Brussels, 04/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - Today the Commission adopted a communication in which it presented its strategy for deploying a European railway signalling system (European Rail Traffic Management System)/ ETCS (European Train Control System). Deployment will be done intensively over a ten year period from 2007 and is expected to require global investment of EUR 5bn over the ten years to equip 20 000 kilometres of lines and 10 000 existing locomotives, i.e. 20% of the trans-European network and rolling stock. The communication follows the protocol for an agreement concluded on 17 March between industry, signalling systems, rail companies, infrastructure managers and the Commission to finalise a strategy for coordination of migration aimed at reducing the period during which the national systems coexist with the European system (EUROPE 8912). The Commission strategy aims to develop in a coherent manner the two components of ERTMS, the GSM-R radio system and the ETCS (European Train Control System), but the deployment of the latter poses major difficulties. ETCS consists in sending information from the ground to a computer on board a train (Eurocab), to calculate the maximum speed allowed and stopping the train if necessary.
There are currently more than twenty different control systems in the EU, which are still very heterogeneous as regards performance, and which lead to very high maintenance costs, thus explaining why a part of the network is not yet equipped with speed control systems. In order to be able to cross the borders, locomotives must be fitted with multiple systems able to process information sent by the different systems on the track. This is very costly and it is sometimes impossible for reasons of electromagnetic incompatibility or quite simply lack of room, to add any new systems to those already on board. Adoption of the European standard will therefore allow greater competitiveness and security of the European railway, but also allow savings to be made in so far as the costs will be reduced as the system deployed covers a far greater area.
The European legislative framework imposed by ERTMS on the new equipment for signalling and high speed rolling stock, and which provides for similar obligations for the conventional network, will not, alone, allow for the “critical mass” to be reached to trigger a “snowball effect”, encouraging operators to choose the European standard. This is why the Commission hopes to provide financial encouragement for the first companies that join the ERTMS, and that have to take on extra costs linked to maintaining the old national systems during the transition period. The Commission foresees for the period 2007-2013 and in the context of the allocation devoted to trans-European transport networks, that investment will be covered up to 50% of the total eligible cost of the project, including the cost of adjusting rolling stock. This support will be gradual in order to speed up the migration period, and will be subject to respect of the TSI (technical specifications for interoperability). These common specifications which were referenced and adopted by the Commission in 2002, are likely to receive adjustments depending on how technologies develop and on the detection of imprecision. The European Rail Agency (ERA) will thus be responsible for updating these technical specifications of interoperability. Furthermore, prototypes of equipment on board will be subject to interoperability testing on environment simulators in laboratory and in situ, and the final payment will be subject to a certificate awarded for having passed the tests successfully. The cohesion fund may also co-finance certain investments. ERTMS lines will open in Spain, Italy and Germany in 2005-2006 but a true European plan for coordinated deployment should be accomplished with the help of the European coordinator. This same coordinator should define with the actors signing the protocol of agreement of 17 March 2005 the lines and corridors to be equipped in ERTMS as a matter of priority, and should guarantee the economic viability of these corridors.