The European Railway Agency has officially delivered its Recommendation on ERTMS to the European Commission in April 2012. One of the key elements is to establish the ETCS Baseline 3 specifications representing the result of four years of cooperation with the railway sector, the stakeholders and the European Commission, a result which, ERA says, is compliant to the plan set out in the ERTMS Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2008.
The Agency Recommendation has three aims. The first refers to introducing the revised GSM-R specifications, with clear identification in the EIRENE specifications of the requirements relevant for the scope of the TSI. The second refers to amending the existing ETCS test specifications, incorporating the return of experience from suppliers and laboratories using the harmonized test environment. The third objective of the Recommendations stipulates the introduction of the ETCS Baseline 3 specifications, compatible and in parallel with the existing 2.3.0d. Trains equipped with baseline 3 will be able to run on lines equipped with 2.3.0d. Therefore, 2.3.0d lines will not need to be upgraded to baseline 3.
The Agency acknowledges the essential technical contributions received by the sector and by the stakeholders, and the coordinated support received by the European Commission, including the technical deliverables resulting from actions supported by the TEN-T funds.
For the first time since the inception of ERTMS, the operational principles and rules have been developed in parallel with the technical requirements, and are ready to be formally recommended for adoption in EU law. Also for first time, the specification of the ETCS-Driver Machine Interface (DMI) will be part of the mandatory requirements. Those are significant steps towards harmonized train operations in Europe.
The new Memorandum signed admits that over 4,000 km of railways and more than 1,500 vehicles are equipped with the ERTMS/ETCS in the European Union. Contracts have been signed for the installation of the system of another 4,000 km, so the number of km equipped with the ERTMS will significantly increase over the next 3 years. Specialists expect a higher spread of the ETCS after 2015. In this context, the Agency believes it is essential to protect the investments made by adopting a consequent approach of the ERTMS specifications, keeping them and preventing national specifications which can hinder interoperability.
In 2009, the European Commission adopted the European ERTMS Implementation Plan setting the obligations of member states in the development of the ERTMS for 2015-2020. Under the adopted decision, the locomotives, multiple-units and other railway vehicles non-dependent of traction, equipped with a driver’s desk and ordered after 1 January 2012 or put in service after 1 January 2015 have to be equipped with the ETCS/ERTMS. Full ERTMS interoperability is only possible at the lowest cost when implemented jointly in all countries through which a specific corridor runs.
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