Sweden reviews ERTMS roll out plan

The Swedish Transport Administration Trafikverket is carrying out a review of the entire roll out plan for ERTMS in Sweden. Their revision is based on the identification of critical factors that need to be addressed before any continuation of the ERTMS. Trafikverket considers the roll out of ERTMS as a major challenge for the country, vehicle owners and system suppliers.

The Ore Line is in full swing and will be completed according to plan. The next ERTMS rollout is on the Scan-Med Öst freight corridor. “The revised plan will be an important part and a basis for the work on the forthcoming national transport plan. Our ambition is to continue to be able to roll out by the year 2030 on Scan-Med, which the EU has as a requirement for us. But it is a big challenge and at the moment we look like we will need a few more years after 2030 before we are completely finished with the rollout,” says Patrik Assarsjö, head of investigation in the Planning area.

Factors

The analysis that the Swedish Transport Administration has made identifies critical factors that need to be addressed before the continuation of ERTMS in Sweden. They followed the experiences of the ERTMS on the Ore Line that needed to be solved such as adapting regulations and choosing technical solutions. The reviewing of methods for production plays an important factor for capacity in tracks with current conditions in comparison to the capacity on the high-traffic railway network.

A second factor is a new regulatory framework will be set by the EU, which in turns affects the ERTMS rollout and should be taken into account. “We need to gather in the Swedish Transport Administration and in dialogue with industry players develop and improve the strategy and take a holistic approach to the continued roll out of ERTMS in Sweden. For us to succeed, the right conditions need to be in place and for us to trigger the needs that have now been identified,” expresses Patrik Assarsjö.

The introduction of ERTMS raises many other challenges in the railway industry. Among those challenges are several vehicle owners currently in legal proceedings after procurement appeals with the conversion of existing vehicles and purchasing of new ones. It may take time to equip vehicles, which shifts the schedule around. The Swedish Transport Administration are having ongoing discussions about the revisions of the ERTMS rollout with the rail industry considering solutions for Scan-Med East and West and the rest of the railway network in Sweden within the next few months.