The Netherlands’ first real-world deployment of the ERTMS Trackbot has begun on the Northern Lines. Developed by Strukton, AMT, and No Man Trackwork, the robot is now installing balises and axle counters on the Early Deployment Line (EDL) between Leeuwarden and Harlingen Haven.
State Secretary for Infrastructure Annet Bertram will attend the official launch event in Franeker on Wednesday, 15 April, to witness the Trackbot in action. Her presence underscores the project’s strategic importance as part of the broader ERTMS Northern Lines (ENL) initiative, which includes six major sections across Friesland and Groningen. The Trackbot has done out several testing rounds in other places but had to remove those laid balises again; this time the deployment is permanent.
The ERTMS Trackbot
The ERTMS Trackbot is a smart installation robot designed to install axle counters and balises in the track as autonomously as possible. The robot automatically places the axle counters and balises in the track and digitises the information flow. It finds the exact geographical location, drills the holes, and mounts the axle counters or balises.
It is developed by market parties in collaboration with ProRail, with support from the innovation programme Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking.
During the night of Monday, April 13, the first Eurobalises, the yellow blocks essential for ERTMS signalling, were already installed on the Harlingen-Leeuwarden section. Contractors Strukton Rail and Arcadis, alongside Dutch rail manager ProRail and the ERTMS Programme Directorate, have worked closely to ensure the timely completion of design dossiers, software programming, and safety checks. The process involved frequent coordination to address challenges in the still-developing ERTMS system.
“During the construction of the first ERTMS track section, you still have to deal with many unfinished developments surrounding the new system,” said Martin Zweers, ERTMS Advisor at engineering firm Arcadis. The Trackbot, programmed with support from Hitachi, has been extensively tested and is now operational, with 44 balises installed this week between Franeker and Dronryp. A total of 190 balises will eventually be placed on this section, paving the way for the first ERTMS train tests later this year. Next week, nightly track closures (19:42-00:35) are in place for the deployment works, with no trains running between Leeuwarden and Harlingen Haven.
In the Netherlands alone, approximately fifty thousand balises and more than twenty thousand axle counters must be installed for the ERTMS rollout. This is repetitive and physically demanding work, which the Trackbot is intended to take over, according to the developers.
Read more:
Subscribe to gain access to all news
Already have a subscription? Log in.
Choose your subscription
Considering a corporate subscription? Contact us to find out more.
Or
Want to read this article for free?
You can read one free article per month. Enter your email and we’ll send you a free link to access the full article. No payment required.