The European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is a single interoperable system to replace the more than 20 different national train control and command systems currently in operation throughout Europe. Implementation of the system will deliver enhanced cross-border interoperability, creating a seamless, Europe-wide railway system.
ERTMS is a major industrial project co-developed by eight UNIFE members (Alstom Transport, Ansaldo STS, AZD Praha, Bombardier Transportation, CAF, Mermec, Siemens Mobility and Thales) in close cooperation with the European Union, railway stakeholders and members of the Global System for Mobile Communications – Railways (GSM-R) industry.
ERTMS is made up of two main components:
European Train Control System (ETCS): A single automatic train protection system (ATP) to replace the more than 20 train control systems currently in use throughout Europe
Global System for Mobile Communications – Railways (GSM-R): A radio system for providing voice and data communication between the track and the train, based on standard GSM using frequencies specifically reserved for rail application
Currently all systems in operation across Europe are stand-alone and non-interoperable, requiring extensive integration and engineering efforts to achieve compatibility, raising total delivery costs for cross-border traffic. This combination of factors restricts competition and hampers the competitiveness of the European rail sector vis-à-vis road transport by creating technical barriers to international journeys.
The implementation of ERTMS is therefore key to improving cross-border connections, increasing international freight and passenger capacity, delivering higher reliability rates, opening up the supply market, and most critically—improving standards of safety.
By improving rail sector competitiveness, ERTMS can also help to level the playing field between rail and road and ultimately provide significant environmental gains, with passengers and freight moving from road to rail.
In January 2015, the European Commission launched an implementation support program for ERTMS, to be steered by a Deployment Management Team (DMT). The programme was introduced to ensure the efficient, synchronised and timely implementation of ERTMS along all Core Network Corridors and ensure consistency with other parts of the Core and Comprehensive Networks.
The DMT is responsible for providing support to stakeholders involved in ERTMS projects, in the form of technical knowledge, economic and financial guidance and technical information sessions. To further broaden its reach, the DMT also offers a regular newsletter through which it disseminates current news and updates of relevance to stakeholders engaged in the deployment of ERTMS.
With ERTMS now in a deployment phase across Europe, these close links between the DMT and the different ERTMS projects around Europe allow the DMT to provide a valuable feedback loop, with important incoming knowledge and experience disseminated back to stakeholders, providing an important framework for lessons to be learned and improvements made.
Mr Christof Schoser, Adviser of the European Coordinator
Christof [dot] Schoser
ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (Christof[dot]Schoser[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
+32 (0) 2 29 53523
Postal address:
European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) / TEN-T
Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport
Rue de Mot 28
1049 Brussels
Belgium