RFI names suppliers for ETCS onboard equipment in Italian trains
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) named Hitachi, MERMEC STE of France, Caterpillar subsidiary ProgressRail and Alstom earlier this month as the four companies to supply and install ETCS onboard equipment for rolling stock using Italy’s SCMT train cab signalling system.
The contract entails the development of and upgrade of the current systems onboard six series of SCMT-equipped trains. According to RFI, there are 101 different types of rolling stock in use on the Italian network, and negotiations for the upgrade to ETCS onboard equipment for the remaining 95 types have been set in motion. The activities will then be extended to all other similar trainsets (5.000 on-board devices for a total of 3.800 trains). This will also be possible through the use of state economic incentives.
At present, there are funds available (300 million) euros to cover about 40 per cent of the associated expenses, but a budget is being worked on to ensure 100 percent coverage.
In June of last year, RFI completed the tender process for the rollout of ERTMS across Italy. The 2.7-billion-euro package is split across four regions and four lead companies, and covers a total of 4,220 kilometres of tracks. The entire 4,800-kilometre rollout is valued at 3.2 billion euros. In total, Italy’s ERTMS programme calls for an investment of 13 billion euros through 2036.
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