Realisation of ERTMS between Kijfhoek and Belgian border

Digital rail platform of the future

ERTMS is the European standard for train safety and traffic management. In the coming years, ProRail will replace the current analogue train protection system ATB with the digital rail platform ERTMS. With ERTMS, trains will run safely and faster in the future, so that more trains can be used. It also makes European train traffic easier.

Long-term preparation

The transition to ERTMS is extensive. It requires adaptation of IT systems and new components are needed that are still under development. In addition, a total of about fifty thousand balises and more than twenty thousand axle counters have to be installed in the train tracks in the Netherlands. In 2019, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management commissioned ProRail to realise the ERTMS programme. ProRail is also responsible for the conversion of the infrastructure. In order to accelerate the roll-out of ERTMS, ProRail has started looking for innovative solutions with the tender for a faster approach of ERTMS (ASAP ERTMS). From that tender, the trackbot (a robot that takes over physically demanding, repetitive assembly work from mechanics) and the Reality tool (digital twin) were developed, among other things.

Tjark de Vries, director of Strukton Rail Netherlands:
“Robotisation and digitisation help the rail sector to retain specialist craftsmanship in a tight labour market. It is our conviction that these technical innovations are the solution to bind our professionals and to captivate the new generation of professionals to work in our sector. It is great news for us and of course our sector that we can now get to work with the solutions that we have been able to develop based on this conviction and with support from the European Union and ProRail. We look forward to doing so in the first major contract in the roll-out of ERTMS.”

Michel van den Munckhof, director at BAM Infra Nederland:
“The introduction of ERTMS is a huge step forward for the Dutch railways. The innovative trackbot that Strukton has developed for this purpose together with ProRail and partners is of great value in this project. BAM is proud to be able to add its expertise in digitisation and automation of required work processes, which is crucial for a project of this size. The robot takes over the repetitive and physically demanding manual work that has to be done in the track, and BAM attaches great importance to this too. We look forward to being one of the first to be able to bring ERTMS from the drawing board to realisation with this project and thus contribute to making the Dutch railway future-proof.”

Kijfhoek – Belgian border route

In the first quarter of 2025, Strukton and BAM, together with ProRail and the Knowledge Alliance, will start the preparatory work and design. The construction work on the more than fifty-kilometre section between Kijfhoek and the Belgian border is expected to start at the end of 2025 and will continue until 2028. To ensure the highest safety and reliability, 2029 will be all about testing. After the commissioning of ERTMS in 2030, Strukton and BAM will start working on the removal of the current analogue train protection system.