Every day, more than 50 billion passenger journeys are made annually on public transport in Europe, making buses, trams, metros and rail systems one of the largest mobility networks on the continent. At the same time, the transport sector remains responsible for around 25% of the European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport accounting for nearly three quarters of that total. Shifting more trips to public transport is therefore critical for achieving Europe’s climate neutrality targets - a 90% reduction in transport greenhouse emissions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. 

Yet public transport has faced persistent challenges from the long-standing dominance of private cars, even as new mobility services such as ride-hailing and emerging micromobility options continue to grow. In many cities, ridership dropped significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and has mostly recovered . Attracting passengers back and convincing new users to choose public transport, requires more than restoring services. It demands systems that are reliable, accessible, digitally connected, easy to use and seamlessly integrated with other mobility options.

Cities are therefore exploring new approaches to strengthen public transport as one of the most sustainable mobility options. From data-driven planning and multimodal integration to improved passenger experiences and behavioural change initiatives, innovation is becoming essential for modernising transport networks.

To meet these challenges, cities cannot rely on traditional approaches alone. They need strategic planning, innovative tools and practical solutions that can be tested and scaled across different urban contexts. European initiatives like UPPER and SPINE are stepping into this space, demonstrating how collaboration between cities, transport operators and researchers can generate real-world solutions. While each project approaches the problem from a slightly different angle, together they show the possibilities of reinventing public transport for the 21st century - making it more efficient, attractive and responsive to citizens’ needs.

UPPER and SPINE: two paths toward stronger public transport

Cities are increasingly looking for smarter ways to plan and manage  their networks so that public transport becomes the natural choice for everyday travel. This is where European research and innovation projects play an important role. Among them, UPPER and SPINE are exploring complementary approaches to strengthening public transport systems.

Both projects are funded under the Horizon Europe programme and bring together cities, transport operators, researchers and solution providers to test new ideas in real-world environments. While they share the same overarching goal - making public transport more attractive, efficient and resilient - their approaches focus on different  aspects of the mobility ecosystem.

The UPPER project (Unleashing the Potential of Public Transport in Europe) focuses on helping cities rethink how public transport fits within the broader urban mobility system. Through pilot activities in ten European cities - Rome, Lisbon, Budapest, Mannheim, Valencia, Thessaloniki, Versailles Grand Parc-Île de France, Oslo, Leuven and Hannover Region - the project explores how measures such as improved service planning, multimodal integration or passenger-focused mobility services can encourage more people to choose public transport.

A key outcome of the project is the UPPER Toolkit, a set of practical, data-driven set of tools for improving public transport systems, supporting cities in the implementation of targeted interventions. Rather than offering a single solution, it helps cities understand mobility needs holistically, test measures and share knowledge. The toolkit includes solutions for analysing travel demand, simulating scenarios and enabling collaborative decision-making. By combining data analysis, planning methods and best practices, it helps cities move from experimentation to concrete action.

While UPPER places strong emphasis on planning and systemic transformation, the SPINE project looks more closely at how innovation can enhance the operation and performance of public transport systems. SPINE explores how digital technologies, data-driven decision-making and new service models can help transport operators respond to changing travel patterns and improve the passenger experience.

Through demonstrations and collaborative research, the project investigates ways to optimise network management, enhance passenger information and better integrate public transport with emerging mobility services. The goal is to create systems that are not only efficient for operators but also intuitive and reliable for users.

Together, UPPER and SPINE illustrate two sides of the same transformation. One focuses on helping cities design better public transport systems, while the other explores how innovation can make those systems work better in practice. 

Innovation in action: stories from European cities

While UPPER and SPINE provide frameworks and tools for cities to plan and manage public transport more effectively, innovation is happening on the streets right now. 

In several European cities, new approaches are helping authorities better understand how public transport competes with other travel options. By analysing travel patterns and service performance across six urban areas, researchers and mobility experts have gained valuable insights into how public transport compares with private cars in terms of travel time, accessibility and reliability. These insights help cities identify where improvements are most needed and how public transport can become a more attractive choice for everyday journeys.

In Antalya (Türkiye) and Jūrmala (Latvia), transport operators have begun to read the flow of passengers like never before. Sensors track occupancy in real time, allowing buses and trams to respond to demand dynamically. Journeys can feel smoother, services more reliable - almost as if the system anticipates the city’s rhythm.

Connected vehicle technologies are also enhancing urban mobility. Across Europe, pilot projects combine vehicle and infrastructure data to give authorities a clearer picture of traffic dynamics, enabling quicker interventions and better coordination between public transport and road networks. 

Safety and operational reliability are being enhanced in other ways too. Some cities now use proactive fatigue detection for public transport drivers, quietly monitoring alertness to ensure safer journeys for passengers and more consistent service. Meanwhile, in Lisbon and Istanbul, electric bus fleets are being optimised through data-driven platforms that manage charging, routes and energy use, reducing service interruptions and supporting ambitious sustainability goals.

These use cases show that innovation in public transport is about creating cities where mobility works better for people. They illustrate the tangible impact of combining research, experimentation and collaboration, and highlight the real-world potential of projects like UPPER and SPINE.

Closing thoughts

Public transport stands at a crossroads. European cities face pressure from structural challenges, such as climate change, rising populations and evolving travel habits,  but they also have unprecedented opportunities. By combining strategic frameworks, innovation, real-world experimentation and citizen engagement initiatives, schemes like UPPER and SPINE show that cities can make public transport more reliable, attractive, sustainable, inclusive and safe. The lessons learned, both from high-level planning and on-site innovation, provide a roadmap for the next generation of urban mobility: one where public transport remains at the heart of European cities’ efforts to move people safely, efficiently and responsibly.