European Union Agency for Railways

Karel van Gils

Senior Programme Manager

Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking

Biography

Karel van Gils is a rail professional working for EU-Rail, where he leads collaborative deployment projects that modernize Europe’s railway system. With a background in engineering and leading large international teams, he translates complex technical requirements into practical solutions and connects operations, industry, research, and policy communities. In 1991 he joined the railway sector and worked for Dutch Railways (NS) in operational, maintenance and commercial positions. After working as a Director of Engineering for the public transport company (GVB) in Amsterdam he joined ProRail to become Director of Asset Management and Director of innovations. Since September 2023 Karel works for EU-Rail in Brussels.

This page was created in the context of an event organised by the European Union Agency for Railways. The information was provided at the time of the event and may not reflect the person’s current role or activities. Last updated on 17 March 2026, this content may no longer be fully up to date, and the Agency does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.