RAIL CoLAB's 1st General Assembly of 2026 took place on 17 April at the National Railway Museum in Entroncamento.
The Chair of the Board, João Fernandes, presented the activities of 2025:
- the Freight Laboratory Train, the skills matrix, RailTag and RAILCoLAdemy
- applications to European and national programmes, such as UIC and FCT calls
- collaboration with other collaborative laboratories and with FCoLAB
- coverage of the laboratory train in Railway Gazette
Members approved the 2025 Annual Accounts and elected the governing bodies for 2026–2029, with João Fernandes (Nomad Tech) continuing as Chair of the Board.
The 2026 Activity Plan and Budget was also approved, focusing on four areas: Laboratory Train, Academia–Industry Interface, Project Participation and Services and Support.
Gonçalo Ferreira, who has joined the RAIL CoLAB team, presented the ongoing work on the skills matrix.
The session closed with remarks by Manuel Cabral, President of the National Railway Museum Foundation, who gave a brief history of the Museum. The Board and the General Assembly thanked the Museum for hosting the Assembly at one of Portugal's most emblematic railway venues.