🚆Have you ever heard of The System Pillar? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️

 

We bet you have, but do you know what it’s all about? 🤔 Well, let’s find out!

In the ERTMS bubble, ‘The System Pillar’ is the backbone of European railway standardisation. It’s a joint platform where railways and suppliers team up to define more unified, efficient, and interoperable signalling and traffic management solutions. The ultimate goal? Achieving a seamless SERA (Single European Railway Area).

With the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) on board, all key players are working together to define and maintain technical specifications for TMS, ETCS, ATO, and the new Traffic CS-related systems.

 

🔍 So, what’s the big deal?

For the first time, ERTMS standardisation is expanding beyond train control to cover the entire signalling system—including interlocking and traffic management. This holistic approach tackles major industry challenges while balancing technical ambitions with economic feasibility. That’s why System Pillar activities are a top priority for the sector.

 

🚦How is the operation of the SP structured?

The System Pillar focuses on three main pillars:

âś… Harmonizing the European Railway System
No more fragmented national approaches! A harmonized operation and standardised functional architecture mean greater efficiency and lower costs.
âś… Defining Technical Standards
Railways and suppliers work together to define and refine technical specifications that feed into the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI) and System Pillar documents
âś… Governance & Leadership
Led by the System Pillar Unit of EU-Rail, it operates under the governance framework of the Single Basic Act (EU Regulation 2021/2085).

 

👉 Where are we now?

If you are curious about the activities of the System Pillar, you can visit the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking website for the System Pillar and learn more about their outputs: https://lnkd.in/eSdWm-62

When it comes to Traffic management and signalling, the key activities shaping the future are:

🔹 Lot 2 – System Pillar Activities

Task 2: Control, Command, and Signalling (CCS)
Task 3: Traffic Management System (TMS) & Capacity Management System (CMS)

Focusing on key technical domains, as you can see in our images 🖼️

🔹 Lot 3 – CCS TSI Activities

Focused on refining and updating the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI)đź“š

These efforts pave the way for a more harmonized and efficient European railway system.

 

🚀 What’s next?

The System Pillar will finish by 2027, but that’s not the end! Talks about ERJU’s future are ongoing. A new organization may ensure railway and supplier collaboration as innovation continues!

 

đź”— What do you think?

Should the System Pillar continue in a new form 🤔?
Let’s keep the conversation going! 💬👇