Simplify, Harmonise, Deliver: Unlocking the Future of ERTMS® in Europe
Radically reducing red-tape in the authorisation process, downsizing project specific requirements and harmonising trackside assets will help accelerate the rollout of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS®), enabling Europe to reach the target set under the TEN‑T framework.
It comes as the European ERTMS Coordinator Matthias Ruete outlined in the 2026 Third ERTMS Work Plan earlier this year that “deployment on the TEN-T network remains significantly behind schedule and structurally uneven across Member States”.
UNIFE Director General Enno Wiebe will use today’s appearance at the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) ERTMS Conference in Valenciennes to rally support for a renewed path, as the rollout faces stagnation without an emphatic change of direction.
According to late 2024 data, only 17% of the TEN‑T core network is equipped with ETCS (approx. 10.600–12.400 km) and around 19% of the EU railway fleet (approx. 8.730 vehicles) equipped with on-board technology, meaning policymakers and rail sector must act now to get the rollout on track.
As part of the bold change of direction, the European Rail Supply Industry calls for:
- Harmonise and simplify requirements to ensure consistent deployment across Europe and reduce design, testing and maintenance burdens
- Stabilise and mature requirements by consolidating standards and ensuring new rules are fully proven before adoption
- Streamline authorisation processes by cutting unnecessary steps, removing duplication and promoting best practices
- Reduce risk and fragmentation by accelerating the phase-out of legacy systems, lowering dual-system costs and supporting broader supplier participation
Other critical considerations include acknowledging the need for FRMCS readiness as a top priority, and ensuring that, within the essential scope, priority is first given to equivalence with GSM-R. It is also necessary to acknowledge that ETCS products are highly complex systems, combining advanced digital components and safety-critical functionalities. Therefore, it is essential to prevent interference from high-risk third country actors.
UNIFE is ready to support European policymakers in ensuring the success of the ERTMS® rollout, acting with partners from the railway sector, and values the efforts of the European Union Agency for Railways and the European Commission to address these challenges.
Quotes attributable to UNIFE Director General Enno Wiebe
“The will and the momentum to deliver ERTMS® is there. What is currently lacking is in the execution, the coordination, and financing. These are the real bottlenecks, and solving these are critical to get the job done.”
“There is still too much variation, too much complexity around authorisation and too many different technical solutions. These are all cost drivers, and we need to get on the same page and ensure everything from requirements to authorisations are simple and to the point.”
“There is no going back on ERTMS®, but we cannot continue as we have. Europe must come together, rethink its approach and make the difficult choices needed to move forward, including letting go of practices that no longer serve us. The current path will not deliver results; what we need now is stability, long-term planning and, above all, true collaboration across the sector to unlock ERTMS’s full economic and strategic potential.”
