Alstom becomes first company to achieve full certification for latest digital train control standard
Alstom is the first company to be fully certified for the latest onboard and trackside European Train Control System (ETCS) standards.
The certifications were issued by the independent railway certification and testing organization Belgorail. The newest software evolution ensures interoperability with Baseline 3 Maintenance Release 2 for the complete railway system.
“We are proud to have yet again set a new standard in rail. We are on track to gradually replace all the existing incompatible systems throughout Europe to optimize and boost the international freight and passenger transport,” said Jean Francois-Beaudoin, senior vice president, Alstom Digital Mobility.
Alstom says ETCS is arguably the most efficient train control system in the world, bringing significant advantages in terms of maintenance cost savings, safety, reliability, punctuality and traffic capacity. This explains why ETCS is increasingly successful outside Europe and is becoming the train control system of choice for countries such as Australia, India, Taiwan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia, according to the company.
The first projects include the first one to apply the new standards on a conventional line in Monza-Chiasso, Italy, with revenue service planned for summer 2021, and the high-speed line in Paris-Lyon, France, with revenue service planned for 2024.
Alstom is a major supplier of onboard and trackside ETCS equipment via its Atlas solution, representing 70 percent of the world’s onboard rail systems in service and 18,000 kilometers (11,184 miles) of track worldwide.
