The Dutch government made two decisive choices in the 2019 Programme Decision. The first concerns the period up to 2030, consisting of ERTMS investments for the on-board deployment of rolling stock, the preparation of supporting IT systems, training of staff and the deployment of seven railway sections. The second decision concerns the nationwide deployment of ERTMS in the Netherlands in which all remaining railway sections are converted to ERTMS, and which must be completed in 2050.

Railway sections with ERTMS between now and 2031

With the first decision of the 2019 Programme Decision, staff is trained, and the rolling stock, systems and seven railway sections are converted. We choose to start with the international sections (mostly TEN-T corridors) and other viable sections. The railway sections that will be converted between now and 2031 are:

• OV SAAL east, with the lines Weesp – Lelystad and Amsterdam – Weesp – Hilversum, without railway yard Amsterdam Central Station
• Hoofddorp – Duivendrecht (including Schiphol)
• Utrecht – Meteren (excluding the emplacement Utrecht)
• Kijfhoek – Belgian border
• Roosendaal – Den Bosch (including Zevenbergschen Hoek and Tilburg – Boxtel).
• Meteren – Eindhoven
• Eindhoven - Venlo

Northern lines

In 2021, the Northern sections were added to the scope of the Programme. These sections will now be converted to ERTMS first. The existing ATB-NG Class B system is due to be replaced in the northern provinces. Moreover, the ERTMS programme, ProRail and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management wish to invest in new technology as much as possible. By already switching to ERTMS for the Northern sections and no longer investing in the obsolete national system, the Government saves 60 million Euro.

Existing ERTMS railway sections and ERTMS rolling stock

ERTMS is already implemented on about 10 percent of the Dutch railway network. This includes the Betuwe line, the Rotterdam harbour line, the HSL-South line, the Hanze line and the Amsterdam - Utrecht section. These sections have ERTMS Level 2 Baseline 2, except for the Rotterdam harbour line, which is equipped with ERTMS Level 1. We will, in time, convert these sections to ERTMS Level 2 Baseline 3.

European implementation of ERTMS

At the same time, ERTMS will be installed on national and international railway sections throughout the European Union. This makes international freight and passenger transport by rail more attractive.