ERTMS in the Netherlands
The international railways will be prepared for the future with the European Rail Traffic Management System. By opting for one standardised European system, the Netherlands remains mobile and accessible. ERTMS is the biggest transition programme in the rail sector in recent decades.
ERTMS is the first step towards a future-proof railway. We are working towards this in small, manageable steps. The first step is Tranche 1, in which, among other things, we learn how to roll out ERTMS level 2 only quickly and effectively. This tranche works towards a working transport system on a busy section of track where several carriers operate: Kijfhoek - Belgian border. We build up the difficulty step by step, implementing ERTMS at an increasingly complicated location. We work from ERTMS on the Northern lines, to ERTMS on the Zeeland line and finally Kijfhoek - Belgian border.
Organisation
The transition to ERTMS is a task for the entire railway sector. It influences the daily work of over 15,000 users, but also the way in which all organisations work together. All organisations in the rail sector are responsible for a part of the ERTMS Implementation Process chain. For instance, the railway network manager must prepare the infrastructure, railway undertakings must convert the trains and train their personnel. Every party does their part. The ERTMS Program Directorate directs the whole process.
Planning
We are currently working on a new programme planning for ERTMS. In this planning, we will incorporate all the new knowledge and insights of recent years. Some of the main principles of this planning are: testing at Harlingen Haven - Leeuwarden precedes the test and trial operation on the Zeeland line. We will first successfully complete the roll-out of ERTMS on the Zeeland line before taking ERTMS into service between Kijfhoek and the Belgian border.