A m a j o r i n d u s t r i a l p r o j e c t f o r E u r o p e

ERTMS – DELIVERING FLEXIBLEAND RELIABLE RAIL TRAFFIC

EUROPEANCOMMISSION

Directorate-General for Energy and Transport

No single market for locomotives?

Bringing railway signalling into the digital era

Towards a common speed-control system

And the passengers?

How ETCS works

Towards coordinated deployment of ERTMS

Deploying ETCS over the whole trans-European railway network

CONTENTS1

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The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy and Transport develops andimplements policy in these closely linked areas. The 2001 White Paper, ‘European trans-port policy for 2010: time to decide’, sets out 60 practical measures designed to bringabout significant improvements in the quality and efficiency of transport in Europe by2010, and to achieve a rebalancing between the modes of transport. By creating acommon transport management system for European rail traffic (ERTMS), it will bepossible to improve cross-border passenger and freight movement while improving theoverall safety and reliability of rail transport in the EU.

Brochure published by: European Commission, Energy and Transport DG, B-1049 Brusselshttp://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/energy_transport/index_en.html

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2006ISBN 92-79-00584-7

© European Communities, 2006Reproduction authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Text completed on 13 December 2005.Photos reproduced with the kind permission of: Bombardier, DB AG/Gärtig/Jazbec/Klee,European Commission, European Railway Agency, Roberto Ferravante, SNCF, Thalys

Printed in Belgium

or many years now, lorry drivers have drivenacross the roads of Europe with few constraintsimposed by internal borders; the need to stop

for customs checks has now ceased.However, forlocomotives, crossing a frontier still remains an

exceptional event, and only a few locomotives areequipped with the multiple systems required to easilycross national borders.

Although the European Union continues to work on thelegal and administrative issues affecting the railwaystogether with the Member States and the railway sector,there are, however, many technical obstacles still to beresolved for trains crossing internal European borders.The most obvious problem is track gauge (there are no lessthan four different types of track gauge present inEurope (1)), but other, less visible technical ‘barriers’need tobe addressed: for example the different types of electricalpower supply, the height of station platforms, maximumtrack gradients, axle weights, etc. The lack of standard-isation of these technical areas limits international trafficand leads to significantly higher operational costs.

So, how can this absence of a ‘single market’ forlocomotives be explained? In the railway sector, technicalquestions have traditionally been resolved based on theassumption that locomotives would never cross nationalborders. Questions of signalling and speed control, forexample, were simply dealt with by one manufacturer foreach national railway network. This has resulted in thefragmentation experienced today in the European railnetwork.

Unifying the European railsector: a major industrialprojectThe European rail traffic management system (ERTMS)aims to remedy this lack of unification in the area ofsignalling and speed control – a major obstacle to thedevelopment of international rail traffic. Standardisingthe multiple signalling systems in use will bring increasedcompetitiveness, better inter-working of freight andpassenger rail services, stimulate the European rail-equipment market, reduce costs and improve the overallquality of rail transport. It is clear therefore that the aimsof ERTMS fall within the overall scope of the Lisbonstrategy.

ERTMS is a major European industrial project (similar toGalileo for satellite navigation or SESAR in air trafficmanagement) and provides increased export oppor-tunities for the EU. Indeed, recently awarded railwaycontracts – particularly in south-east Asia – have includedthe use of ERTMS, demonstrating that it is the mosteffective signalling and speed-control solution on themarket. This highlights Europe’s strong position inadvanced technologies, particularly when research anddevelopment efforts are led at European level.

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ERTMS – DELIVERING FLEXIBLE AND RELIABLE RAIL TRAFFIC

NO SINGLE MARKET FOR LOCOMOTIVES?

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(1) Ireland, the Iberian peninsula, the Baltic States and Finland eachhave their own track gauges, which are different from the rest ofthe European network.

An imbalance between modes of transport,which jeopardises sustainable growth

A total of 72 % of land freight transport and 92 % ofpassenger transport within the EU is by road, with just 17 % offreight transported by rail. The large difference between roadand rail transport volumes constitutes a real danger forEuropean competitiveness as it is estimated that roadcongestion costs represent approximately 1 % of the GDP ofthe EU (EUR 100 billion). The imbalance is further reflected inthe areas of safety (with more than 43 000 deaths onEuropean roads in 2004), the security of energy supply (thetransport sector relies heavily on petrol), and environmentalquality (road vehicles are responsible for 84.2 % of the CO2

emissions attributed to land transport).

What are the fundamentalprinciples of railwaysignalling?The main objective of railway signalling is to ensure thesafety of rail transport. This objective represents a realtechnical challenge as the braking distances of trains aresignificantly greater than those of cars. At 100–160 km/h, the stopping distance is in the region of a fewhundred metres,but at very high speeds this increases toa few kilometres! It is therefore essential, on bothconventional and high-speed lines, that the train driverreceives as far in advance as possible the necessaryinformation required for controlling the train.

At speeds of up to 160 km/h the driver can generally seetrackside signals.The diagram at the top of the page is asimple representation of how train collisions are avoidedwith the use of trackside signals.

The track is divided into sections, known as ‘blocks’ and asystem detects the presence of trains in each block. Eachblock is protected by a signal. If it is red, it indicates to thedriver that there is a train in the next block. If it is yellow,it indicates that the next signal is red. Consequently,drivers must reduce their speed to be able to stop beforethe next red signal.

And on high-speed lines?On a high-speed line the same basic principle appliesbut, due to longer braking distances, there are a greaternumber of blocks between two trains. However, athigher speeds – and particularly in poor weatherconditions – the driver cannot always see the tracksidesignalling clearly. To ensure the driver can observe thecorrect signals,a signal is sent from the track to the train,and the maximum speed authorised for a particularblock is displayed to the driver within the cab of thelocomotive.This system is called ‘in-cab signalling’.

Safety depends to a great extent on the driver, whomust respect the signalling information. Early in-cabsignalling systems simply ‘repeated’ the tracksidesignalling information.Through technical progress thishas been combined with automatic speed-controlsystems, which prevent the driver from exceeding amaximum safe speed. Additional information on trackcharacteristics such as gradients and speed limits canalso be provided to the driver. Furthermore, thedevelopment of radio communication systemsbetween the ground and the train allows drivers tomake contact with rail traffic management centres. Allof these technical advances have resulted in highlyeffective, yet complex, speed-control systems.

The incompatibility ofsignalling systemsRail-equipment manufacturers have developed specificsystems for national clients and today multiplesignalling system solutions exist across Europe,particularly in the transmission frequency of the signalsand the nature of the information provided. To put thisinto context, there are over 20 signalling and speed-control systems operating in Europe today, all of whichare completely incompatible with each other! Takingthe Thalys high-speed train as an example, whichconnects Paris, Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam, itmust be equipped with no less than seven differentsystems, including specific sensors and control panels.This complexity leads to additional costs and anincreased risk of breakdowns. It also makes the driver’sjob considerably more complicated.

BRINGING RAILWAY SIGNALLING INTO THE DIGITAL ERA

he extent and impact of fragmentation in therail sector makes it necessary for Europe tojoin forces and to work together at a

European level. It is vital that the high costs ofthe development, testing and validation ofincompatible systems which serve similar needs ineach Member State are reduced.

At the beginning of the 1990s, research projects werelaunched in several Member States, with the objectiveof designing a new generation of signalling and speed-control systems. The objective was to develop systemsthat performed better, were less expensive, and tookadvantage of the major developments in digital tele-communications. At the European Commission’sinstigation, these various research projects weremerged to create the ERTMS.

Today, this project has two main components:

• GSM-R:a radio system used to exchange informationbetween the ground and the train. It is based on theGSM mobile telephony standard, but uses differentfrequencies specifically for the railways and hassome additional advanced functions. For example, itallows drivers to speak with the traffic managementcentres and can be used to transmit the maximumpermitted speed;

• ETCS (European train control system): theEuropean system for controlling trains, which notonly allows speed limits to be transmitted to thedriver, but can also continuously monitor the driver’sresponse to this information. An on-board computereffectively compares the speed of the train with themaximum permitted speed and automaticallyapplies the train’s brakes if it exceeds the limit.

A third ‘component’, which relates to traffic manage-ment, will be added to GSM-R and ETCS. This compo-nent is currently in demonstration on the Rotterdam–Milan axis within the ‘Europtirail’ pilot project.

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The contribution of satellitenavigation and Galileo to ERTMS

Satellite navigation is set to revolutionise the railsector, and ETCS will make it possible to monitor theexact location of each train in real time.Today, thetask of location tracking is undertaken by extremelyexpensive ground-based equipment. In particular, atlevel 3 of ETCS (the highest technical level of thesystem and which has the potential to be the mostadvantageous), the control room needs to know, asaccurately as possible, the position of each train inreal time.This technical challenge could be solved bysatellite techniques, and Galileo is currently runningseveral projects in this area.

TOWARDS A COMMONSPEED-CONTROL SYSTEM

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assengers taking the Thalys high-speed trainbetween Paris and Brussels will not notice thatseven signalling systems have had to be

installed on board the train. For each train orlocomotive, the multiplication of systems posesproblems for driver ergonomics, electromagneticcompatibility, space and system-to-system compatibility– not to mention the additional expense and the risk ofbreakdown. The current situation is, therefore, anobstacle to the rapid development of internationalfreight and passenger traffic.

Although hidden to public perception, ERTMS is animportant contribution to the development of inter-national rail traffic. However, the GSM-R element ofERTMS can be used in applications that provide directbenefits to passengers, such as in the provision ofjourney information.

In consideration of safety, current trends suggest that thecosts of the European train control system will decreasesufficiently, allowing many non-signalled lines to begradually equipped with ETCS. Such progress is vital, asunfortunately signalling-related accidents still occur fartoo frequently on lines without speed-control systems.

AND THE PASSENGERS?

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ERTMS will facilitate an increase in the market shareof European rail transport. This in turn is expected tocreate a more competitive market of suppliers, andto reduce the costs of railways in the long term. TheItalian railways (RFI) have decided to adopt thissystem for all their new high-speed lines and theERTMS-fitted Rome–Naples line – some 204 km –entered its pre-operational phase on 12 September2005, with the intention to enter full commercialoperation before Christmas 2005. Further, theTurin–Novara line entered the pre-operationalphase in November 2005. RFI also plans to use thissystem on part of its conventional network, initiallystarting with three corridors: Rotterdam–Genoa,Stockholm–Naples and Spain–Slovenia. Thesecorridors, mainly devoted to interoperable freighttraffic, constitute the first stage of migrationtowards ERTMS, and will be followed by installationon other major conventional lines.

Mauro Moretti,Chief Executive, Italian Rail Network (RFI)

Guaranteeing interoperabilityTo ensure that trains equipped with ETCS and GSM-Requipment made by one manufacturer are able tooperate on a network equipped by another manu-facturer, engineers work on the basis of commonspecifications which have been adopted at EU level.Thecommon specifications are subject to modifications inorder to keep pace with technological evolution andchanging requirements.

It is essential that prototypes are tested prior tocommissioning in order to check their compliance withthe interoperability specifications. It has beenrecognised by the railway sector that, in order toconfirm compliance, the use of environmentalsimulators are vital.

The point of view of aSpanish infrastructuremanager (ADIF)From 1986, Spain opted for interoperability by decidingto build its first high-speed line – 471 km betweenMadrid and Seville – with a track gauge in line with theUIC standard (2), rather than the gauge traditionally usedon the Iberian peninsula.This new line has operated withLZB signalling (3), a system that has been entirely satis-factory in delivering a train service for speeds of up to300 km/h. In spite of this success, Spain has now com-mitted itself to the implementation of ETCS on all futurehigh-speed lines. As part of that commitment, ETCS hasbeen fitted to over 443 km of track between Madrid andLerida, and the commercial operation of this route willshortly commence. Five different manufacturers havebeen involved in the development of systems on thisroute; this represented a major challenge,requiring strictadherence to the interoperability specifications in orderto ensure that the trains of one manufacturer could cir-culate on tracks fitted out by another. Adherence to theinteroperability specifications, together with the com-patibility of the subsequent versions of ETCS, will be keyto the success of ETCS in general and especially to thelink with France via Perpignan. From 2009, high-speedtrains capable of reaching a speed of 350 km/h,as well asfreight trains, will be using this line. We rely on ETCS tohelp make this possible.

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Tests of the ERTMS are now completed and theEuropean deployment of the system, across differentrail routes, represents a major step forward in thehistory of international rail traffic. ERTMS enablesimproved performance and reduced costs, whilstfacilitating access to the trans-European network.The introduction of ERTMS is therefore considered tobe an important and necessary step for the railways.

Today, the rail sector is faced with the challenge ofmigration: the advantages of ERTMS will not beachieved until all the major routes – and the trainstravelling on them – are equipped. A rapid migrationclearly requires a significant budget. To deliver this theEuropean Commission, rail operators andinfrastructure managers must work together.This is why we fully approve of the Commission’sinitiative to launch studies, corridor by corridor, toexamine, in close cooperation with the infrastructuremanagers, all aspects of ERTMS introduction.Only intensive cooperation between all the playerswill allow successful deployment of ERTMS.

Bert Klerk, Chairman of Prorail (the Netherlands)

(2) International Union of Railways.

(3) This signalling system is mainly used on high-speed lines inGermany.

The different levels of ETCSETCS enables ground-based equipment to transmitinformation to the train. This enables equipment onthe trains to continuously calculate the maximum per-mitted speed. Information is transmitted by standard-ised beacons – Eurobalises – which are placed alongthe length of the track and connected to the existingsignalling system. This is ‘ETCS level 1’ (ETCS-1). Thetechnology is now tried and tested, and Eurobalisescan be purchased from several manufacturers.

• In principle, at level 1 (see A), a ‘switchable’ ETCSbalise is placed at each signal. The situation isshown in the diagram on page 7. Train 2, whenpassing over balise A at the ‘green’ signal, receivesauthorisation to run to the end of section 2. In prin-ciple, this authorisation allows it to run at the maxi-mum line speed (in this example, 160 km/h) untilbalise B, located at the next signal. In the absence ofnew information, having passed balise B, the trainshould brake to stop before the signal at balise C.

• In ‘normal’ situations (see B), when train 2 passesover balise B, train 1 will already have left section 3.As shown in the diagram on the opposite page,train 2 will therefore receive new authorisation tocontinue, this time until the signal at balise D. Thetrain will therefore be able to continue to run at themaximum line speed.

• However, if for some reason (see C), train 1 has notleft section 3, then balise B will indicate that trainsare prohibited from crossing the signal that islocated at balise C. This means that the train willhave to reduce speed gradually to come to a haltbefore balise C. This scenario is represented in thediagram on page 7. The driver will only cross baliseC when the signal has changed from red to yellow,allowing the train on-board system to obtain a newauthorisation from the balise to proceed.

All of the balise information can also be transmittedby radio (GSM-R), which is the basis for ‘ETCS level 2’(ETCS-2). In this case, it is no longer necessary to havetrackside signals, allowing for substantial savings inboth installation and maintenance. The detection ofthe position of the trains is still carried out on theground. An ETCS train, if equipped with a GSM-R radio,can run on both level 1 and level 2 lines.

• At level 2 (see D), the ETCS train can receive a new‘authorisation to proceed’ (movement authority) atany time via the GSM-R system. With reference tothe previous diagram, as soon as train 1 leavessection 3, the Radio Block Centre receives thisinformation from systems on the ground (axlecounters, track circuits, etc.) and immediatelytransmits a new authorisation to train 2 to allow itto proceed to the end of section 3. In ETCS-1 thisnew information would not be received until theend of section 2, thereby obliging the train to travelat low speed for a significant part of section 2.At level 2, this information is immediately available,contributing to increased traffic fluidity.

• Finally, at level 3 (see E), trains are able to transmittheir exact position themselves. This makes itpossible to optimise the capacity of the lines and tofurther reduce ground equipment. ‘ETCS level 3’ isstill in the experimental stage, but will bring majorlong-term benefits in terms of maintenance andoperational capacity.

HOW ETCS WORKS

160 km/h

160 km/h

160 km/h

160 km/h

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Train 2

Train 2

Train 2

Train 2 Train 1

Train 2 Train 1

Train 1

Train 1

Section 1 Section 2 Section 3

Section 1 Section 2 Section 3

Radio Block Centre

Radio Block Centre

Section 1 Section 2 Section 3

Section 1

Balise A

Section 2 Section 3

Balise B Balise C Balise D

Balise A Balise B Balise C Balise D

Balise A Balise B Balise C Balise D

A

B

C

D

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The European RailwayAgency and interoperabilityThe European Railway Agency, based in Valenciennes/Lille (France), is chiefly responsible for the creation,revision and completion of the technical specifi-cations for interoperability (TSIs) in the rail sector. Itwill therefore act as the ‘system authority’ for ERTMS.The TSIs will specify, amongst other requirements, theexact format of the messages exchanged betweentrains and the ground-based systems. The develop-ment of message formats is a complex task, as it isimportant to ensure that modification requests to themessages made by one stakeholder do not putinvestments made by other stakeholders intojeopardy. Each request for change to the specifi-cations must be supported by an analysis of the costsand benefits involved.

In addition to ERTMS, the Agency is also responsiblefor developing TSIs for other technical aspects of therailways (e.g. infrastructure, rolling stock or types ofelectrification). The European Commission is able tocall upon the technical expertise of the Agency tohelp evaluate, in terms of interoperability, EU-fundedprojects. The Agency will also report on the progressof interoperability every two years, and this reportmay be used to revise deployment plans or fundingmethods.

In the field of safety, one of the responsibilities of theAgency is to gather accident reports and to promotethe exchange of experience following accidents,drawing up a report on the safety level of the networkitself, including proposals for new measures ifnecessary.

Putting an end to fragmentation

The decision to set up a European Railway Agency is a key element in the revitalisation of the sector and reflectsthe determination of the Commission to put an end to the fragmentation of the past, which damages thesector’s competitiveness and jeopardises large parts of its activity.The Agency has its own legal personality and is the first Agency to be created following adoption of new EU rulesin this area. Now completely operational, it will eventually have a workforce of approximately 100 people ofdifferent nationalities, three quarters of whom will be experts in the different areas of the Agency’s operations.Furthermore, it will create a network for cooperation between the European organisations representing the railsector and national safety authorities. The transparency of our working methods and the support from thedifferent parties involved will be fundamental to ensuring the success of our mission.

Marcel Verslype, Executive Director of the European Railway Agency

A gamble that is paying off:GSM-RThe deployment of GSM-R in Europe is already wellunder way. The German, Dutch and Swedish networksare now almost fully equipped with GSM-R, andpractically all Member States are currently replacingtheir virtually obsolete analogue radio technology withGSM-R. Based on public GSM standards, this systemeffectively offers a quality and a cost which surpassesprevious systems, most of which were developed atnational level. The maps below show the extremelyrapid deployment of GSM-R in most of the ‘old’MemberStates.The Commission is now supporting a number ofprojects for the deployment of this system in the ‘new’Member States:by 2010,perhaps even sooner, the mainrailway routes in the EU should be fully equipped withGSM-R.

The paradox of ETCSdeploymentETCS deployment is, on the other hand, less rapid. Asnumerous trains travel on any given line, limitingaccess to a line to only those trains fitted with the ETCSon-board equipment is generally considered to be toorestrictive, and even economically unacceptable whilstthe number of trains fitted with ETCS is still small.Furthermore, in order to operate across lines undergo-ing renewal or upgrade, locomotives must be able tocontinue to operate with existing signalling systemsuntil ETCS is fully in place.

The economic analysis of equipping existing lines withETCS is unlikely to be favourable if the lifetime benefitsassociated with interoperability and its effects on thewhole of the network are not taken into consideration.An isolated, short-term economic analysis will be over-shadowed by the costs of maintaining the existingtrackside systems until such time as they can bedecommissioned.

Furthermore, if a substantial part of the network is notequipped with ETCS, there is a risk that it will be seento be a non-vital, or complementary, system by railwayoperators, as existing national systems will need to bemaintained for a transitional period.

This can result in a strong divergence between the col-lective interest of the sector – which is to migratequickly to benefit from all the advantages of the sys-tem – and the specific interest of the operators, whomust often wait until other stakeholders have com-pleted their migration to the new systems.

Despite this, the rail sector has committed itself toshortening the migration period by fitting a sufficientnumber of traction units over a period of 10 to 12 yearsand forming an ETCS network, parallel to the develop-ment of major international interoperable corridors.This should allow for substantial reductions in thecosts associated with the coexistence of different sys-tems and make it possible to take rapid advantage ofthe ETCS benefits. This type of ‘rapid’ and coordinatedmigration strategy is desired by all stakeholders in therail sector: this is demonstrated by the memorandumof understanding signed by key rail stakeholders andestablishing the fundamental principles of this imple-mentation strategy. This memorandum was signed byVice-President Jacques Barrot on behalf of theEuropean Commission on 17 March 2005.

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EU-25: Percentage of main linesequipped with GSM-R by mid-2005

EU-25: Percentage of main linesequipped with GSM-R by the end of2008

Signature of the memorandum of understanding by theCommission – represented by Vice-President Jacques Barrot –and representatives of the rail sector, on 17 March 2005.

he decision by an infrastructure manager toinstall ETCS on a line, or part of a network,often depends on the signalling strategy of

their neighbouring infrastructures.Taking thisinto consideration, one stakeholder cannot deployERTMS in isolation. Moreover, a railway operator willnot commit to a migration strategy without receivingcertain guarantees on the strategy of the infrastruc-ture managers on whose networks it operates. Viceversa, the migration strategy of railway operators willhave an important influence on the strategy of infra-structure managers. It is therefore clear that coordina-tion in the deployment of ERTMS is of paramountimportance.

For this reason the Commission appointed Mr KarelVinck (who previously headed Belgian Railways) asEuropean Coordinator for ERTMS. His task is to define,in consultation with the various stakeholders, the linesor corridors to be equipped with ERTMS as a matter ofpriority, and to ensure that the economic viability ofthese corridors can be guaranteed. He will have toensure that the deployment of the system is carriedout in the most cost-effective way possible by work-ing closely with the other stakeholders responsible forcoordinating Europe’s priority rail projects.

TOWARDS COORDINATEDDEPLOYMENT OF ERTMS

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Karel Vinck: ‘Achieving the commonambition of a quality rail service’

There is a very close relationship between economicgrowth and increased transport needs. An efficientEuropean-level rail network is a key factor in the economicand social development of the European Union.That iswhy the ERTMS project has to be seen in the framework ofa broader rail sector mission.This mission is to ensure aquality pan-European service characterised by:

• effective competitiveness compared with other modesof transport;

• excellent levels of safety, punctuality and reliability,supported by:

– a programme of investment in infrastructure androlling stock, focusing on the coordinatedintroduction of ERTMS on selected corridors;

– a systematic drive for best performance atoptimum cost;

– a multiannual plan for the financing ofinvestments, split fairly between Member States,infrastructure managers, railway operators and theEuropean Union.

This huge programme is a tremendous opportunity aswell as an enormous challenge, and can only be madepossible by effective cross-border cooperation betweenthe different stakeholders, including railway-equipmentmanufacturers. To achieve this, the rail industry will haveto integrate the best national initiatives into a long-lasting European transport network. Barriers tointeroperability – such as the existence of more than20 signalling and speed-control systems – must beremoved. To achieve the shared ambition of a quality railservice, coordination of these complex efforts is essential.

Reconciling collective andindividual interestsThe European Commission has made it clear that it willdo its utmost to ensure that individual decisionsregarding the deployment of ETCS are made in the col-lective interest.This will mean:

• strict supervision of the implementation of ERTMS incases where it is mandatory under European legisla-tion (e.g. new high-speed lines and trains);

• significant financial support for projects intending todeploy ERTMS, for both infrastructure and rollingstock. Additionally, the Commission has proposed tothe Council and the European Parliament that thissupport should provide for up to 50 % of the costsinvolved in the system deployment. These provi-sions could be effective from 2007 onwards and con-centrated over several years;

• increasingly strict conditions in the granting of EUfinancing to railway infrastructure projects. TheEuropean Union has a duty to concentrate its budgeton actions or projects with significant added valuefor Europe. From now on, the evaluation of projectapplications for EU funding will consider the failureto take ERTMS into account as a negative factor. Ineffect, a project which does not include ERTMS willrepresent a barrier to interoperability for the wholeof the operational life – 30 years, perhaps more – ofthe signalling equipment.

And the costs?The ETCS system is made up of two ‘elements’: thosebased on the ground and those on board the train(computer). The ground systems transmit informationwhich allow the on-board computer to calculate themaximum permitted speed at all times. The on-boardsystems automatically slow the train when this speedis exceeded.

The cost of the on-board elements depends on thetype of locomotive or train. To establish an order ofmagnitude, the cost of fitment to a new locomotive isapproximately EUR 100 000. However, where there is aneed to adapt the installation to existing trains,estimates must be made on a case-by-case basis. Forexample, for high-speed trains costs are greater –almost double – as two ETCS modules are required,one at each end of the train. However, these costsdecrease according to the number of locomotives ortrains of the same type that need to be equipped. Onexisting rolling stock, the main problem is findingenough space to fit the on-board elements, such asnew antennae or new screens in the drivers’ cabs.Furthermore, to ensure that one electromagneticsystem does not interfere with another, complexcompatibility tests are required to ensure that existingsystems are not degraded.

The cost of the ground elements depends on thetraffic density and the manner in which projectexpenditure is managed. Recent contractsdemonstrate that, at level 2 on a new high-speed line,the cost could be less than EUR 40 000 per kilometreof double track (without GSM-R). However, these costsshould be treated with caution as fitment to existinglines requires the ETCS ground-based elements to beconnected to existing ground-based systems (signalboxes, for example), which do not have standardinterfaces. This greatly complicates installation andenormously increases cost. Nevertheless, recentinvitations to tender show that costs are droppingconsiderably, especially where competition betweenmanufacturers is fierce, and fixing technicalspecifications – a task which has now been achieved –should contribute to further cost reductions.

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Commercial lines equipped with ETCS by the end of 2008

he obsolescence of current signalling sys-tems will gradually force all networks tomigrate to new-generation technology. For

some networks, there is an urgent need toreplace obsolete systems, whilst in other cases linescould continue to operate for another 20 to 25 yearswith existing signalling systems. However, sooner orlater, all networks will be confronted with the need tomigrate from one system to another and this will takeplace regardless of European action or initiatives.

The costs of maintaining existing systems dependupon the age and nature of the equipment, as well ason the size of the network. In fact, the smaller the net-work, the harder it becomes to bear the costs of main-taining small volumes of equipment. For this reason, alarge number of small and medium-sized networks(e.g. Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria) already haveplans in place for the deployment of ETCS over thewhole of their main networks, and the Nordic coun-tries are also considering this step.

The question now is how to reduce the cost of thismigration for the whole of the rail sector. Detailed sur-veys are required which must identify the best pos-sible scenarios for the installation of new systems, cor-ridor by corridor. At present, to provide a basic order

of magnitude, initial estimates are around EUR400–500 million per year for ETCS deployment.The fit-ment to a substantial portion of the trans-Europeannetwork would therefore represent approximatelyEUR 5 billion over 10 to 12 years, with the main expen-diture occurring in the 2007–13 period (4).

But it is important to remember that the greater thescale of deployment of the system, the greater thereduction in terms of overall costs. Furthermore, thesooner trains are equipped with ETCS, thus allowingthem to travel on the major interoperable corridors,the sooner it will be possible to make savings in main-tenance costs, and eliminate costs associated with theuse of multiple systems.

It is important that an optimum cost/benefit ratio isfound. One of the objectives of the memorandum ofunderstanding of 17 March 2005 is to define, with thehelp of the European Coordinator, this optimum strat-egy. This work requires an analysis of the situation,corridor by corridor, to determine the best way ofmigrating technology and the best timescales withinwhich to do this. Expert evaluations, to be carried outunder the direction of the Coordinator, will specify thecosts and advantages for all stakeholders.

DEPLOYING ETCS OVER THE WHOLETRANS-EUROPEAN RAILWAY NETWORK

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(4) The exact costs will naturally depend on the speed of migrationand the technological choices made. One of the tasks of theEuropean Coordinator will be to refine these forecasts.

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Whereas lorries and coaches on our roads are able to cross national borders within the European Unionwithout stopping, it is still uncommon for trains to travel beyond the border stations of their Member State. Inaddition to legal and administrative issues, differences in technical railway standards are hampering thedevelopment of rail transport at European level. For example, more than 20 different signalling systems existin the European rail system and this is clearly a major obstacle to the free flow of rail traffic. Only thedeployment of a single, common system, ERTMS (European rail traffic management system), can remove thisobstacle and improve the competitiveness of the rail sector. The deployment of this system is ongoing.EUR 5 billion of investments are planned over the coming years. These investments are expected tostrengthen the safety of the rail network whilst improving its competitiveness. The European Commission, inclose cooperation with the rail sector and Member States, will ensure that the deployment of ERTMS will beachieved rapidly and effectively through coordination at a European level.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/rail/interoperability/ertms_en.htm