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]
Date: 2005-07-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: harmonisation of standards, rail transport, technical regulations, traffic signs, trans-European network, transport safety

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 04.07.2005 
COM(2005) 298 final 

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] 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

on the deployment of the European rail signalling system ERTMS/ETCS 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Technical barriers to trade and to interoperability – the ability of trains to run on any 
section of the network – are continuing to hamstring competitiveness in the railway 
industry.  

Today, for example, there are more than twenty signalling and speed control systems 
operating  at  the  same  time  in  Europe.  The  Thalys,  linking  Paris  and  Brussels  in 
particular,  has  to  be  equipped  with  seven  different  signalling  and  speed  control 
systems,  entailing  extra  cost  and  increased  breakdown  risk  and  rendering  drivers’ 
jobs  more  complicated  as  they  have  to  familiarise  themselves  with  each  system. 
These  technical  barriers  are  hampering  the  development  of  rail  transport  at  the 
European level, while road transport is free to develop without such barriers.  

Removing these barriers is fully in line with the Lisbon strategy since it will make it 
possible to increase the competitiveness and dynamism of the rail sector, promote the 
integration  of  the  rail  freight  and  passenger  services  markets  and  stimulate  the 
European  rail  equipment  market.  Cost  reductions  and  quality  improvements  in  rail 
transport  are  also  factors  underpinning  the  growth  of  the  economy  as  a  whole  and 
bolstering the dynamism of the internal market. 

This Communication looks at the key challenges of harmonisation of rail signalling 
and  its  costs  and  benefits  for  the  different  stakeholders,  and  presents  the 
Commission’s strategy for achieving it. It shows in particular how the deployment of 
the  European  Rail  Traffic  Management  System  (ERTMS)  constitutes  a  major 
European  industrial  project  just  like  Galileo  in  the  field  of  satellite  navigation. 
ERTMS  is  also  an  essential  component  of  priority  Community  rail  projects,  and 
investment  in  equipping  about  20%  of  the  trans-European  network  and  the  rolling 
stock with ERTMS could reach €5 billion in the period 2007-2016. 

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2. 

SIGNALLING: UN OBSTACLE TO AN INTEGRATED RAILWAY AREA 

2.1. 

The importance of a harmonised signalling system in Europe 

There  are  currently  more  than  twenty  different 
signalling  systems  coexisting  in  Europe.  These 
systems,  generally  developed  on  the  scale  of  a 
national network, are very heterogeneous as regards 
performance - optimisation of the distance between 
trains and therefore of line capacity – and the level 
of safety. The high cost of existing systems helps to 
explain why part of the network is not yet equipped 
with speed control systems. 

Lethal accidents due to signalling 

A collision in fog near Bologna in Italy on 7 January 2005 resulted in 17 victims. 
This  accident  follows  a  number  of  collisions which have taken place in Europe in 
recent  years,  notably  in  Spain  (19  dead  near  Albacete  in  June  2003),  Belgium  (8 
dead  at  Pécrot  in  March  2001)  and  the  United  Kingdom  (31  killed  in  London  in 
October 1999). Even though all inquiries are not yet over, it does seem likely that an 
effective  signalling  system  with  automatic  train  speed  control  might  have  helped 
avoid such accidents and thereby improve still further the safety level of rail, which 
is already much higher than that of road transport. 

Locomotives  capable  of  crossing  borders  even  now  have  to  be  equipped  with  a 
variety  of  on-board  systems  able  to  process  the  information  transmitted  by  the 
different systems on the track. Once the locomotive has been designed it is extremely 
expensive and sometimes impossible to add more on-board systems. This is why in 
most cases trains still have to stop at the first frontier station to change locomotive.  

In this context, the deployment of ERTMS, first developed in the early 1990s thanks 
to  the  Community  research  framework  programmes  and  subsequently  supported 
through the funds available for trans-European networks, represents a major advance 
in improving the interoperability and safety of the networks. 

The  importance  of  the  deployment  of  ERTMS  as  a  priority  of  the  trans-European 
networks has thus been underlined on several occasions, notably in the proposal for a 
regulation determining the general rules for the granting of Community financial aid 
in the field of the trans-European transport networks1.  

Derived  from  the  Treaty  provisions  relating  to  trans-European  networks  (Title  XV, 
Articles  154,  155  and  156),  Directive  96/48/EC  establishes  a  legal  framework 
requiring  in  particular,  since  November  2002,  the  use  of  ERTMS  on  any  new 
high-speed line in the trans-European network or when the signalling system is to be 
renewed. For conventional rail, similar requirements will take effect six months after 
the  entry  into  force  of  a  decision  relating  to  the  technical  specifications  for 

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interoperability  (TSIs)2  adopted  pursuant  to  Directive  2001/16/EC.  The  use  of 
ERTMS  will  in  particular  be  compulsory3  for  any  new  installation  or  renewal  of 
signalling in the priority projects listed in Decision 884/2004/EC. 

The  TSIs  have  been  the  subject  of  various  consultations  of  users  and  the  social 
partners  (management  and  labour),  who  are  in  favour  of  the  development  and 
deployment of ERTMS. 

2.2. 

The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) 

Today this system has two basic components:  

– 

– 

GSM-R, based on standard GSM but using various frequencies specific to rail 
as  well  as  certain  advanced  functions.  It  is  the  radio  system  used  for 
exchanging voice and data information between the track and the train; 

ETCS4, the European Train Control System, which makes it possible not only 
to transmit permitted speed information to the train driver, but also constantly 
to monitor the driver’s compliance with these instructions. 

The three “levels” of the ETCS system 

With ETCS, information is transmitted to the train driver from the track, allowing 
the  driver  to  calculate  continuously  the  maximum  speed  allowed.  Where  there  are 
lineside signals (lights and signboards showing the driver the permitted speed), this 
information  can  be  transmitted  by  standard  radiobeacons  known  as  “eurobalises” 
positioned along the track. This is called ETCS Level 1.  

The  information  can  also  be  transmitted  by  radio  (GSM-R).  This  is  then  called 
ETCS Level 2 and it is no longer necessary to have lineside signals, which allows 
substantial savings in investment and maintenance. The position of trains continues 
to be detected from the track. An ETCS train equipped with GSM-R radio can run 
on Level 1 and Level 2 lines indiscriminately.  

Finally,  at  Level  3  trains  have  to  be  able  to  transmit  their  precise  position 
themselves,  which  makes  it  possible  in  particular  to  optimise  line  capacity  and  to 
reduce still further the amount of equipment on the track. 

At  all  three  levels  Eurocab,  an  on-board  computer,  compares  the  train  speed  with 
the maximum speed allowed and applies the brakes automatically if it is exceeded.  

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4 

An agreement has been reached by comitology on these TSIs and their adoption by the Commission is 
imminent. 
Exemptions may be allowed, however, for projects already at an advanced stage of development when 
the TSIs are published. 
European Train Control System 

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3. 

THE DEPLOYMENT OF GSM-R 

The Member States are currently replacing their radio systems, rendered obsolete by 
the  advent  of  digital  technologies  like  GSM,  with  GSM-R.  This  change  is  rapidly 
taking place in virtually the whole of Europe. Based on the same standards as public 
GSM,  this  system  offers  a  quality  and  cost  unattainable  by  the  old  systems,  which 
had generally been developed on a national scale. 

The  deployment  of  GSM-R  needs  to  be  guided  at  Community  level,  however,  in 
order to ensure cohesion between the national deployment strategies and continuity 
of  service  and  to  avoid  gaps  in  the  trans-European  network.  GSM-R  deployment 
remains, in particular, a strategic priority in most of the new Member States.  

On a more technical level, it is also essential to continue ensuring interoperability of 
applications  developed  by  different  manufacturers,  particularly  so  that  trains  can 
continue  to  cross  borders  unimpeded  by  the  change  of  mobile  telecommunications 
operators. 

4. 

THE DEPLOYMENT OF ETCS 

The  deployment  of  ETCS  is  taking  place  more  slowly  than  that  of  GSM-R.  It  was 
developed  specifically  for  rail  and  so  has  not  benefited  as  much  as  GSM-R  from 
standards developed for other sectors.  

This  is  why  its  development  phase,  supported  by  Community  research  framework 
programme funding in the mid-90s and later receiving trans-European network funds 
in  the  testing  and  pre-series  phases,  took  longer  to  come  up  with  stable 
specifications.  

With  its  stable  specifications  and  tested  products,  ETCS  now  seems  indispensable 
when  renewing  signalling  equipment.  The  obsolete  nature  of  the  traditional 
signalling  systems,  their  high  costs,  especially  as  regards  maintenance,  and  their 
incompatibility mean that all the stakeholders see ETCS as the only signalling option 
with a future on the trans-European rail networks. 

The cost of having so many on-board systems: the case of the Thalys 

The Thalys PBKA trainsets on the Paris-Brussels-Cologne and Amsterdam runs are 
equipped  for  7  types  of  signalling.  Various  factors,  including  the  constraints  of 
having  different  systems  present  and  the  “non-standard”  character  of  trainsets 
produced  in  small  series  for  a  specific  route,  push  up  the  cost  of  each  trainset  by 
60%. And in the driver’s cab there has to be a screen for each signalling system. 

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4.1. 

Obstacles to the deployment of ETCS 

For the deployment of ETCS there has to be an ETCS “module” installed on board 
the  locomotives  while  the  track  has  to  use  the  “ETCS  format”  for  sending  the 
information to the train which will enable it continuously to calculate its maximum 
permitted  speed.  As  it  is  impossible  to  install  the  ETCS  system  on  all  trains 
simultaneously and the whole network cannot switch from the old signalling system 
to  the  new  one  overnight,  it  is  inevitable  that  there  will  often  be  at  least  one  old 
system coexisting with ETCS on board and/or on the track. 

In a project like the renovation or extension of a line, it will be necessary to have a 
large  number  of  traction  units  operating  on  the  line.  Limiting  line  access  to  trains 
fitted with ETCS is often thought to be restrictive and economically unacceptable as 
long  as  only  a  small  number  of  trains  are  equipped.  And  for  the  time  being  the 
traction units have to be equipped with the old system anyway to get to the extended 
or renewed section of the line.  

There  is  therefore  a  risk  that,  in  the  case  of  upgrading  an  existing  line,  an  analysis 
which  is  carried  out  in  isolation  and  fails  to  take  account  of  the  benefits  of 
interoperability  and  the  impact  on  the  whole  network  will  argue  against  using  the 
ETCS  system  since  the  old  system  will  have  to  be  kept  on  the  track  anyway  for  a 
more or less long transitional period. 

However,  if  the  installation  of  the  new  European  signalling  system  is  not  made  an 
integral part of the construction of a new line or major renovation works, it will be 
much more difficult to install it subsequently because this would have to be done on 
a line already in service, involving extra costs which would depend on the individual 
case but which could amount to 80% more. 

Similarly, if a substantial part of the network is not equipped with ETCS, ETCS may 
sometimes  be  considered  by  railway  undertakings  as  an  additional  system  which  is 
not absolutely necessary right now since the majority of lines will have to continue to 
be equipped with one or more traditional systems for a transitional period.  

If, however, ETCS is not designed into the traction unit from the outset, the cost of 
retrofitting it later will be much higher (by a factor of about 3). 

The long service life of signalling equipment: an obstacle to the rapid 
deployment of ETCS.  

Even if ETCS were to be systematically used on new lines and rolling stock from 
now  on,  the  long  service  life  of  trackside  signalling  equipment  and  traction  units, 
generally more than 20 years, would mean that the major part of the trans-European 
network  would  still  not  be  equipped  with  ETCS  ten  years  from  now.  Assuming  a 
renewal rate of 2.5% per year, it would be 20 years before even half of the network 
was equipped. The majority of locomotives built in 2025 would therefore still have 
to be fitted with national systems, in many cases already regarded as obsolete even 
today. 

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The  legislative  framework  which  requires  ETCS  to  be  used  in  new  signalling 
equipment for the lines and rolling stock of the high-speed network and which will 
lay down similar obligations for priority projects of the conventional network is not 
enough on its own to guarantee that in ten or twelve years’ time there will be a real 
network on which ETCS-only trains can run. 

If deployment were to be carried out only as and when required by the legislation the 
costs would certainly be lower since it would be done in the course of renewal work, 
but  only  in  the  long  term  would  it  result  in  a  real  joined-up  network.  The  first 
companies and networks to equip themselves would be at a particular disadvantage 
because they would have to bear the costs of dual equipment for longer.  

4.2. 

The main benefits of deploying ETCS 

The  ETCS  system  is  part  of  a  strategy  for  revitalising  the  railway  industry.  ETCS 
will contribute in particular to a boom in international rail traffic for both goods and 
passengers, by helping to allow locomotives to cross borders more easily. There is a 
lot  at  stake,  especially  as  regards  reducing  external  costs  like  those  of  pollution, 
noise,  safety  and  congestion,  and  any  factor  which  helps  to  readjust  the  balance  of 
the different modes of transport makes it possible to reduce these costs. 

Even  though  it  is  difficult  to  make  global  analyses,  in  so  far  as  there  are  different 
strategies  for  implementing  ETCS  on  the  track  and  every  system  that  exists  has  its 
own costs and performances, it is generally recognised that the costs of ETCS, used 
on  its  own,  are  appreciably  lower  than  those  of  conventional  systems.  Also,  as  the 
latter are often old and obsolete, their maintenance costs rise very quickly.  

The cost of ETCS on board the trains is equivalent to that of the existing systems, but 
at present at least one signalling system has to be installed on board the locomotives 
for  each  country  a  train  has  to  pass  through.  The  driver  has  to  know  each  of  these 
systems unless a new driver takes over at the border. Having just a single system will 
therefore  reduce  the  complexity  of  the  equipment  by  simplifying  operations  and 
maintenance.  The  human  factor  in  general  and  the  implications  of  this  new  system 
for  train  drivers  in  particular  were  taken  into  account  right  from  the  time  the 
specifications were devised for the system, which facilitated its acceptance.  

In addition, having a European standard which will be deployed quite quickly on the 
European  scale  in  a  context  of  free  competition  between  the  railway  industrialists 
will  give  the  latter  a  competitive  edge  when  exporting  their  products  outside  the 
European Union, which will in turn help to reduce prices within the EU. 

ETCS: an export contract 

In  spring  2004  a  manufacturer  won  a  contract  of  some  €32  million  for  equipping 
414  trains and  760 kilometres  of  lines with ETCS in Korea. This contract  follows 
another one signed with Taiwan for 756 trains and 1200 kilometres. India and China 
have also placed substantial orders. 

With  ETCS  it  will  be  possible  to  provide  secondary  lines  with  a  signalling  system 
offering a standard of safety at least equivalent to that of the systems currently used 
on high-speed lines.  

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According  to  UNIFE5,  in  terms  of  infrastructure  use  (number  of  trains  per  hour) 
ETCS will be on a par with the most efficient of the current systems and will thus 
bring  a  capacity  gain  of  2  to  15%  and  even  up  to  20%  compared  with  the  existing 
less  efficient  systems.  In  cases  where  there  is  a  significant  increase  in  capacity, 
appropriate steps will have to be taken to prevent any adverse effects, in particular 
pollution of the environment.  

4.3. 

A rapid and coordinated migration strategy 

Accordingly,  if  the  European  ETCS  system  is  not  put  in  place  in  a  project  for  the 
upgrading  of  an  existing  railway  line  or  the  construction  of  a  new  one, 
interoperability will be made more difficult on that line for the entire service life of 
the equipment. The problem is the same for on-board equipment.  

As long as a proper ETCS network has not been set up and a significant number of 
traction  units  have  not  been  equipped  with  ETCS,  the  old  systems  will  have  to 
remain in use for trackside and on-board equipment, which represents an extra cost, 
as illustrated by the example of the Thalys. In addition, on the track, ETCS will be 
able  to  generate  savings  from  getting  rid  of  certain  fixed  installations,  such  as 
lineside  signals,  only  if  a  large  proportion  of  the  rolling  stock  is  equipped  with 
ETCS. 

Shortening the period of migration in order to set up the ETCS network and equip a 
sufficient number of traction units over a period of ten or twelve years, while at the 
same time creating large interoperable international corridors, would therefore make 
it  possible  to  reduce  substantially  the  costs  due  to  the  coexistence  of  different 
systems. With this strategy it would also be possible to profit more quickly from the 
abovementioned benefits. 

Such  a  rapid  and  coordinated  migration  strategy  is  desired  by  the  whole  of  the 
railway industry, which has endorsed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing 
the basic principles of such a strategy. This MoU was signed on 17 March 2005 by 
Vice-President Barrot on behalf of the Commission. 

5. 

ETCS: TOWARDS A RAPID AND COORDINATED MIGRATION 

The technical annex to this Communication shows how this rapid migration strategy 
aims to achieve a critical mass, i.e. a situation in which there are so many lines and 
trains equipped with ETCS that the rest have to be equipped with it as well. 

This deployment strategy for a new European standard will therefore allow the rail 
sector gradually to overcome technical barriers which do not affect its competitors. 
Most  of  the  benefits  will  not  be  felt  until  a  critical  mass  is  reached  and  the  “old” 
equipment on the track can be taken out of service and a single system can be put on 
board the trains. All the same, the cost to the various stakeholders will be immediate. 

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Union of the European Railway Industries (Union des Industries Ferroviaires Européennes). 

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In concrete terms, the technical annex shows how, according to the initial estimates, 
investments amounting to approximately €5 billion will make it possible to achieve 
this  critical  mass  by  2016.  The  Commission  proposes  to  support  about  50%  of  the 
investments,  including  those  relating  to  adaptation  of  rolling  stock,  to  back  up  this 
project,  the  Community  dimension  of  which  is  indisputable.  Community  support 
may diminish as time goes by in order to speed up the migration. 

6. 

GUARANTEEING INTEROPERABILITY  

The  Commission  therefore  proposes  putting  a  substantial  financial  effort  into  the 
promotion of interoperability in general and the deployment of ETCS in particular. In 
this context, it therefore has to be ensured that Community funds allocated elsewhere 
in  the  sector,  and  especially  in  infrastructure  projects,  do  not  work  against  the 
completion of an interoperable trans-European network. 

Meeting the requirements of interoperability  

In general, the Commission receives proposals for many good projects with a very 
high  added  value  for  the  Community  and  it  is  not  possible  to  finance  all  of  them. 
Accordingly,  priorities  have  to  be  set.  Failure  to  comply  with  the  technical 
specifications of interoperability in general, and the use of signalling systems other 
than ETCS in particular, even when legally justified, will in principle be considered 
to be minus points when evaluating the different projects. 

More  specifically,  in  projects  for  implementing  ETCS  or  GSM-R,  it  has  to  be 
guaranteed  that  trains  equipped  with  an  ETCS  module  and  GSM-R  made  by  one 
manufacturer  can  actually  run  on  a  network  equipped  by  another  manufacturer.  It 
also  has  to  be  ensured  that  all  the  studies  have  been  carried  out  to  make  crossing 
borders  as  easy  as  possible,  including  rapid  transfer  from  one  GSM-R  network  to 
another. 

The industrialists are working from common specifications, listed in particular in the 
technical  specifications  for  interoperability  (TSIs)6  which  were  adopted  by  the 
Commission for the high-speed rail system in 2002 and which are now stabilised. For 
conventional  rail,  the  TSIs  were  approved  by  the  competent  Committee  on 
23 November 2004 and will shortly be adopted by the Commission. 

These  specifications  will  of  course  need  to  be  adjusted  in  order  to  take  account  in 
particular of  technological development or any inaccuracies that may come to light 
during development work. 

Such  inaccuracies  might,  for  example,  lead  to  the  development  of  software  that  is 
incompatible  in  some  areas.  To  guarantee  interoperability,  the  European  Railway 
Agency (ERA) will have the task of amending the specifications. In accordance with 
its  work  programme,  beginning  in  the  second  half  of  2005  the  ERA  will  therefore 
start  increasingly  to  fulfil  its  role  as  the  systems  authority  for  both  ETCS  and 
GSM-R. 

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The European Railway Agency: guardian of the technical specifications 

The ERA, based at Lille/Valenciennes (France), is gradually becoming operational. 
It  is  in  charge  in  particular  of  updating  the  technical  specifications  for 
interoperability. 

Apart from the specifications, it is also necessary to ensure that prototypes are tested 
before going into service in order to check that they conform entirely to the TSIs. In 
practice,  the  use  of  environment  simulators  recognised  by  the  whole  of  the  sector 
seems indispensable for evaluating the conformity of the on-board equipment.  

Validation of compliance with the interoperability requirements 

For  any  project  supported  by  Community funds and  involving the implementation 
of  ETCS  or  GSM-R,  the  final  payment  will  be  made  subject  to  demonstration  of 
compliance with the TSIs. For on-board equipment, this demonstration will have to 
be  carried  out  in  particular  by  means  of  tests  on  environment  simulators  in  the 
laboratory  and  in  situ.  For  trackside  equipment,  discussions  will  be  held  with  the 
industry in order to determine how any interoperability problem can be detected as 
early  as  possible.  A  standard  clause  will  be  inserted  in  the  individual  financing 
decisions in order to make the final payment subject to presentation of a certificate 
stating that interoperability tests have been successfully passed. 

When a line is upgraded with ETCS, all the on-board ETCS manufacturers, even if 
their locomotives are not immediately required to run on that line, will be able to test 
whether there is an interoperability problem between their on-board module and the 
technical solution adopted for the line. 

7. 

ENSURING COHESIVE DEPLOYMENT OF THE ETCS SYSTEM 

For an infrastructure manager, the decision to install ETCS on a line or on part of his 
network  depends  on  the  strategy  followed  by  his  neighbour  or  neighbours.  At  the 
same time, a railway company will not engage in a migration strategy without having 
certain assurances with regard to the strategy being followed by the managers of the 
infrastructures  it  is  using.  In  turn,  the  railway  companies'  migration  strategy  will 
have an appreciable influence on the strategy of the infrastructure managers. There is 
therefore a clear need for coordination. 

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7.1. 

The Memorandum of Understanding between the Commission and the railway 
industry 

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 17 March 2005 by the Commission 
and  the  railway  industry  in  the  broadest  sense  (i.e.  the  European  associations  of 
industrialists  in  the  sector,  infrastructure  managers  and  railway  undertakings)  to 
promote the cohesive and coordinated deployment of ERTMS in general and ETCS 
in  particular.  The  railway  industry  undertook  to  assist  Member  States  in  the 
preparation of national plans for the deployment of ERTMS and the Commission in 
its work of consolidating these national plans into a European plan. The Commission 
expects the railway industry to collaborate fully on preparing studies for working out, 
in  particular,  the  costs  of  migration  to  ETCS  in  the  main  corridors  of  the 
trans-European network.  

7.2. 

The European coordinator  

In this context it seemed appropriate to appoint a European coordinator, to facilitate 
the coordinated deployment of ERTMS in general and of the ETCS signalling system 
in  particular.  Its  role  will  consist  particularly  in  facilitating  the  preparation  of 
coherent  and  economically  viable  national  deployment  plans  and  pinpointing  any 
problems in the implementation of these plans. It will also ease the implementation 
of  the  Memorandum  of  Understanding  mentioned  above  and  will  make  financing 
proposals  for  the  placing  of  ETCS  equipment  on  board  trains.  It  will  also  work  in 
close  collaboration  with  the  other  European  coordinators  in  charge  of  corridors  for 
which major delays or coordination problems have arisen. 

7.3. 

Training and certification of drivers 

On 3 March 2004, the Commission, in the framework of the "third railway package", 
presented  to  the  Council  and  the  European  Parliament  a  draft  Directive7  on  the 
certification of train crews. Prepared in close consultation with the industry and the 
social  partners,  this  document  provides  in  particular  that  train  drivers  must  hold 
certificates  of  their  general  competence,  valid  throughout  the  Community.  These 
certificates would be accompanied by a certificate issued by the railway undertaking, 
recognising  training  specific  to  the  line  covered,  the  equipment  used  and  the 
undertaking's own operational and safety procedures.  

With  the  standardisation  of  equipment  and  procedures  permitted  by  ETCS,  less 
specific  training  will  eventually  be  necessary.  ERTMS  already  allows  drivers  to 
display  information  in  their  own  language.  The  aim  will  be  to  standardise  training 
and  improve  the  mobility  and  employability  of  drivers.  The  European  Railway 
Agency  will  also  promote  exchanges  of  drivers  and  trainers  between  railway 
companies in different Member States. 

7 

COM(2004) 142 final, 3.3.2004. 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
                                                 
8. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The  Commission  considers  that  the  rapid  and  coordinated  deployment  of  ERTMS 
over  a strategic  part of the  trans-European rail network will have a snowball effect 
and  that  the  use  of  ERTMS  will  quickly  become  the  rule  throughout  the 
trans-European network. Such a rapid deployment is part of the logic of revitalising 
the railway industry by stepping up network interoperability.  

In  order  to  speed  up  and  better  coordinate  deployment,  this  Communication  shows 
how the financial resources available through the existing financial instruments can 
be  mobilised,  particularly  to  help  the  first  infrastructure  managers  and  the  first 
railway  undertakings  introducing  ERTMS.  At  the  same  time,  the  Commission  will 
see  to  it  that  the  specifications  for  interoperability  are  strictly  complied  with  in  the 
projects  it  is  financing.  The  Commission  invites  the  European  Parliament  and  the 
Council to support the guidelines contained in this Communication. 

EN 

12 

   EN