Some 270 kilometers of track in Groningen and Friesland will be equipped with the modern ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) rail protection system before 2030. That is the intention of State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven. The government and the provinces of Groningen and Fryslân are jointly investing in, among other things, the conversion of the trains and the training of personnel. The agreements between the parties involved will be established in the coming period.
The current train protection system ATB (Automatic Train Influencing) is due for replacement. By no longer investing in the old system, but switching to ERTMS earlier than planned, the government will save 60 million euros. This amount is invested in equipment and training. This will reduce the costs for the provinces of Groningen and Fryslân, which as grantors are responsible for transport on these regional lines.
“By providing ERTMS for the Northern regional railway lines, we are creating a testing ground from which we can learn a lot. Groningen and Fryslân have previously shown that they like to lead the way with innovative rail projects. The tests with self-driving trains and hydrogen trains are good examples of this. ”
Self-driving trains
The ERTMS train security system also has advantages for passengers. For example, the system increases safety on the track and the track can be used more efficiently, allowing more trains to run and increasing the reliability of the timetable. Self-driving trains can also be used in the future, partly thanks to ERTMS.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management will allocate more than 300 million euros for the modifications to the track. In addition, the costs of converting some 70 trains and training 200 FTE staff amount to 90 million euros. Of this amount, 60 million euros will be paid by the government, 20 million euros by the province of Groningen and 10 million euros in Friesland. It is expected that ERTMS can be used on the Harlingen-Haven-Leeuwarden route in 2026.
New standard
Railway lines throughout the Netherlands will be equipped with the ERTMS train protection system before 2050. This system is safer and ensures that trains can run closer together, so that more trains can run, for example. In Europe it has been agreed that this system will become the European standard, making cross-border train traffic easier for both persons and goods. Before switching to the new system, it is necessary to adjust the track. Some 1300 trains will also be converted and more than 15.000 employees trained to work with ERTMS. ERTMS is already in operation on a number of track sections in the Netherlands, for example on the Betuweroute and the Hanzelijn, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
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