1 Ride2Rail: Integrating ridesharing for attractive multimodal rail journeys David GOLIGHTLY 1 , Marco COMERIO 2 , Cristian CONSONNI 3 , Carlo VAGHI 4 , Gabriele PISTILLI 4 , Giuseppe RIZZI 5 , Guido DI PASQUALE 5 , Roberto PALACIN 1 , Ludovico BORATTO 3 , Mario SCROCCA 2 1 School of Engineering, Newcastle University, UK 2 Cefriel, Milan, Italy 3 Eurecat, Barcelona, Spain 4 FIT Consulting SRL, Rome, Italy 5 UITP, Brussels, Belgium Corresponding Author: David Golightly (David.Golightly@newcastle.ac.uk) Abstract This paper presents an overview of the Ride2Rail project, enabling ‘Easy use for all’ of rail through ridesharing and carpooling as part of a multimodal journey. Ride2Rail has the overall objective of developing an innovative framework for intelligent multimodal mobility, by facilitating the efficient combination of flexible and crowdsourced transport services, such as ridesharing, with scheduled transport. The methodology for Ride2Rail covers a number of technical activities. A requirements activity has set out the travel behaviour and system requirements for the Ride2Rail project, with an emphasis on end-user requirements for shared travel services. Development activities have covered the technical implementation of Ride2Rail, involving both development of the Ride2Rail functionalities and the Ride2Rail Driver Companion application, integrated within the wider Shift2Rail ecosystem. The demonstration activity involves the preparation, implementation, execution and monitoring of Ride2Rail at four demonstration sites, each with diverse characteristics and different functionalities to be tested, to ensure flexibility of Ride2Rail solutions. Demonstrations are linked to an evaluation methodology to ensure the benefits and impacts of Ride2Rail are fully monitored and demonstrated. Current progress is reported, as are the future actions of Ride2Rail. Keywords: Ridesharing; passenger information; modal shift; multimodality 1. Introduction The Shift2Rail programme is accelerating the integration of new and advanced technologies in order to increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of European rail. A key Innovation Pillar (IP4) of Shift2Rail is to provide solutions for attractive rail services, involving a number of technology developments such as a Travel Companion smartphone personal application, and an ecosystem and interoperability framework to facilitate multimodal travel. IP4 aims to deliver seamless door-to-door travel and intermodal journeys, centred around rail travel. Access to rail can be challenging, however, particularly in a rural environment, where there may be few options. This may also be an issue in urban, or peri-urban, environments where there may be poor provision of public transit. Globalisation and changing travel patterns have increased the need for flexible mobility. Urban sprawl and dispersed land-use patterns strengthen individual mobility behaviours, particularly in rural/low-demand areas, consolidating the dominance of private cars [1]. Mobility policies must therefore promote sustainable modes. The co-modality approach has proven to be effective and ride sharing has emerged as an effective practice thanks to mobile technologies. Ride sharing should be encouraged as a tool for reducing the overall distance travelled by private vehicles and as a high- capacity transport feeder. A set of barriers (poor awareness of services, lack of trust and willingness to ride with strangers, low flexibility in scheduling) limit the ride sharing market uptake, however. Ride sharing is based on regular pre-arranged trips allowing drivers and passengers to find potential sharers. They often include community-based trust mechanisms and links to social media. Real-time ride sharing technologies are emerging