The signal system on our railways is antiquated and needs to be replaced. The government has commissioned the Swedish Transport Administration with the task of introducing ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) in Sweden.
Before embarking on the construction phase, however, we need stable systems to enable controlled introduction.
In some places the need for reinvestment is acute, with some of the infrastructure dating back to the beginning of the 1960s. We can at the same time conclude that the old system has served us well. Since the upgrading to ATC-2 in the 1980s we have not had one single accident on the railways that has been caused by deficiencies in ATC-2. When we introduce a new signal system in Sweden, it must be at least as safe as the old one.
Parliament has decided that all new investments and re-investments should follow the ERTMS standard. The government has commissioned the Swedish Transport Administration to introduce ERTMS in Sweden, and we have chosen to do so in project form.
The ERTMS project is still in the development phase. With the aid of our suppliers we have been constantly developing system releases that have been tested in the lab and then put into operation on pilot lines. In this phase, we test systems, correct faults, and gather experience.
When will it be time to move into the construction phase?
This has been a topic of lively discussion in consultation with the sector. Our answer is that we can move into the construction phase once we have stable systems – this is what we mean by “controlled introduction”. We also need to have a model for providing financial support to vehicle owners and train operators. This is a basic precondition for the introduction of ERTMS in Sweden and is so important that the government has introduced it especially into the assignment specification. There is a proposal ready for drafting at the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications.
The government has allocated a sum of SEK 10.8 billion for use over the period 2014 to 2025 as investments in ERTMS in Sweden, which means that our project is one of the largest schemes in the national plan. It entails new signal infrastructure for several thousand kilometres of railway. In order to be able to extend the system with these volumes, we must also have a well-functioning supplier market for those systems that are included in ERTMS. We plan for a stable pattern of extension over the course of time, with no peaks or depressions, that gives the market continuity.
So how are things progressing?
The requirement scenario for ground system 2.3.0d has now been frozen. We plan during the course of 2015 to procure the first ground system 2.3.0d for launching ERTMS in Sweden. For train operators and vehicle owners who are planning to procure ERTMS onboard equipment, we recommend 2.3.0d with an option for upgrading it to Baseline 3 or to procure the Baseline 3 system directly.
Furthermore, the situation as things stand at present in the project is that the work on designing ERTMS on the Iron Ore Line is expected to begin in December 2014. An impact assessment of its introduction on the Iron Ore Line will be conducted in consultation with Branschföreningen Tågoperatörerna (the Association of Swedish Train Operating Companies) towards the end of 2014. We will come back with more information once the work has been completed.
