On June 28, the TEN-T Executive Agency launched a new call for draft projects in the field of European Railway Transport Management System – ERTMS. Up to EUR 100 Million will be available for the co-financing of the ERTMS projects inside the EU.
This is the third call launched by the TEN-T Executive Agency in the financing period 2007-2013, a tranche which has not been initially considered, which proves the European Commission’s commitment to supporting the ERTMS. The activities to be financed are focused on facilitating and accelerating the implementation of the ERTMS European Development Plan. To that end, the acquisition of equipments and the modernisation of lines and trains, as well as other activities consolidating the interoperability between on-board equipments and track equipments of different suppliers. The call promotes an approach oriented towards testing the ERTMS by including the trial activities in the financing priority areas. The objective is to be closer to the situation in which the on-board ETCS equipments (European Train Control System) are tested based on trial specification and not line by line. This approach has been adopted so as to eliminate the need to test each component of the on-board equipment again, to complete the existing trail specifications with operational scenarios, of exploitation, resulted after the approach of complex situations.
For the period 2011-2014, the general objective is to intensify the circulation of the ERTMS all over the railway market. The priority area financed through the EU TEN-T are the following:
Priority Area 1: ETCS testing campaign to prove the interoperability between line equipments and on-board equipments from different suppliers, for line 2.3.0d.
Under this priority area, actions that promote the timely implementation of the European Deployment plan will be supported. In particular, TEN-T funds will also support the early implementation of baseline 3. National projects not included in the European Deployment Plan will be also considered under this priority provided that they demonstrate their added value to ensuring EU wide compatibility.
Priority Area 2: Upgrade of existing lines and trains to 2.3.0d
Under this priority area, lines and trains that have been contracted prior to the entry into force of Commission Decision 2008/386/EC can receive TEN-T funds for their upgrade in view of ensuring compatibility with 2.3.0d standards. Compatibility tests are considered as part of the upgrading strategy.
Priority Area 3: Equipment of lines
Under this priority area, actions that promote the timely implementation of the European Deployment plan will be supported. In particular, TEN-T funds will also support the early implementation of baseline 3. National projects not included in the European Deployment Plan will be also considered under this priority provided that they demonstrate their added value to ensuring EU wide compatibility.
Priority Area 4: Equipment of trains
Under this priority area, on board equipment, in particular to be used on freight services, will be supported provided it is able to be authorised in at least two different Member States (EFTA countries are assimilated to Member States in this respect) and that it can be upgraded to baseline 3. Testing for all 2.3.0d and baseline 3 scenarios will be also part of these actions.
Priority Area 5: Technical issues contributing to the implementation of the ERTMS
A variety of actions may receive TEN-T funding under this priority area including:
-projects related to the demonstration of the utilization area on the introduction of the GPRS (radio services packages) without being necessary to resort to costly updates for existing trains, as an evolution compatible with GSM-R, which currently uses packages of commuted circuits;
-testing the compatibility of on board GSM-R equipment with different networks;
-freight/ERTMS corridor implementation plans in line with the Regulation on a European rail network
-projects related to transport market studies for developing the plan concerning the implementation of the freight/ERTMS corridors in conformity with the Regulation concerning a European Railway Network for a competitive freight transport; also, several projects are supported related to the use of interoperable information applications that would prove their conformity with the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI), as well as their contribution to the implementation of these TSIs;
-projects for testing the electromagnetic compatibility of the equipments of a locomotive with different axle counters and track circuits, between at least three member states, for establishing a clear limit of electromagnetic emissions;
-overlaying the Automatic Train Operation to ETCS and improving the accuracy of odometry.
The deadline for submitting proposals to the TEN-T EA is 23 September 2011. Costs incurred as from 1 January h2011 may be considered as eligible costs and projects selected under the call must have an end date before 31 December 2014.
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