Alstom this week marked the upgrade of its 100th ERTMS-equipped train in Norway, saying the milestone showed just “how far we have come” in one of Europe’s most ambitious digital signalling programmes. A big part of getting there is sheer delivery speed: according to Bane NOR, Alstom’s on-board ETCS retrofit time is now around ten days per vehicle.
Alstom has upgraded its 100th train with ETCS onboard equipment in Norway, marking a milestone in the country’s nationwide transition to the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). The upgrade forms part of one of Europe’s largest digital signalling programmes, with Alstom contracted to equip more than 350 vehicles across passenger, freight and infrastructure fleets, with the programme covering passenger trains, locomotives and track maintenance machines operating on the Norwegian rail network.
“Passing the 100-train mark shows how far we have come on this journey,” said Jörg Nikutta, managing director of Alstom Denmark & Norway. “ERTMS will help boost track capacity, raise punctuality and save money by reducing wayside equipment. None of this would be possible without the outstanding commitment of our teams, who are driving this transformation every day.”
The ETCS retrofit work is being carried out in Norway at Alstom’s facilities at the Grorud depot near Oslo and the Marienborg depot near Trondheim. Alstom said the upgrades involve both software and hardware installation and are being delivered in collaboration with infrastructure manager Bane NOR, rolling stock owner Norske Tog, operators Vy Group and SJ Norge, as well as freight operators.
Straddling legacy signalling and ETCS
Norway’s migration plan is built around keeping trains operable during the transition between legacy and ETCS infrastructure. Bane NOR’s head of ERTMS technical management, Kjell Holter, said Alstom is retrofitting trains with both ETCS and a Specific Transmission Module (STM), enabling them to run on legacy Ebicab 700 lines as well as ETCS-equipped routes. “To implement both ETCS and STM is actually our main migration solution,” he said.
The ERTMS programme includes the fitment of a next-generation odometry system using satellite positioning, designed to perform reliably in Norway’s challenging climatic conditions. Two fleets have already completed the ETCS upgrade in full: heavy-duty maintenance machine vehicles and rescue locomotives, both owned and operated by Bane NOR.
Alstom said the programme is currently progressing at a rate of three to four passenger trains per month as Norway continues its transition to digital signalling. Indeed, Bane NOR’s head of ERTMS technical management, Kjell Holter, said the delivery pace of the programme had now reached around ten days for onboard ETCS upgrades, an impressive feat showing the growing maturity of the rollout. “Alstom has achieved a duration time of 10 days to retrofit one vehicle, which we find very satisfying,” Holter said. “ERTMS in Norway moves forward.”