The European Rail Freight Association (ERFA) voiced its concerns regarding the “continuous changes and instability of ERTMS specifications”. If things don’t change promptly, the project risks losing its original purpose, the association lamented.
The deployment of ERTMS remains a potentially game-changing initiative for the European rail (freight) industry. However, significantly different approaches taken by different EU member states are creating a somewhat messy situation, and the constant evolution of the technology does not help.
“ERTMS deployment plans are directed by infrastructure managers with a strong national focus that do not properly take into account the cross-border nature of rail freight traffic”, ERFA stressed. This way, so-called ERTMS islands are created, as only 14 per cent of the TEN-T Core Network is currently equipped. This is because not all member states feel the urgency of deploying ERTMS when their national system still works, as it is the case in the Netherlands.
‘Stop with the constant changes’
One of the appeals raised by ERFA is that “the European Union should focus on minimising specification changes”. Newer and different versions of ERTMS are in fact coming in too fast, with the industry almost unable to keep up despite massive investments from rolling stock companies.
“The average time needed for software approval for an international vehicle is at least a year, representing an enormous bottleneck for cross-border traffic and a major cost driver for operators”, the association claimed. In other words, by the time an ERTMS version is installed, there may already be a new one ready and another one being tested.
Another problem that persists when it comes to ERTMS is funding. ERFA is joining the Association of European Rail Rolling Stock Lessors in asking the EU to focus technological funding on ERTMS deployment. What most industry players agreed on is that without a proper funding mechanism and a structured plan on a European level, the situation will continue to be ERT-messy.