ERTMS introduces the digital technique to perform the functions required by the railway control, command and signaling regulations. During the development of the new system the parties involved faced the problem of harmonizing a multitude of completely different requirements and rules. Some of these are related to national traditions versus European unification, the integrated management at the level of the single railway space of railway infrastructure and railway operations, the diverging interests of infrastructure managers versus those of rolling stock suppliers and operators, the introduction of digital technology, the introduction of a new type of signaling – signaling in the cabin, level of safety integrity to be proven, scale of investment versus short and medium term benefits.
For most engineers working in the field of control and signaling, ETCS presents a completely new solution which provides that the independent constituent parts can be used in various applications. The existence of interoperability constituents imposes restrictions on system engineers who must ensure that any of their functions must be considered in the context of the entire system.
This book aims to introduce the reader to the complex concept of ETCS. I hope it will help parties involved in the design, implementation and operation of track or on-board applications to better understand the system. Since the book does not present all the specific issues in detail, the reader has at his disposal a rich bibliography that can provide additional details on the main topics covered.