Two weeks ago, ScanMedRFC President Linda Thulin was invited to speak at the NJS (Forum for Nordic Railway Cooperation) seminar on “ERTMS in the Nordics – Status and Future Benefits.” The event tackled the implementation of ERTMS in the four Nordic countries, the future user benefits for transport operators and infrastructure managers, and the advantages for international rail transport.

Our President focused on the users’ perspective – which calls for realistic and quality-assured investment and implementation plans – and the lessons to be drawn from it. For instance, there is a need for standardized, harmonized solutions, which are likely to create economies of scale and drive prices down. Moreover, since today’s investment plans are usually centered on major lines, it is important to put in place a strategy for the rest of the network, too. Finally, as the European Union Agency for Railways and Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking perform a critical role in the deployment and evolution of ERTMS, they should ensure transparency, avoid excessive bureaucracy, and boost efficiency.

Her words were followed by those of two major freight operators, as well as key ScanMed customers – Hector Rail AB and DB Cargo Scandinavia. Underlining the gap between the sector’s objectives and nowadays’ reality, both companies stressed the importance of moving toward a homogenized, Europe-wide ERTMS/ETCS system, which would lower investment and maintenance costs, improve reliability and safety, and increase infrastructure capacity.

Interested in the topic? Find out more at https://njs.one/nationella-avdelningar/danmark/tidligere-arrangementer/ !