Getting ERTMS into service quicker

Experience gained from the installation of ERTMS on two high speed lines has enabled Italian infrastructure manager RFI to accelerate the commissioning of the Milano-Bologna line, which will carry its first passengers this month. This article describes how practical problems have been solved using lessons learned on the Roma-Napoli line; how things have changed since the first project, such as hardware and software; and the establishment of a new laboratory in Roma; development GSM-R security and a formal specification for interoperability between ETCS Level 2 and legacy Italian systems.