Alstom will equip a DB Cargo freight locomotive with the latest onboard ETCS signalling technology for transport services in Belgium and the Netherlands.
This project has received European funding through the Connecting Europe Facility and from the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Under the contract, Alstom will install its Atlas ETCS Baseline 3 Release 2 solution into one of DB Cargo’s DE6400 freight locomotives.
Retrofitting work for the first prototype will be carried out by freight locomotive maintenance expert Shunter, whom Alstom signed an acquisition purchase agreement in March 2021. With the acquisition, Alstom will strengthen its expertise in the service sector and expand its presence in the Benelux countries.
Under the contract, the existing Dutch ATB-EG and ATB-NG systems, as well as the Belgian national system (TBL1+), will be integrated with the ETCS system. Among the most efficient train control systems in the world, this signalling technology modernisation will significantly improve Belgian-Dutch freight operations while increasing its safety, reliability, and punctuality, in addition to cutting maintenance costs.
The new signalling technology will furthermore enable Belgian-Dutch freight traffic when the lines are converted to ETCS for the 2024/2025 timetable change in Belgium and the 2026/2027 timetable change in the Netherlands.
Modifying this locomotive prototype is the latest step in Alstom’s expanding position in on-board signalling technology withing the European freight traffic market. Alstom and DB Cargo announced a project to retrofit a total of 13 EG3100 freight locomotives with the latest ETCS signalling technology standard (Baseline 3 Release 2) for trans-European freight traffic between Germany, Denmark, and Sweden.
“We are delighted that DB Cargo has once again placed its trust in us for their modifications. Alstom is the first company to be fully certified in the latest rolling stock and trackside ETCS standards and our state-of-the-art signalling solutions adapt to the specific requirements of each operating environment, ensuring the highest standards for safe, trans-European freight transport,” said Michael Konias, Head of Digital & Integrated Systems at Alstom for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
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