ETCS/ERTMS – a unified railway traffic control system affecting railway line capacity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24136/jaeee.2025.018Keywords:
ERTMS/ETCS, moving block sections, capacity, safetyAbstract
The aim of this article is to present the architecture and analyze the functionality of the European Rail Traffic Management System ERTMS/ETCS, which is a unified railway traffic management system that increases railway line capacity compared to current railway traffic control systems, by presenting its methodology and impact on railway traffic safety, which has a higher level in transport tasks.
References
Białoń A., Grabowski P., Gryglas M. (2010) An outline of the method of analyzing the impact of ERTMS/ETCS on the increase in railway line capacity. Railway Institute, Warsaw
Białoń A., Gradowski P. (2007) “Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS)”, Telecommunications and Traffic Control No. 1/2007, pp. 2–11
Chrzan M., Pirosz P., Marek T. (2012) “Analysis of possible directions for the development of the GSM-R system”, Rail Transport Technology TTS No. 9/2012, Scientific and Publishing Institute "TTS", pp. 135–143
Chrzan M., Pirosz P. (2012) “Systemy radiowe zapewniające komfort pasażerom i bezpieczeństwo sterowania ruchem kolejowym”, Logistics No. 3/12
Collective work – Ansaldo STS: The Globally Leading ERTMS. Genoa, Italy, 2014
Collective work – ERTMS FOR HIGH DENSITY IN URBAN NODES. Principles of ERTMS L2 System with high density functionality in the main Italian railway nodes, 11th WCRR 2016
Collective work – Railwaysignaling.eu: The ERTMS/ETCS signaling system - An overview on the Standard European signaling and train control system, Itnetmer, 2014
Collective work – UIC: ETCS Implementation Handbook. Paris, France, 2008
Dyduch J., Kornaszewski M. (2014) Computerized railway traffic control systems. UTH Radom Publishing House, Radom
Dyduch J., Kornaszewski M. (2009) Railway traffic control systems. Radom University of Technology, Radom
Folęga P., Kochan A., Skirkus R. (2023) “Multigraph IS: Part 1. A formal description of railway infrastructure for the digital twin of the ETCS application”, Transport Problems, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 43–52
Ilczuk P., Konopiński L. (2017) Determination of Selected Mobile Parameters of a Railway Line Equipped with the ETCS System. Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw
Kochan A. (2025) Theoretical foundations of the digital twin of the ETCS application. Monograph, Warsaw University of Technology Publishing House. [access: 07-05-2025].
Kochan A., et al. (2025) Traffic under the supervision of the ERTMS/ETCS L2 system on high-speed lines based on simulation studies. (article/abstract, 2025). [access: 26-05-2025].
Kochan A., Koper E. (2019) Simulations of traffic processes on a line equipped with the ERTMS/ETCS system in the ERSA environment. (article/report, Warsaw University of Technology)
Kochan A. (ed.) et al. (2023) “Multigraph IS: Part 2. Verification of the digital twin of the ETCS application - model verification”, Transport Problems
Kornaszewski M. (2018) “Diagnostics of linear railway traffic control devices”, Autobusy, No. 12
Kornaszewski M. (2016) “Development of safe railway traffic control solutions based on the example of the BUES 2000 automatic level crossing signaling system”, Autobusy, No. 6
Kornaszewski M. (2015) “Functional structure of the railway traffic control system”. Rail Transport Technology, No. 12/2015, pp. 1963–1966
Kornaszewski M., Pniewski R. (2015) “Remote diagnostics of SHL-12 automatic line block status”, Rail Transport Technology (TTS), No. 12
Kornaszewski M. (2014) “Modern railway traffic control systems in Poland”, Logistics, No. 3/2014
Koper E., Kochan A., et al. (2025) Simulations of traffic processes - conference materials and reports of the Warsaw University of Technology (presentations and articles available in the PW repository)
Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction of the Republic of Poland: National Plan for the Implementation of Technical Interoperability “CONTROL”. Warsaw, June 2013. (and supplement “CONTROL”, Warsaw, October 2018)
PCA / Scope of accreditation and list of standards used in tests and certification (PN-EN 50126, PN-EN 50128, PN-EN 50129 and others). PCA document - accreditation list. [access: 03-12-2025]
PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.: Technical Standards - Volume VII Telecommunications. Detailed technical conditions for the modernization or construction of railway lines for speeds Vmax ≤ 250 km/h. (PLK, technical volumes; electronic document). [access: 04-2025]
PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.: Technical Standards - Volume IX Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC). Guidelines and PN-EN 50121-x standards. [access: 04-2025]
PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.: Technical guidelines for the construction of Ie-4 signaling devices (WTB10). Warsaw 2018
PN-EN 50121 (series 1–4): Railway applications - Electromagnetic compatibility. List and explanations in PLK/Institute of Railways documents. [access: 05-05-2025]
PN-EN 50126-1:2018-02: Railway applications - Specification and demonstration of Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety (RAMS) - Part 1: Generic RAMS process. [access: 05-05-2025]
PN-EN 50126-2:2018-02: Railway applications - RAMS - Part 2: Safety approval process. [access: 05-05-2025]
PN-EN 50128:2011/A1:2020 - Software for railway control and protection systems - requirements for software development and verification processes. [access: 05-05-2025]
PN-EN 50129: Railway safety-related systems - requirements for safety-related electronic systems. Versions and amendments per UTK/PCA lists. [access: 05-05-2025]
PN-EN 50159: Communication security in railway systems (essential for GSM-R and integrated ETCS solutions). [access: 05-05-2025]
Railway Transport Office – official materials, announcements and training materials on interoperability, ERTMS, GSM-R
Reports and recommendations of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA): System Version (SV) Management and Backward/Forward compatibility for ETCS Baseline 3 R2. (RFC/RALP documents, 2021)
Implementation reports of the Rhine–Alpine ERTMS corridor and others: ERTMS deployment overview - documents from 2021 and later
“The current situation is even worse than before the introduction of ETCS” - a critical analysis of ETCS costs and benefits in Europe, article from 2025
“Over half of new railway cars lack ETCS: ‘no business case’” - rolling stock market analysis in the context of ETCS, 2023
“Review: Revolutionizing railway systems - A systematic review of Digital Twin technologies” (High-speed Railway, 2025) - review of Digital Twin applications in railways
“Formal Verification of the European Train Control System (ETCS) for Better Energy Efficiency Using a Timed and Asynchronous Model” - Kochan A., Daszczuk W.B., Grabski W., Karolak J., Energies 2023
“Railway Virtual Coupling: A Survey of Emerging Control Techniques” - Wu Q., Ge X., Han Q.L., Liu Y., 2023 - analysis of train control techniques (possible implications for ETCS/ERTMS)
“Run-Time Monitoring of ERTMS/ETCS Control Flow by Process Mining” - Vitale F., Zoppi T., Flammini F., Mazzocca N., 2025 - new method for monitoring ETCS L2 operation
“Multigraph IS: Part 2. Verification of the digital twin of the European train control system application” - Transport Problems, Vol. 18, Issue 3, 2023
Wyrzykowski W. (1966) Railway traffic. WKŁ, Warsaw
Siergiejczyk M. (2011) “Mobile Internet access system in trains using the GSM-R network”, Logistics No. 3/2011, pp. 2449–2458
Collective – guidelines and normative documents, standards of railway interoperability and safety (safety case, TSI CCS specifications / National TSI CCS)
Normative documents concerning electromagnetic compatibility, digital system security and railway communications - complete PN-EN standards + PLK/UTK guidelines
Annual Report 2024 of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. - summary of ETCS/ERTMS deployment in Poland at the end of 2024
“Progress in the implementation of ERTMS on the Polish railway network” - announcement by the Office of Rail Transport (UTK), status at the end of 2024
“Hitachi Rail to implement cutting-edge digital signalling on Warsaw–Radom rail route” - information on an ERTMS L2 implementation project (2025)
“Alstom conducts the first ETCS System Compatibility (ESC) laboratory tests in Katowice, Poland” - 2024; tests of ETCS onboard ↔ trackside compatibility under the supervision of Warsaw University of Technology
Document Ir-1a Instruction “Instruction on train operations using ERTMS/ETCS Level 1” - appendix to the PLK Network Regulations 2024/2025, in force from 20.12.2023
Document Ir-1b Instruction “Instruction on train operations using ERTMS/ETCS Level 2” - PLK, originally from 2015, current guidelines.
Analyses of ETCS/ERTMS implementation in Poland in 2020–2025 - industry reports and articles on technical barriers, interoperability, rolling stock and infrastructure adaptation
URS (User Requirements Specification) preparation study for ETCS - national and EU comparative analyses, 2023
Analyses of the impact of ETCS on the capacity of railway nodes - technical documents, reports and articles after 2015, also for high-density nodes
Digital Twin technologies for railways - review of applications, challenges and potential (including predictive maintenance and infrastructure monitoring)
Research on formal verification of ETCS with consideration of energy efficiency - e.g., braking optimization, energy-efficient train operation
Research on next-generation train control techniques - e.g., “Virtual Coupling” and other concepts relevant to future ETCS/ERTMS implementations
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Automation, Electronics and Electrical Engineering
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
