Brussels, 31/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - The railway industry has sent a strong signal to the European Commission and its member states for them to pull out the stops to ensure that the ERTMS - European Rail Traffic Management System - be rapidly introduced across Europe, because some governments seem reluctant to make this happen. The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and the European Rail Infrastructure Managers (EIM) joined forces after a joint meeting in Paris on 30 May to warn that the deployment of ERTMS as a single rail signalling system was jeopardised by some stakeholders reneging on their promises. Germany, for example, has already informed the Commission that it would prefer a different system, while other countries are reported to be equally unenthusiastic. ERTMS has already been delayed, in any case, but a single stretch of rail without the system could cause the whole project to founder and prevent Europe from having an interoperable system that performs better and cheaper for international rail travel. The EIM vice-president, Luc Lallemand, therefore urges the European institutions to refuse to subsidise any exceptions, pointing out that if one section reneges on its promises, then it is the whole European rail network that will lose out. The two rail associations therefore want ERTMS to continue as planned in a coordinated manner, explained CER executive director Libor Lochman, adding that he expects suppliers to work intensively to cut the costs of the system in order to make installation of ERTMS economically viable. Only Denmark and Belgium have informed the Commission that they intend to equip their entire rail networks with ERTMS. (MD/transl.fl)