and certification processes. Address open points from Work-Stream 1.

Funding Details and Conditions

Complementary to Hyper4Rail (GA 101196142). Follow Europe's Rail Communication/Dissemination Guidelines. Comply with EU Data Policy 2020 (Open Data Directive, Data Governance Act, Data Act, Interoperable Europe Act). No mandatory gender dimension.

Application Process

1. 1Register in Funding & Tenders Portal.
2. 2Prepare Part A (admin forms) and Part B (70-page limit).
3. 3Submit detailed lump sum budget table (Excel annex).
4. 4Use RIA templates: Part B (HE EU-RAIL, RIA).
5. 5Address Q&As (Releases 1/2 available; submit queries to info-call@rail-research.europa.eu by 23 April 2026).

Submit via EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Partner search available. Info Day: 9 February 2026.

Special Requirements and Skills

• Expertise in hyperloop solutions, subsystem validation, system engineering, certification/safety, standardisation, regulation, risk analysis.
• Consortium reflects technical/engineering/operational competencies.
• Contribute data/results to EU-Rail for policy/legislation/standards (up to 4 years post-project).

Key Resources

• Work Programme 2026: Europe's Rail WP 2026.
• Hyper4Rail: Hyper4Rail.
• CEN/CLC-JTC20: CEN/CLC-JTC20.
• Info Day Recording: YouTube.

Q&As: Q&A Release 1, Q&A Release 2. Guidance: Lump Sum Guide. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Primary source: EU Funding Portal. Work Programme 2026 and metadata.