ERTMS – with its components ETCS and GSM-R – the definitive global standard for signalling and train control – a workshop to be held for Middle-East Railways
The 12th ERTMS World Conference to be held in spring 2016 in Belgium at the invitation of Infrabel
The 11th UIC ERTMS world conference jointly organised by UIC and Turkish State Railways (TCDD) under the High Patronage of the Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications of Turkey from 1 – 3 April in Istanbul, officially ended on 3 April.
With the participation of over 800 delegates, exhibitors and sponsors representing all parts of the world, the conference began on 1 April with a series of technical visits dedicated to the Marmaray (Bosphorus tunnel crossing) and continued from 2 – 3 April with two intensive conference days focused on all strategic and practical aspects of the implementation and further developments of ERTMS and both main components ETCS (train control system) and GSM-R (radio communication for railways). The overall conference theme was “ERTMS - Optimising Rail Investments Worldwide” and it enabled the views and requirements of operators to be presented as well as supplier experience and projects for the future.
At the closing session on 3 April, Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, Director-General of UIC expressed the following concluding remarks:
"Dear participants, dear colleagues and friends, this 11th UIC world conference dedicated to ERTMS is now coming to an end and it is not my intention to try to summarise the rich content of this conference and the high diversity of presentations made by operators or ERTMS suppliers during the seven main conference sessions. At this point and having heard a number of the presentations and exchanges, I would just like to deliver some personal impressions and a couple of messages resulting from the conference.
In my view, most of the conference content focused on 5 keywords:
reduction of
- costs
- time line
- instability
expansion
- expansion from a European geographical and political framework towards a genuine global dimension. Without neglecting the challenges in Europe, ERTMS has become a global standard with worldwide implementation. In this context a workshop on ERTMS is planned for the Middle-East region,
- expansion from level 1 to level 2 in particular in the frame of ERTMS Global
migration of technologies, with new components
innovation
- with evolutions in telecommunications,
- with new research projects, for example geo-positioning by satellite ("SatLoc" project)
- programmes for research and innovation in the frame of Shift2Rail at EU level
association
- ERTMS will continue to progress and prove its effectiveness in optimally associating signalling technology, telecommunications, new technologies,..
- ERTMS further developments will benefit from cooperation and synergies among associations, UIC, UNIFE, UNISIG, GSM-R Group, CER, EIM and with institutions such as ERA as well as other bodies at global level
UIC since 1922 has worked for its members around the world, with the aim to achieve
- Interoperability,
- Safety
- Harmonisation
- Profitability
All these objectives and values are in ERTMS but also in a large number of UIC projects or technical activities shared with members and increasingly also with industrial partners.
These technical activities include a wide range of conferences and workshops for exchanging on the issue of interoperability, technical harmonisation…
Please note an important date for a Conference on Railway Standardisation on 10 June 2014 at UIC in Paris. Information on a dedicated ERTMS workshop for Middle-East railways will be delivered very soon in May.
To conclude this 11th UIC ERTMS World Conference, I can stress again that this professional event is unanimously considered a great success. But success never comes without a deep involvement of partners and I take this opportunity to express our warmest thanks to the Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications of the Republic of Turkey, Mr Lütfi Elvan, for his High Patronage. Thank you to our 57 speakers, all our exhibitors and 9 sponsors, and to all of you, 800 delegates from 38 countries.
We sincerely thank Turkish State Railways, their Director-General Süleyman Karaman and executive management and all the team of TCDD for their strong commitment to the success of the event, the Organising Committee including the industry representatives, the UIC organisation team as well as CMS Project the Turkish conference organiser.
In closing this 2014 conference, I am particularly pleased to announce some good news on behalf of Luc Lallemand, the CEO of the Belgian Rail Infrastructure Manager Infrabel, who was present in Istanbul during these two days.. You all are invited to attend the 12th UIC ERTMS World Conference in spring 2016 in Belgium at the kind invitation of Infrabel.
Thank you very much again to all of you and goodbye!"
