Michel Van Liefferinge, UNISIG General Manager CCRCC 2012 6-7 November 2012, Lille

ETCS Technical Snapshot From Baseline 2 to Baseline 3 – creating a stable framework for ERTMS investments

UNIFE & UNISIG activities

• Development of the ERTMS Specifications jointly with ERA & Railways

• Acting as a technical platform for the ERTMS suppliers (e.g. standardisation of interfaces)

• Political and strategic platform for the ERTMS suppliers

• Common activities e.g. communications (ERTMS website, logo) & public affairs

2. ERTMS Baseline 2 Deployment in Europe and Beyond: outlook (UNIFE Statistics on ERTMS Worldwide deployment, 2012)

ERTMS Deployment: the Global picture

More than 62,000km of railway tracks and 7,500 vehicles are already running or contracted to be equipped with ERTMS

Significant growth since 2010: ERTMS has become « the » global signalling standard

38 Nations are using ERTMS throughout the world

Trackside Onboard equipment

Source: UNIFE

The global picture

ERTMS market is increasingly global

5 ERTMS trackside contracts, in tracks km (excluding frame contracts), April 2012 – Source: UNIFE

Supplier-to-supplier compatibility is a reality:

- ERTMS in operation on more than 7,300km of railway

tracks and 1,500 OBUs in Europe (18,700km and

3,400 OBUs worldwide)

- ERTMS is in operation in Spain, Italy, The Netherlands,

UK, Sweden, Greece, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria,

Romania, Hungary…

- All cross-border connections work where they exist (!):

Belgium/Netherlands, Austria/Hungary

ERTMS Deployment in Europe

Deployment « uneven » throughout Europe

- Investments to equip entire

networks in Austria,

Denmark, Belgium,

Switzerland

- However some countries still

lagging behind

ERTMS trackside contracts, in tracks km (excluding frame contracts), April 2012 – Source: UNIFE 6

3. ERTMS Baseline 2: return of experience & role of UNISIG

Return of experience on Baseline 2

UNISIG has set up a clear process to collect the return of experience on Baseline 2 investments

If an “incompatibility” or “CR letting room for interpretation” is spotted on a specific project, the issue is brought to the UNISIG System Group for analysis. Two possibilities:

The issue is solved within UNISIG without impact on the Specifications

The problem may affect interoperability and a CR is raised by UNISIG following the CCM process

UNISIG management is not aware of major cases of incompatibility with 2.3.0d – very little is reported which seems to demonstrate that 2.3.0d is already a stable Baseline

UNISIG management is open to receive further feedback on specification usage

The suppliers’ work on interoperability

Beyond the specifications and the return of experience, major activities have been launched by the suppliers to facilitate interoperability

The suppliers have strongly enhanced their interoperability testing capabilities to interconnect their equipment

Remote testing capabilities: network of « virtual labs »

Upgrading of Subsets 110,111 and 112 for Baseline 2 & 3 is ongoing

Cross-test between suppliers organised on regular basis for various projects around the world

E.g. : Betuwe Route migration to 2.3.0.d in one week-end; all tests performed in labs before commercial operation

Further work undertaken as part of the ERTMS Memorandum of Understanding Steering Committee

Specific provisions on testing within the new ERTMS MoU

On-going discussions with EC, ERA and NSAs to improve the authorisation process, as it remains a major cost element of the projects

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3. The new Baseline 3

Baseline 3 versus Baseline 2 SRS

~370 e.c.

CRs

Baseline 2 V2.3.0.d Baseline 3

+

SRS

Subset-026

~50 error

correction CRs

(Subset-108)

SRS

Subset-026

V3.3.0.

New

Functions

Backward

Compatibility

The suppliers’ work on the ERTMS specifications

The suppliers played a leading role in delivering the Baseline 3 specifications:

Approx. 80 experts of UNIFE/UNISIG write the ERTMS specifications with ERA and the Sector

UNISIG has upgraded and delivered 26 subsets for Baseline 3

Railways and ERA involved throughout the specification writing process

For the first time, the concept of “backward compatibility” allows to preserve the investments already made

Backward compatibility with 2.3.0d = stable investments

New functions, including cost-efficient ones = better suitability to railway needs

Limited supervision function (low cost implementation)

Protection of Level-Crossing

Harmonised braking curves

Improved STM specification

Version management

… 12

4. Preserving stable investments: Baseline 3 maintenance

Baseline 3 maintenance

The 2012 ERTMS Memorandum of Understanding foresees a number of actions when it comes to Baseline 3

Finalisation of Baseline 3 (article 27) with:

Test specifications

Internal interfaces (TIU, RBC-RBC)

(possibly) DMI/Odometry

It also recognises the need to implement a proper maintenance mechanism:

To swiftly introduce changes and corrections into the specifications when needed

Suppliers and railways alike are committed by the MoU to report any findings in a proactive manner to ERA

A detailed B2 / B3 compatibility check is being performed by UNISIG and the Users Group to further strengthen the reliability of the B3 specification

5. Final remarks & recommendations

Next Steps (1)

What else can be done on the suppliers side?

Further standardisation of ERTMS: the suppliers are open to increase the degree of standardisation of ERTMS equipment where it makes sense from an economic point of view

The Train Interface (TI) FFFIS will be delivered by the year’s end. ERA will have to decide on the status of the document as it impacts also the Loc&Pas TSI

EVC-DMI interface work has been launched on a voluntary basis by UNISIG

The business cases supporting the standardisation of some other elements (e.g. tachometry/odometry) are under analysis by ERA and the Sector, as the benefit may not be obvious

Next Steps (2)

What else can be done on the suppliers side?

Further functional improvements of ERTMS to increase the worldwide market coverage and the performances of the system:

Evolutions of GSM-R radio communication with the view to make the signalling kernel independent from the communication bearer and take the full benefit of an IP based network.

Automatic Train Operation (ATO) Add-On to cover high performance traffic requirements for Mainlines, Sub-Urban and even Urban markets.

Investigations on Satellite Positioning to provide solutions when there is a need to reduce/suppress the trackside balises

The two first topics are currently addressed within the TEN-T MAP2011 financing programme

European Railways also have a major role to play

By coordinating ERTMS investments throughout Europe and avoiding “gaps” which weakens the ERTMS business case

By avoiding purely « national » functions which will force constraints and heavy modifications on Rolling Stock

By “Forgetting your darlings”: order pure, standard ERTMS equipment

By making consistent their requirements in Europe (e.g. operational rules, standardised engineering rules)

By migrating towards an interoperable Baseline (Baseline 3 or 2.3.0d)

Thanks for your attention!

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