Implementing the European Train Control System Opportunities for European Rail Corridors

Like for all other modes of transport, taffic management is of increasing importance in the rail sector for ensuring customer friendly and cost efficient services. As trains are guided by the rails and the switch-points in the track, railways can only be exploited safely and efficiently with adequate means for signalling, train control and train communication. In the past, these subsystems have been developed on a national basis without common technical and operationnal standards. As a result, the harmonisation of control-command systems has command a high priority in European Transport Policy to improve trans-border rail services over long distances. With the ambitious development of ERTMS, interoperability issues have been concentrated to date on the technical level and should now progress more rapidly in the field of operationel rules and regulations. Following a period a the test and certification work, the ERTMS players are now entering the implementation phase. This process is progressing well for GSM-R. In case of the ECTS, it seems to be more difficult to launch an integrated Europe-wide implementation strategy and therefore UIC has taken the initiative to establish a survey on the ongoing ETCS projects and demonstrate the potential opportunities for integrated ETCS applications over international rail corridors within the coming five years.