Stable and consistent specifications to be proposed by the Commission by June 2015 under Baseline 3 of the European rail traffic management system (technical specification for interoperability relating to control-command and signalling subsystems)

16.4.2014

Question for written answer P-004868-14
to the Commission
Rule 117
Jaromír Kohlíček (GUE/NGL)

Given that:

• —the EU provides substantial financial support to the rail industry for research and innovation through the SHIFT2RAIL initiative;
• —the technical pillar of the fourth railway package could contribute to a significant reduction in costs and delays as regards authorisation under the European rail traffic management system (ERTMS);
• —rail manufacturers are required to deliver a Baseline 3-compliant version of the ERTMS that is stable, mature and consistent;
• —deployment can take place only if the stability of this version is guaranteed for at least four to five years, with the exception that requests to change specifications may be approved on the grounds of safety concerns that are urgent and reasonable;
• —harmonised test specifications are indispensable to items of safety-critical equipment, such as those in use under the ERTMS, and that the test specifications for the current Baseline 3 are not yet available, owing to their late delivery by manufacturers;
• —the lack of train interface[1] (TI) standardisation is a major driver of costs for the ERTMS, that the description of the TI is an obligation set out under Article 5(3)(c) of the Interoperability Directive, and that standardisation documents relating to TI are now suitable for application and ready for inclusion in the technical specification for interoperability relating to control-command and signalling subsystems;

Will the Commission press for an agreement on the technical pillar of the fourth railway package?

Will the Commission submit a proposal to the Rail Interoperability and Safety Committee in June 2015 on Baseline 3, representing a stable, mature and consistent version of the ERTMS that provides for:

• —harmonised test specifications developed for and corresponding to Baseline 3;
• —the stability of this version for five years (unless changes can be justified on the grounds of safety concerns that are urgent and reasonable) and the capacity to manage change requests and the appropriate processes so as to ensure that the groups requesting changes are sufficiently representative of the whole sector;
• —train interface standardisation documents — which are to be considered binding — and the prohibition of national rules which deviate from the specifications that have been agreed?

• [1] Train Interface documents describe the interface between ERTMS and other train functions such as emergency braking.

OJ C 402, 13/11/2014