MEPs urge to expedite the deployment of European rail traffic management system
- Speed up the roll-out of European rail traffic management system (ERTMS)
- Decommission outdated national signalling systems
- More investments in ERTMS
The European Rail Traffic Management System’s deployment is too slow and requires better coordination and more investments, MEPs say.
The resolution on railway safety and signalling, adopted by 667 votes to 11, and 14 abstentions on Wednesday, scrutinizes the European rail traffic management system (ERTMS) and calls for its full deployment. MEPs highlight that despite past initiatives ERTMS roll-out is far behind schedule and full interoperability is not yet achieved. They suggest that complete roll-out would increase traffic capacity by up to 30 % on existing railway infrastructure and is essential in achieving the climate and digital transition goals.
Better coordination
As part of the efforts to improve European rail management, MEPs call for better coordination in ERTMS deployment. They argue that a ten-fold increase in the deployment pace is urgently needed to achieve the digital transition, improve the safety of the European railway system, and to meet the existing 2030 rollout deadline. The adopted text notes that at the end of 2020 only around 13 % of the core network corridors were operated with the ERTMS, with its deployment in other corridors reaching a range between 7 % to 28 %.
Currently, roughly 30 different national signalling systems hinder the ERTMS deployment. Therefore, the resolution demands to align national implementation plans to the binding deployment targets set at the EU level to enforce the decommissioning of outdated national signalling systems. Since national rules create barriers to interoperability and impede seamless operation of the European rail network, MEPs suggest to further harmonise operational requirements, including engineering rules or dimension of the wagons.
To overcome current inefficiencies in public procurement for ERTMS deployment, the Commission must establish a common EU tender format for procurements, MEPs add.
Industrial strategy and funding
Insufficient industrial capacity has to be addressed, MEPs say, and call on the Commission to present a legislative proposal for an ERTMS industrial strategy in the framework of the new Industrial Strategy for Europe.
They also stress that the EU funds are not sufficient to cover all the expenses needed to ensure smooth roll-out and proper functioning of the ERTMS. Therefore, the Commission and member states are urged to improve the attractiveness of investing in the ERTMS and address the lack of a stable and predictable budget.
Quote
“We need to end the fragmentation of Europe’s railways, a problem that is preventing this mean of transport from contributing to European mobility. We also need to ensure that European rail traffic management system is deployed on time. This is a decisive step to guarantee interoperability of national railway systems and will enable us to make trains faster, optimize the use of infrastructure by increasing their capacity by up to 30%, and lower purchasing and maintenance costs of signalling systems”, said EP rapporteur Izaskun Bilbao Barandica (Renew, ES).
Background
The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is a single European signalling and speed control system launched in the early 1990s with the aim to ensure interoperability of the national railway systems, to reduce the purchasing and maintenance costs of the signalling systems as well as to increase the speed of trains, the capacity of infrastructure and the level of safety in rail transport. The first commercial lines using ERTMS were opened in 2005, while in 2017 Commission adopted a new ERTMS deployment plan to ensure its full deployment by 2030.
Contacts:
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Gediminas VILKAS
Press Officer