# CE2004078EN.01062001.xml

| 27.3.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 78/620 |
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27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 78/620

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(2004/C 78 E/0656)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3648/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 December 2003)

Subject:   Desire of international rail freight operators to replace national rail safety systems with the European standard ECTS

Subject:

| 1. | Can the Commission confirm that, in the context of its efforts to encourage a growth in the number of international rail freight operators, it assumes that the new rail safety system ECTS is in general use at least on sections of track which cross national borders and in the international corridors which EU Member States are to make available for such transport first? |
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1.

Can the Commission confirm that, in the context of its efforts to encourage a growth in the number of international rail freight operators, it assumes that the new rail safety system ECTS is in general use at least on sections of track which cross national borders and in the international corridors which EU Member States are to make available for such transport first?

| 2. | What is the Commission's view of the statement by the director of the private rail company Shortlines, quoted in the Dutch newspaper Rotterdams Dagblad on 21 November 2003, that he fears that separate old safety systems such as ATB in the Netherlands, Memor in Belgium and Indusi in Germany will be ‘strongly protected’ in each Member State, and he calls for ‘an emergency scenario in case the equipment for reconciling the safety systems with one another is not ready and available in time’? |
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2.

What is the Commission's view of the statement by the director of the private rail company Shortlines, quoted in the Dutch newspaper Rotterdams Dagblad on 21 November 2003, that he fears that separate old safety systems such as ATB in the Netherlands, Memor in Belgium and Indusi in Germany will be ‘strongly protected’ in each Member State, and he calls for ‘an emergency scenario in case the equipment for reconciling the safety systems with one another is not ready and available in time’?

| 3. | How much extra would it cost per Member State to switch to ECTS before the existing safety systems have reached the end of their service life or depreciation period? |
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3.

How much extra would it cost per Member State to switch to ECTS before the existing safety systems have reached the end of their service life or depreciation period?

| 4. | Will the Member States bear the cost of this investment as track operators? In what cases will these costs or part thereof be charged to the businesses which benefit or will they be borne by the Trans-European Networks? |
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4.

Will the Member States bear the cost of this investment as track operators? In what cases will these costs or part thereof be charged to the businesses which benefit or will they be borne by the Trans-European Networks?

| 5. | Does the Commission fear that it may be impossible for the modernisation to be carried out within the period it has in mind and that it may be a long time before a unified safety system is available? In that case, what are the consequences? What is the Commission's response to this state of affairs? |
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5.

Does the Commission fear that it may be impossible for the modernisation to be carried out within the period it has in mind and that it may be a long time before a unified safety system is available? In that case, what are the consequences? What is the Commission's response to this state of affairs?

Source: Rotterdams Dagblad, 21 November 2003.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(27 January 2004)

(27 January 2004)

The Commission's efforts to revitalise the rail freight industry in Europe are not confined to harmonising the control and command systems, but also cover safety issues and the regulations relating to the railways.

| 1. | The safety of the existing railway network is ensured by means of signalling systems of which some were installed very recently. It is obviously unrealistic to want to replace these systems from one day to the next. Secondly, it is not necessary to install the European Train Control System (ETCS) throughout the network or along the whole length of a corridor for trains to be able to continue their journey without stopping. The ETCS system has been designed to operate alongside other systems thanks to the use of intelligent interfaces. Lastly, the ETCS technology is available and is being installed in connection with several projects. |
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1.

The safety of the existing railway network is ensured by means of signalling systems of which some were installed very recently. It is obviously unrealistic to want to replace these systems from one day to the next. Secondly, it is not necessary to install the European Train Control System (ETCS) throughout the network or along the whole length of a corridor for trains to be able to continue their journey without stopping. The ETCS system has been designed to operate alongside other systems thanks to the use of intelligent interfaces. Lastly, the ETCS technology is available and is being installed in connection with several projects.

| 2. | To be able to estimate the cost of equipping the entire network and rolling stock, a migration strategy is needed. This strategy is being developed on the basis of the national plans which the Member States have notified pursuant to Commission Decision 2002/731/EC of 30 May 2002 concerning the technical specification for interoperability relating to the control-command and signalling subsystem of the trans-European high-speed rail system (1). A communication from the Commission due in 2004 will set out a coherent European plan for the introduction of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) (ETCS and Global Standard for Mobile Communication/Rail (GSM-R)) and propose the related funding arrangements. |
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2.

To be able to estimate the cost of equipping the entire network and rolling stock, a migration strategy is needed. This strategy is being developed on the basis of the national plans which the Member States have notified pursuant to Commission Decision 2002/731/EC of 30 May 2002 concerning the technical specification for interoperability relating to the control-command and signalling subsystem of the trans-European high-speed rail system (1). A communication from the Commission due in 2004 will set out a coherent European plan for the introduction of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) (ETCS and Global Standard for Mobile Communication/Rail (GSM-R)) and propose the related funding arrangements.

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| 3. | To finance the deployment of this system, each of the players involved would have to participate. There is no standard solution: each specific project would be funded under its own package, which would depend on the size of the project, the type of project (infrastructure or rolling stock, new equipment or refurbishment, etc.), and above all the state of the system in which it was being incorporated, as ETCS does not operate independently but together with the trackside signalling systems (interlocking, points, track circuits, etc.) and the on-board systems (driver's cab, braking system, odometry, etc.). Co-funding under the budget for the trans-European networks is possible and, for some projects, is already a reality. |
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3.

To finance the deployment of this system, each of the players involved would have to participate. There is no standard solution: each specific project would be funded under its own package, which would depend on the size of the project, the type of project (infrastructure or rolling stock, new equipment or refurbishment, etc.), and above all the state of the system in which it was being incorporated, as ETCS does not operate independently but together with the trackside signalling systems (interlocking, points, track circuits, etc.) and the on-board systems (driver's cab, braking system, odometry, etc.). Co-funding under the budget for the trans-European networks is possible and, for some projects, is already a reality.

| 4. | Control-command and signalling systems have a service life of 10 to 30 years, depending on the technology used. The modernisation of these systems on such an extensive and sprawling system as the EU network has to be a continuous process, with several generations coexisting. Coexistence does not prevent the network from being interoperable or trains from continuing their journey without stopping at borders. |
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4.

Control-command and signalling systems have a service life of 10 to 30 years, depending on the technology used. The modernisation of these systems on such an extensive and sprawling system as the EU network has to be a continuous process, with several generations coexisting. Coexistence does not prevent the network from being interoperable or trains from continuing their journey without stopping at borders.

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(1)  OJ L 245, 12.9.2002.

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