Alstom has been equipping for Deutsche Bahn the complete ICE high speed fleet, intended for the German Unity Transport Project VDE 8, with its Atlas 200 onboard control systems (ETCS/ERTMS level 2 baseline 3). On December 10, 2017, the high speed section between the cities of Erfurt (Thuringia) and Ebensfeld (Bavaria) will start its operation. This line is connecting Berlin with Munich over Erfurt and Nuremberg.
Alstom equipped 70 ICE T, 66 ICE 3 and 40 ICE 1 high speed trains with its proven solution Atlas 200 for Deutsche Bahn. This Baseline 3 is the latest technological ETCS standard and secures the smooth and safe operation of high speed traffic.
Currently, VDE 8 is the biggest infrastructure project in Germany. The project started in 1991 to improve the rail connection between East and West as well as North and South for passenger and freight transportation. The high-speed section between Berlin and Munich is a closure in the German high-speed network and at the same time an important section of the Trans European Network (TEN).
“We are proud to open together with Deutsche Bahn a new chapter in the European rail transport and to make it more secure for passengers. To travel by train from Berlin to Munich in less than four hours is a great success offering a competitive and environmentally friendly alternative to roadways and airplanes. We have been the first company to put this kind of ETCS into practice. It demonstrates the wide range of our portfolio in the mobility sector," said Gian-Luca Erbacci, senior vice president Alstom Europe.
ERTMS has several objectives: facilitate border crossings, open up the rail signalling market, increase commercial speeds, reduce intervals between two trains, decrease maintenance costs and guaranteeing maximum safety.
The project was realized under the direction of the Alstom ERTMS competence centre of Charleroi, Belgium (development and adaptation of the software) in close cooperation with the project office in Berlin, Germany, Villeurbanne, France (Hardware) and the German sites in Salzgitter and Braunschweig (vehicle integration and installation).
