The modal share of intra-EU rail freight transport is less than 20% of the freight transport sector. The current rail freight situation is not only due to the existence of legal barriers restricting competition (including the track access regime, taxation, etc.), but also due to limitations of operational and technical nature, which impact the overall capacity and performance of the sector. In order to overcome these issues, Shift2Rail set a specific Innovation Programme 5 (IP5) focused on Technologies for Sustainable & Attractive European Rail Freight. In this context, the FR8RAIL project, is working on the “Development of Functional Requirements for Sustainable and Attractive European Rail”. To overcome these limitations, a holistic approach involving several technical areas, that form the backbone of the project approach. The outcomes of FR8RAIL will positively contribute to and support the Shift2Rail goals to strengthen the role of the freight rail transport.