Dear $contact_first_name $contact_last_name,

The railway sector has long positioned itself as the backbone of sustainable mobility. But as decarbonisation targets tighten and the European Green Deal reshapes industrial policy, scrutiny is increasingly turning to the vehicles themselves — and to the materials they are made of, the processes that manufacture them, and what happens when they reach the end of their operational life.

Sustainable materials and recycling in rolling stock manufacturing is no longer a niche concern for R&D departments. It has become a strategic dimension of procurement, fleet planning, and supplier qualification. Leading manufacturers have made notable progress: Alstom, for instance, has increased the recyclability of its rolling stock from 87% to 97% over the past decade, with this standard applied to vehicles such as the Avelia Horizon high-speed train. At the European level, UNIFE has developed standardised methods for calculating recyclability and recoverability rates, providing a common framework for the industry. At the same time, collaborative platforms such as Railsponsible bring together operators, OEMs, suppliers, and associations to address climate challenges and build more transparent and resilient supply chains. 

What makes this moment particularly significant is the convergence of regulatory pressure, material innovation, and circular economy thinking. The UIC's REUSE project — completed in 2021 — identified best practices across key material streams and outlined how rail infrastructure managers can move from linear to circular resource models. The project focused on materials posing the greatest challenges in terms of sustainable resource management, including ballast, steel, and concrete sleepers, while also offering the highest potential gains in terms of CO₂ savings and cost efficiency. These are not isolated pilot projects — they reflect a structural shift in how the industry conceptualises the relationship between manufacturing, operations, and end-of-life. 

In this issue, we take a closer look at current research initiatives addressing sustainable materials in vehicle construction: from composite components and bio-based materials to closed-loop recycling systems and the growing importance of life cycle assessment in procurement decisions. The findings point to both the progress made and the challenges that remain — particularly in scaling solutions that work in controlled research environments to the demands of industrial series production.

For manufacturers, operators, and suppliers, the message is consistent: sustainability in rolling stock is becoming a qualification criterion, not just a communications asset. Market participants who engage with these developments early — technically, strategically, and in terms of supplier relationships — will be better positioned as regulatory and customer expectations continue to rise.

Best regards,

Your RMR-Team