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ERTMS Level 2 : on track in Switzerland

Switzerland is the heart of western Europe, geographically speaking, and this makes it strategically important to European rail transport. While the country is not in the EEC, it shares the Union's desire for interoperability as a means of improving and encouraging passenger and freight rail use to promote European-wide mobility and trade, and to alleviate road systems and associated pollution. At present, however, each of Switzerland's neighbors - France, Italy, Germany and Austria - still has its own signaling system, which considerably complicates cross-border rail operations. ERTMS standards have been developed and espoused by many rail experts as the solution for interoperability. Its application, which entails integration of equipment on network infrastructure and on rolling stock, is in various stages of progress throughout European countries. Switzerland is one of the most advanced countries in terms of ERTMS development. In the framework of the Bahn 2000 project, SBB has launched the deployment of ERTMS/ETCS on its entire network, to be completed around 2020.

The Mattstetten Rothrist line The country is currently installing ETCS Level 2 on a classical line that serves for both passenger and freight traffic, and equipping 12 different kinds of rolling stock vehicles - app. 500 in all - for ETCS Level 2 operations. ALSTOM was awarded the contract for the implementation of ERTMS/ETCS Level 2 on the Mattstetten-Rothrist line and certain rolling stock on March 28, 2002. Consortium partner Stadler is responsible for equipping 463 existing and new rail vehicles; project subcontractors include both ALCATEL (interlocking system in Wanzwil) and Siemens. The contract includes: the installation of train detection devices (axle counters), a new interlocking and a new ETCS trackside system (balises and Radio Block Centre) the adaptation of the existing systems (interlockings and interface to the Control Centre) the equipment of about 500 rolling stock vehicles with ETCS Level 2 on-board equipment, a juridical recorder and a new voice radio system (combining the new GSM-R and analog radio).

Benefits for national and international traffic While only 45 km long, the Mattstetten-Rothrist line is a strategic bottleneck for the traffic from Bern to Basel, Bern to Zurich, Bern to Lucerne. The new Mattstetten-Rothrist line combined with the ERTMS Level 2 system will allow SBB's trains to run at 200 km/hour, reducing journey time between Zurich and Bern by 15 minutes, from 70 minutes to below 1 hour. SBB will be able to apply its new and ambitious timetable on the whole Swiss Railway network guaranteeing optimal connections for passengers in the centres. Moreover, these 45 km are strategically positioned beyond national rail traffic, for use by European traffic going through Switzerland, such as trains coming from France and Germany to Italy via the Lötschberg tunnel.

Our commitment ALSTOM's commitment is to functionally commission the system in 2004, and to operate commercially in ERTMS by the end of 2005, which gives one year to perform all activities related to Safety Case and to test the availability of the system. This commitment is at the request of SBB, which has decided to operate the first year using a fallback system with lateral signals to reduce the risk of introducing this new technology at the same time as launching a new timetable.