Hitachi Rail has been awarded a Framework Agreement worth €867 million, as the leader of a consortium of companies, to design and deliver European Rail Transport Management System (ERTMS) digital signalling on 1,885 kilometers of rail networks across central and northern Italy. The project will cover lines in the regions of Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria, Veneto, and Friuli-Venezia-Giulia.
The contract was awarded by Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) and follows a €500 million contract from November 2021 for Hitachi Rail to design and implement digital ERTMS signalling on 700km of railway lines across Italy.
"We are delighted with this contract, which will allow us to implement digital signalling technology on an additional 1,885 km of the Italian railway network. ERTMS technology will bring huge benefits to passengers by enhancing train reliability, punctuality and frequency, with the aim of creating- an integrated European rail network,” said Michele Fracchiolla, Executive Director, Europe & Australia – LoB Rail Control Hitachi Rail.
ERTMS technology is the most advanced digital railway control system and aims to create one seamless rail system throughout Europe. This technology allows more trains to use the lines while contributing to greater speed and reliability. The advantage is that thanks to this technology, trains from neighboring European countries can run on Italian lines without interruption. ERTMS is already in use on Italian high-speed lines and its benefits are now being extended to regional lines.
ERTMS also contributes to reducing energy consumption and the railway's carbon footprint by efficiently controlling speed, acceleration, and braking. The radio system enables communication between the train and the track and automatically activates emergency braking in case of danger.
