What is ERTMS and why is it necessary?
ERTMS is a digital railway signalling and speed control system in which information about speed and brake distances are reported to the train driver through a digital system. All information needed to drive the train will be displayed on a screen in the train cabin. The analogue signalling system that has formed the train landscape in the Netherlands for 70 years will no longer be necessary and will disappear. ERTMS is required to prepare the Dutch railway network for the future, and to meet and link up with European standards. This transfer from an analogue to digital system requires a lot from the sector and is a major change issue.
Read more about what ERTMS is
Where will ERTMS be deployed?
In the first part of the assignment of the ERTMS Programme Decision, a part of the Dutch railway system will be converted. We will start with seven track sections and the northern lines in the provences of Groningen and Friesland. Besides the infrastructure, over 15,000 railway professionals will have training and the equipment will be converted.
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When will ERTMS be deployed?
There are already versions of ERTMS in place on some railway sections in the Netherlands. Between now and 2031, ERTMS Baseline 3 will be installed on seven main railway sections and on the sections in the north of the Netherlands. From 2031 onwards, ERTMS will be implemented throughout the Netherlands. By 2050, the entire Dutch railway network and all trains must be fitted with ERTMS.
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How will ERTMS in the Netherlands be deployed?
Switching from the existing ATB to the new ERTMS is executed in ten main steps. A sizeable change that requires budget, time, attention and preparation. Implementation starts with trains and subsequently infrastructure.
Read more about the steps of deployment