Interoperability and ERTMS

|Recently adopted new and revised technical specifications for interoperability

|Mandates to the European Railway Agency

|Interoperability of the trans-European high-speed rail system

|TSIs for the trans-European high-speed rail system

|Notified Bodies in the Member States

|Interoperability of the trans-European conventional rail system

|TSIs for the trans-European conventional rail system

|ERTMS - European Rail Traffic Management System

|Implementation Interoperability Directives

|Registers

Interoperability

European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS)

ERTMS ("European Rail Traffic Management System") is a major industrial project being implemented by Europe, a project which will serve to make rail transport safer and more competitive. One component of ERTMS, the European Train Control System (ETCS), guarantees a common standard that enables trains to cross national borders and enhances safety.

Following an intense ten year phase of research and development, validation of the ETCS standard was carried out from 2000 to 2007 with real scale projects underway in parallel. Since 2005, feedback from projects prompted the need to fine tune the specifications in order to move from local to global compatibility and ensure interoperability between all projects in Europe. The specification, as modified by a Commission Decision on 23 April 2008, now guarantees that Europe's trains equipped with ETCS can travel on any line equipped with ETCS.

In 2005 the European Commission and the rail industry (manufacturers, infrastructure managers and undertakings) signed a memorandum of understanding on the deployment of ERTMS on a key part of the European network with an emphasis on six freight corridors. Deployment of ETCS across key freight corridors and high speed lines will greatly improve the competitiveness of European railways.

	On 4 July 2008 Commission Vice-President Tajani signed in Rome a Memorandum of Understanding between the European Commission and the European Railway Associations (CER - UIC - UNIFE - EIM - GSM-R Industry Group - ERFA) concerning the strengthening of cooperation for speeding up the deployment of ERTMS - Press release
	The Commission has adopted on 23 April 2008  the Decision modifying Annex A to Decision 2006/679/EC of 28 March 2006 concerning the technical specification for interoperability relating to the control-command and signalling subsystem of the trans-European conventional rail system and Annex A to Decision 2006/860/EC of 7 November 2006 concerning the technical specification for interoperability relating to the control-command and signalling subsystem of the trans-European high speed rail system - Press release
	The Commission has adopted on 6 March 2007 the Decision n° 2007/153/CE modifying Annex A to Decision 2006/679/EC concerning the technical specification for interoperability relating to the control-command and signalling subsystem of the trans-European conventional rail system and Annex A to Decision 2006/860/EC concerning the technical specification for interoperability relating to the control-command and signalling subsystem of the trans-European high speed rail system (notified under document number C(2007) 675) published in the OJ of 7 March 2007, p. 13-17.
	ERTMS - Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI) Control Command, adopted on 7 November 2006 (C(2006)5211): Decision and annex:                                                                  .
	ERTMS Publication:
	COM(2005) 298 COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the deployment of the European rail signalling system ERTMS/ETCS
	SEC(2005) 903 Annex to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the deployment of the European rail signalling system ERTMS/ETCS
	Memorandum of Understanding
	ERTMS in 10 questions:
	Link to ERTMS site
	Link to UNIFE site
	Press Release IP/05/321 of 17 March 2005