Another stage in ERTMS deployment in Scandinavia
Sweden and Denmark continue to move further in ERTMS deployment on their railways. Therefore, several operators and transport authorities have concluded an agreement with Alstom for installing its Atlas ETCS onboard equipment in 77 electric trains. They are running in the Øresund Region that encompasses eastern Denmark and southern Sweden. The new equipment will be put into operation by the end of 2023.
Besides the firm order, the contract includes an option for an additional 34 trains. Alstom will upgrade the X31 electric trains serving the Øresundståg cross-border network. The French technology company signed an agreement with several stakeholders: Transitio, Region Skåne through Skånetrafiken, Region Blekinge, Hallandstrafiken, and Danish State Railways (DSB). The deal is valued at around 35 million euros.
According to the agreement, Alstom will install the new equipment compatible with the ERTMS Level 2 system available both in Denmark and Sweden. At the same time, it will keep operational the previous generations of technologies in order to allow the trains running on the legacy lines in Sweden (equipped with ATC-2 system) and Denmark (equipped with ZUB 123 system). The dual system will share some onboard components and the wheel sensors. To perform the project, Alstom will engage its Swedish and Danish teams together with Alstom centre of excellence for ERTMS in Charleroi, Belgium.
Atlas solution
The Atlas signalling solution is one of the most popular products of Alstom. 30 countries use it. In addition, the Atlas solution covers 70 per cent of the onboard systems in service in ERTMS Level 2. According to Alstom, trains under Atlas supervision have covered over 150 million kilometres, including the ICE3 high-speed fleet of Deutsche Bahn in Germany. The system has several benefits: improved line capacity, service reliability, flexible and upgradeable design, compatibility with energy-saving driving profiles.
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