The European Railway Agency has published its report on the interoperability of the railway system in the European Union. In general, the legislative approach towards interoperability is based on a strategy imposing interoperability requirements only for new, renewed and upgraded rail subsystems. From this perspective railway interoperability might be expected to make moderate progress in short to medium term.
The report elaborated and published by the European Railway Agency (ERA) in March is the first such report on the progress of interoperability in the European Union that the agency elaborates every two years according to its regulations. The next report on interoperability will be issued in 2011. Reporting every two years allows the Agency to analyse the trends of implementation of interoperability across the European Union. For the time being, the availability of interoperability related data in the Agency is rather limited because databases and registers are still being defined or populated. Therefore, the Agency collected data from other sources, the main being the questionnaires distributed to the national safety authorities and sector organisations. The contributions of the respondents allowed the Agency to analyse a set of interoperability indicators and to outline the achievements and problems in the implementation of railway interoperability. These indicators are structured into three groups evaluating institutional developments, legal aspects and introduction of interoperable constituents and subsystems on the market. Sector feedback provided insight into effects of the introduction of interoperability regime on the market. Though the data are not always complete or fully reliable, the report makes a comprehensive analysis of the interoperability progress. It also draws the attention to the costs and benefits to the market actors resulting from the introduction of interoperability regime.
Railway industry can support interoperability
To help understanding the evolution of railway interoperability, the present report defines the interoperability objectives. Chapter III presents a synopsis of the legal and institutional framework established to support the technical and operational compatibility between railway networks in the European Union. Chapter IV explains the indicators used in assessing the progress with railway interoperability. It will also deal with indicators for which there are available date. Chapter 5 reviews the effects of the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI) on the railway market. The evaluation made in this report shows that interoperability is progressing. The legal framework has been elaborated and implemented in the Member States, with few exceptions. Five high speed (HS) Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs), five conventional rail (CR) TSIs and two transversal TSIs applying to both HS and CR are in force. ERA report shows that the competent institutions and safety authorities at European and national level are established and operate. However, the railway interoperability is not only taking steps in the regulation framework but is also progressing on the railway market. A series of interoperable train units, wagons and infrastructures have already entered operation. Nevertheless, ERA representatives believe railway system interoperability requires significant investments. These costs, together with the implementation of the national legislative norms could be a hindrance in reaching the interoperability objectives. Consequently, future progress mostly depends on political will to support efficient and appropriate interoperability strategies at European and national level. In it report, ERA observes that respondents said it was easier to implement the technical specifications for interoperability to passenger transport coaches than cargo wagons. “One of the main tasks of the European Railway Agency implies ensuring the complete interoperability of the European railway system so that cross-border transport would not be made difficult by different signalling systems or rolling stock requirements. ERA coordination with respect to European standards will play a significant part”, believes Marcel Verslype, General Manager ERA. In October 2009, the Association of Rail Infrastructure Managers (EIM), the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and the International Union of Railways (UIC) announced a collaboration on technical provisions with the purpose of providing ERA a coordinated support from the rail sector.
“Through a better collaboration between our groups of technical experts, the provisions will be elaborated in a more efficient manner. The technical coordination group will develop a more efficient decision making process which, in turn, should contribute to the development of a truly interoperable European railway network”, declared Libor Lochman, Deputy Executive Director CER. “As technical research and standardisation body in the railway community, UIC welcomes its involvement within the Technical coordination group in this important step towards ensuring that all essential coordinates in the development of the railway sector towards a bigger interoperability system are being approached in a coordinate manner”, Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC General Director.
by Elena Ilie
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