GERMANY intends to accelerate the installation of European-standard digital signalling on both infrastructure and rolling stock through the creation of a new ERTMS Coordination Office. This will act as a central point of contact for the rail sector and coordinate funding for retrofitting onboard equipment.
According to the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV), “Germany has some catching up to do” in the matter of installing ERTMS and its train control component ETCS both trackside and onboard. Slow progress to date with ERTMS rollout “is now being decisively addressed,” BMV says.
Benefits of ERTMS will include increasing capacity on the existing network over the long term by enabling trains to run at shorter headways. BMV adds that real-time communication between trains and control centres should also improve train punctuality and service reliability.
Creation of the ERTMS Coordination Office was agreed on April 17 by the round table on digitalisation convened by BMV. The new body started work immediately, with its central decision-making body a steering committee chaired by BMV.
Voting members of the steering committee include representatives of Germany’s federal states, as well as the Federal Association of Local Rail Transport (BSN) representing public transport authorities. Operators are represented by the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), the German Rail Freight Association (Die Güterbahnen), and Mofair for the private sector. Infrastructure manager DB InfraGO is also a voting member.
BMV says that the organisational structure of the ERTMS Coordination Office will be reviewed on June 30 2027.
“With this coordination office, the Federal Ministry of Transport is actively driving forward the digitalisation of the railways,” says federal transport minister, Patrick Schnieder.
“Together with our partners, we will ensure that the necessary measures are implemented quickly and that the German rail network becomes fit for the demands of the future.”
