The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

An overview on the Standard European Interoperable

signalling and train control system
 CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 5
1.1 CONTEXT................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2 PURPOSE AND RECIPIENTS ........................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 CONTENTS................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
1.4 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS AND ARTICLES ........................................................................................................................................ 6
1.5 ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................................. 7

2 SOME HISTORY ABOUT RAILWAY SIGNALLING ................................................. 9

2.1 EVOLUTION OF SIGNALLING BLOCK SYSTEMS .................................................................................................................................. 9
2.1.1 THE TRACK CIRCUIT ............................................................................................................................................................................ 10
2.1.2 THE AXLE COUNTER ............................................................................................................................................................................ 11
2.2 ATP SYSTEMS ............................................................................................................................................................................12
2.3 SAFE BRAKING CURVE ................................................................................................................................................................13
2.4 FROM NATIONAL ATP TO ERTMS/ETCS ........................................................................................................................................ 14

3 HS/HC RAILWAY LINES ................................................................................ 16

3.1 DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................................................................................ 16
3.2 TARGETS ................................................................................................................................................................................. 16
3.3 IMPLEMENTATION IN EUROPE.....................................................................................................................................................17
3.4 IMPLEMENTATION IN ITALY ....................................................................................................................................................... 18
3.4.1 ERTMS/ETCS....................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
3.4.2 GSM-R ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
3.4.3 CSS - HS .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 19

4 ERTMS PROGRAMME ..................................................................................20

4.1 SOME HISTORY ABOUT ERTMS ................................................................................................................................................... 20
4.2 ADVANTAGES OF ERMTS ............................................................................................................................................................21
4.3 MODIFICATION OF ERTMS/ETCS SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 22

5 ETCS COMMAND-CONTROL AND SIGNALLING SYSTEM ................................... 24

5.1 ETCS LEVELS............................................................................................................................................................................. 24
5.1.1 ETCS - LEVEL 0 .................................................................................................................................................................................... 24
5.1.2 ETCS - LEVEL 1 .................................................................................................................................................................................... 24
5.1.3 ETCS - LEVEL 2 .................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
5.1.4 ETCS - LEVEL 3 ....................................................................................................................................................................................26
5.2 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................................................... 28
5.2.1 TRACKSIDE SUBSYSTEM ......................................................................................................................................................................29
5.2.1.1 ETCS ..........................................................................................................................29
5.2.1.1.1 RBCs .............................................................................................................................................. 30
5.2.1.1.2 NTG ............................................................................................................................................... 31
5.2.1.1.3 KMS............................................................................................................................................... 31
5.2.1.1.4 EUROBALISES ................................................................................................................................ 31
5.2.1.1.5 LEU ................................................................................................................................................ 32
5.2.1.1.6 MARKER BOARDS .......................................................................................................................... 32
5.2.1.2 IXL ............................................................................................................................. 33
5.2.1.3 ATS............................................................................................................................ 34
5.2.2 TRAINBORNE SUBSYSTEM .................................................................................................................................................................. 35
5.2.2.1 EVC ........................................................................................................................... 35
5.2.2.2 DMI ........................................................................................................................... 35
5.2.2.3 Odometry subsystem................................................................................................ 37
5.2.2.3.1 Wheel Sensor ................................................................................................................................ 38
5.2.2.3.2 Radar ............................................................................................................................................ 38
5.2.2.3.3 Accelerometer............................................................................................................................... 39
5.3 FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................................................................ 40
5.3.1 TRACKSIDE SUBSYSTEM ......................................................................................................................................................................40
5.3.1.1 IMPROVED SAFETY ...................................................................................................40
5.3.1.1.1 Movement Authority .................................................................................................................... 40
5.3.1.1.2 Temporary Speed Restriction ........................................................................................................ 41

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 2 of 58
 5.3.1.1.3 Dynamic Speed Monitoring ........................................................................................................... 42
5.3.1.1.4 Detectors ...................................................................................................................................... 43
5.3.1.2 ASSURED INTEROPERABILITY.................................................................................... 43
5.3.1.2.1 Entrance Transition Announcement .............................................................................................. 43
5.3.1.2.2 First Movement Authority ............................................................................................................. 43
5.3.1.2.3 Entrance with train not fitted with ERTMS/ETCS L2 ...................................................................... 44
5.3.1.3 IMPROVED PERFORMANCE ......................................................................................44
5.3.1.3.1 INCREASED INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY ...................................................................................... 44
5.3.2 TRAINBORNE SUBSYSTEM .................................................................................................................................................................. 47
5.3.2.1 OPERATING MODE.................................................................................................... 47
5.3.2.2 START OF MISSION ...................................................................................................49
5.3.2.3 INCREASED SPEED ..................................................................................................... 50
5.3.3 INTERFACE BETWEEN TRACKSIDE AND TRAINBORNE SUBSYSTEMS ..................................................................................................... 51
5.3.3.1 RADIO Interface ........................................................................................................ 51
5.3.3.1.1 GSM-R ........................................................................................................................................... 51
5.3.3.1.2 GPRS-R .......................................................................................................................................... 52
5.3.3.2 AIR Gap Interface...................................................................................................... 53
5.3.3.3 ERTMS/ETCS Language ............................................................................................. 54
5.3.3.3.1 Variables ....................................................................................................................................... 54
5.3.3.3.2 Packets .......................................................................................................................................... 55
5.3.3.3.3 Messages ...................................................................................................................................... 55

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 3 of 58
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2: Phone block system ........................................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 3: track circuit with unoccupied block ................................................................................................................... 10
Figure 4: track circuit with occupied block ....................................................................................................................... 11
Figure 5: Schematic of Axle Counter system ................................................................................................................... 12
Figure 6: History of signalling systems ............................................................................................................................ 13
Figure 7: Safe Braking Model .......................................................................................................................................... 14
Figure 8: the diversity of European ATP systems............................................................................................................. 14
Figure 9: Journey time improvements on the HS/HC Italian line ...................................................................................... 16
Figure 10: HS/HC railway European network ................................................................................................................... 17
Figure 11: Frequency allocation in 900 MHz-Band ........................................................................................................... 19
Figure 12: GSM-R Architecture........................................................................................................................................ 19
Figure 13: Hierarchic document level............................................................................................................................... 20
Figure 14: Performance increase with ERTMS ................................................................................................................. 21
Figure 15: ERA logo ......................................................................................................................................................... 22
Figure 16: Change Request process for ERTMS/ETCS specifications ................................................................................ 23
Figure 17: ETCS Level 1 operation diagram ................................................................................................................... 25
Figure 18: indicator panels .............................................................................................................................................. 25
Figure 19: Exchange of information between RBC and trainborne................................................................................... 26
Figure 20: ETCS Level 2 operation diagram .................................................................................................................. 26
Figure 21: ETCS Level 3 operational diagrams .............................................................................................................. 27
Figure 22: HS/HC railway transport system ..................................................................................................................... 28
Figure 23: Communication of the trackside subsystem with other ERTMS L2 elements .................................................. 29
Figure 24: RBCs area governance responsibility .............................................................................................................. 30
Figure 25: Eurobalises on a railway track ......................................................................................................................... 32
Figure 26: ERTMS/ETCS Marker boards .......................................................................................................................... 32
Figure 27: Two possible routes from A to B ..................................................................................................................... 33
Figure 28: HS/HC Bologna TCC ....................................................................................................................................... 34
Figure 29: ERTMS/ETCS Cockpit ..................................................................................................................................... 35
Figure 30: ETCS DMI monitor .......................................................................................................................................... 37
Figure 31: Simplified On-Board System ........................................................................................................................... 38
Figure 32: Wheel Sensor ................................................................................................................................................. 38
Figure 33: Radar Sensor .................................................................................................................................................. 39
Figure 34: Accelerometer ................................................................................................................................................ 39
Figure 35: Allocation of a Movement authority................................................................................................................ 40
Figure 36: Allocation of a temporary speed restriction .................................................................................................... 41
Figure 37: Rail capacity parameters ................................................................................................................................. 45
Figure 38: TGV speed world record ................................................................................................................................. 51
Figure 39: Interface between Trackside and Trainborne Subsystems .............................................................................. 51
Figure 40: GPRS-R Architecture ...................................................................................................................................... 52
Figure 41: Air Gap Interface............................................................................................................................................. 54
Figure 42: Triggering functions for Message 2: SR Authorization ................................................................................. 56

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Reference Document Table ................................................................................................................................. 6
Table 2: Acronyms, Abbreviations and Definitions ............................................................................................................ 8
Table 3: Technical features of the HS/HC rail lines ........................................................................................................... 18
Table 4: Colour DMI criteria ............................................................................................................................................ 36
Table 5: Short description of rail capacity terminology .................................................................................................... 44
Table 6: Variable NID_LX ............................................................................................................................................. 54
Table 7: Structure of an ERTMS/ETCS Packet ................................................................................................................. 55
Table 8: Message 2 - SR Authorization ............................................................................................................................ 56
Table 9: Message 3: Movement Authority ....................................................................................................................... 57

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 4 of 58
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Context
railwaysignalling.eu is a technical e-journal and web community.
It was born and grows with the purpose to share high-tech knowledge about the most advanced and
widespread signalling and train control European solutions.
Young and experienced rail-signal engineers are welcome to participate to the groups web
community, by publishing their own technical articles about the main topics of railway signalling and
train control European solution.
railwaysignalling.eu believes in the positive effect of the global market, which allows everyone to
grow personally and professionally, to get in touch with different cultures and increase knowledge of
people close to your way of thinking and/or your business.
The continuous refinement of the global market and the removal of the concept of national borders
are strictly related to the possibility to move quickly, easily and comfortably, covering small or wide
distances while respecting the environment. Our work wants to be a contribution to the
development of smart/eco-friendly transportations, to reduce the physical and psychological
distance among countries in Europe.

1.2 Purpose and recipients

Inside this framework, this handbook gives an overall description of railway signalling with a major
focus to ERTMS/ETCS signalling and train control, to introduce to the main topics all engineers
interested or involved in railway signalling projects.
Since the handbook is not a detailed manual, through the cross-references [Ri] inside the document
you can refer to Table 1 for further details about all main topics here covered.

1.3 Contents
This document is divided into the following chapters:
2 presents a brief history of the railway signalling. With an excursus among the signalling
basic concepts from nineteenth century to nowadays, it introduces to the birth of ERTMS
programme.
3 describes, from an architectural and a functional point of view, the main features of the
European HS/HC railway lines, with a special focus on the Italian national high speed railways,
on which ETCS Level 2 is adopted.
4 presents a brief history of the ERTMS programme, explaining the reasons for which it was
born, its main subsystems and the change specification process. Furthermore, it introduces the
main advantages consequent by the adoption of this standard.
5 as core of the paper, it describes the main features of ETCS command-control and signalling
system, component of the ERTMS programme. After listing all the possible ETCS levels of

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 5 of 58
 applications, ETCS L2 signalling system is described in more detail, from an architectural and a
functional point of view.

1.4 Reference Documents and Articles

REF. TITLE AUTHOR
[R1] The Core of ATP - Data Engineering W. Kaiser, S. Nielson
[R2] Invensys Rail - ERTMS Invensys Rail
[R3] Sistemi di controllo per lalta velocit ferroviaria F. Flammini
[R4] Lalta velocit italiana B. Cirillo, P. Comastri
[R5] ETCS Development and implementation in Italy F. Senesi, E. Marzilli
[R6] ETCS Level 2 for entire Danish network. Railway Gazette International
[R7] Madrid-Barcelona at 310 km/h with ETCS Level 2 Railway Gazette International
[R8] Security is a safety issue in rail communications P. Lindsday, T. Cant
Delivering flexible and reliable rail traffic: a major European Commission.
[R9] industrial project for Europe Directorate-General for Energy
and Transport
[R10] GSM-R Technology gsm-rail.com
GSM-R The Railways Integrated Mobile Siemens
[R11]
Communication System
[R12] ERTMS/ETCS Class 1 Safety requirements UNISIG
[R13] ETCS Implementation Handbook Olivier Leveque
[R14] Odometer Measurements deuta.com
[R15] Electronic odometer for rail vehicles - GEL 2510 lenord.de
Odometric Estimation for Automatic Train Department of Energetics,
[R16] Protection and Control Systems University of Florence
Increase of efficiency in wireless train control Institute of Communications
[R17] systems (ETCS L2) by the use of actual Packet- Technology
Oriented Transmission Concepts Hannover, Germany
[R18] ERTMS/ETCS FFFIS for Eurobalise Subset 036 UNISIG
ERTMS/ETCS System Requirements Specification UNISIG
[R19]
Subset 026
[R20] ERTMS/ETCS Euroradio FIS Subset 037 UNISIG
ERTMS Key Management GE/RT8403 Issue One - Railway Group Standard
[R21]
December 2011
Interlocking Principles GE/RT0060 Issue Four - Railway Group Standard
[R22]
June 2003
Table 1: Reference Document Table

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 6 of 58
1.5 Acronyms, Abbreviations and Definitions
Term Definition
ATC Automatic Train Control
ATP Automatic Train Protection
ATO Automatic Train Operation
ATS Automatic Train Service
BL Base Line
BSC Base Station Controller
BSS Base Station Subsystem
BTS Base Transceiver Station
CCS Command and control system
CES Conditional Emergency Stop
CR Change Request
DMI Driver Machine Interface
DB Deutsche Bahn
EMI Emergency Brake Intervention
ERA European Railway Agency
ERTMS European Railway Traffic Management System
ERRI European Railway Research Institute
ETCS European Train Control System
EU European Union
EVC European Vital Computer
FIS Functional Interface Specification
FS Ferrovie dello Stato
GDV Gestione della Via
GGSN Gateway GPRS Support Node
GPRS-R General Packet Radio Service Railway
GSM-R Global System for Mobile Communications Railway
HSSS High Speed Signalling System
HS/HC High Speed / High Capacity
LEU Lineside Electronics Unit
MA Movement Autorithy
MMI Man Machine Interface
MRSP Most Restrictive Speed Profile
NTG Network Transmission Gateway
NTP Network Time Protocol
OBU On Board Unit
PDP Packet Data Protocol
RBC Radio Block Center
SBI Service Brake Intervention
SDT Sistema Distanziamento Treni
SGSN Service GPRS Support Node
SNCF Socit Nationale des Chemins de fer Francas
SoM Start of Mission
STM Specific Transmission Module

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 7 of 58
 SYRS System Requirements Specification
TAF Track Ahead Free
TC Track Circuit
TCC Traffic Control Center
TGV Train Grande Vitesse
TMS Traffic Management System
TSI Technical Specification for Interoperability
TSR Temporary Speed Restriction
VMMI Vital Man Machine Interface
UNISIG Union of European Signalling Companies
Table 2: Acronyms, Abbreviations and Definitions

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 8 of 58
2 SOME HISTORY ABOUT RAILWAY SIGNALLING
Railway signalling can be defined as all systems used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to
prevent trains from colliding.
All railway safety systems, starting from those used since the birth of the first railroads in Europe, to
the most advanced systems nowadays used, share a basic concept:

Trains cannot collide with each other if they are not permitted to occupy the same section
of track at the same time.

For this reason, railway lines are divided into sections, known as blocks. In normal circumstances,
only one train is permitted in each block at a time.

2.1 EVOLUTION OF SIGNALLING BLOCK SYSTEMS

In the early days of railways, at the middle of the nineteenth century (1850), men were employed to
stand at intervals (blocks) along the line with a stopwatch and they used hand signals to inform train
drivers that a train was going to pass more or less than a certain number of minutes previously. The
watchmen had no way of knowing whether a train had cleared the line ahead, so if a preceding train
stopped for any reason, the crew of a following train would have no way of knowing unless it was
clearly visible. As a result, accidents were common in the early days of railways.
Helping staff, semaphores was introduced at the turn of the century (1900). The signal fell into
horizontal position (indicating stop) when the train was going to pass. Such typical signal is shown in
the second picture of Figure 5.
With the invention of the electrical telegraph and then of the telephone, it became possible for the
staff at a station (train dispatchers), to send a message (first a specific number of rings on a bell, then
a telephone call) to confirm that a train had passed and that a specific block was finally clear.
About in 1930 the first optical signals were introduced. The whole system was called the absolute
block system or phone block system and its represented in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Phone block system

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 9 of 58
When fixed mechanical signals began to replace hand signals from the 1930s, the semiautomatic
block was born.
Its criteria was analogous to the previous, but the exchange of information between the signal boxes
took place via an electric circuit and a system of levers, with which request and grant permission to
access the block are sent.
Nowadays, the railway signalling is based on the automatic block, which does not require manual
intervention.
A line equipped with the signaling system electronic automatic block or interlocking is
divided into sections of length not shorter than the stopping distance on the faster trains
present on the route.
The function of detecting the presence or transit of the vehicles in a particular section is left to a
system called track circuit.

2.1.1 The track circuit

For this purpose, railway tracks are divided into blocks of varying length. Each block stands out from
the adjacent ones by means of an insulated joint between rails and it permits the detection of the
presence of a train. Track circuits operational principle is based on an electrical signal impressed
between the two running rails. The presence of a train is detected by the electrical connection
between the rails, provided by the wheels and the axles of the train (wheel-to-rail shunting).
The basic DC track circuit was invented by Dr. William Robinson and first used in a railway application
in 1872. The track circuit consists in a block section defined at each edge by insulated joints on the
rails. The insulated joints provide electrical insulation between a track circuit and the adjacent tracks.
The signal source (in this case a battery) is connected to the rails at one edge of the block section,
while the receiver (a relay) is connected to the other edge.

Rails Block length Insulated Joint

Direction of travel

Resistor
Resistor Battery

Relay

CLEAR
Battery

Figure 2: track circuit with unoccupied block

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 10 of 58
When no train is present, the track circuit is unoccupied, and the direct current supplied by the
battery is transmitted by the running rails to the relay and energizes it or picks it up. When the
relay is energized, the green signal light is turned on (Figure 2).
When a train approaches the block, its wheels and axles connect the two running rails together
shorting the battery and thereby reducing to zero the current through the relay. This causes the relay
to drop (Figure 3), turning off the green signal light and turning on the red light to indicate that the
block is occupied by a train. A series resistor with the battery protects it by limiting the current that it
must provide when a train is present.

Rails Block length Insulated Joint

Train Axle Resistor

Resistor Battery

Relay

STOP
Battery

Figure 3: track circuit with occupied block

The track circuit shown here has been simplified for the illustration purpose. In practical application,
the relay would have several sets of contacts connected in combination with the contacts of other
relays belonging to nearby track circuits to form logic circuits for the control of the signaling devices.
Even in the simple form shown in Figure 3, it can be noticed that the breaking of any conductor or the
loss of power in the circuit will cause either a red signal or no signal at all to be displayed. A red or
dark signal must be always interpreted as a stop command. To put it another way, all signaling
systems are designed so that a green signal (meaning proceed) is presented only when the track
circuits provide positive information that it is safe to do so.

2.1.2 The Axle Counter

An alternative approach to track circuit design uses a check-in/check-out logic. Simply stated, this
circuit is based on the principle that once a train is detected or checked in to a block, it is assumed
to be there until it is checked out by being detected in an adjacent block. The presence of a train
may be detected only intermittently at the time when it enters a new block. Axle counters are
installed at each edge of the section of track (Figure 4); when the number of axles counted at the
entrance to the section is the same as the number of axles counted at its exit, that means the train
has passed through the section.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 11 of 58
 Block length

Detectors
R R R R
T T T T

Junction Junction
Box Box

Evaluator

T: Transmitter
to Control Room
R: Receiver

Figure 4: Schematic of Axle Counter system

A detection point comprises two independent couple of detectors; therefore the device can detect
the direction of a train by the order in which the detectors are passed. As soon the train passes a
similar counting head at the end of the section, the counter decrements. If the net count is evaluated
as zero, the section is presumed to be clear for a second train.
The detector senses the wheels by evaluating the changes in the magnetic coupling between the
coils placed at each rail side. The system consists of:
A sensor coils for train wheels detection;
An electronic unit (electronic junction box) for signal conditioning and counting of the wheels;
An evaluator unit which compares the number of the wheels entering the rail section and the
wheels exiting the section.
The comparison result states the occupation status (section clear or occupied).

2.2 ATP SYSTEMS

At the beginning of 80s rail signalling systems to increase the railway safety were introduced in
Europe, able to constantly monitor the speed of the train. They are called ATP (Automatic Train
Protection).
First ATP systems used a target speed indication and audible warnings to advise the driver if the train
passed a red (danger) signal or exceed a speed restriction. In these cases, the system applied an
automatic brake if the driver fails to respond to the warnings. For detailed information, refer to [R1].
Only in the 21s century the ATC (Automatic Train Control) systems were born.
ATC realizes an ATO (Automatic Train Operation) function, so moves the train without the
intervention of the driver, realizing fully driverless systems.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 12 of 58
 Figure 5: History of signalling systems

2.3 SAFE BRAKING CURVE

One of the key principles of an ATP system is the braking model concept, a mathematical model
applicable to any land vehicle with a constrained guide.
It allows predicting the maximum safe speed of the vehicle, starting from the following data:
- Target distance (a potential obstacle during the route)
- Current speed
- Physical characteristics of the vehicle
From these data, its possible to calculate a curve such as that shown in Figure 6.
Once known the braking pattern, its easy to determine what the maximum speed is at which the
vehicle can travel, so that it can stop safely before the target\danger point.
The on-board system:
1) Receives data packets from the trackside, containing virtual signals and speed restrictions along
the line.
2) Has the purpose of drawing, instant by instant, the protection curve and verify that the current
speed of the train is always below the maximum defined by the model.
If the train is travelling at a speed higher than the maximum, the ATP system intervenes with an
automatic brake, reducing the speed.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 13 of 58
 Figure 6: Safe Braking Model

2.4 FROM NATIONAL ATP TO ERTMS/ETCS

Nowadays, all the automated systems that protect the driver and then the train from possible
overspeed or exceed of stop signals, are called ATP.
Over the years, in Europe have been developed and operated a lot of different ATP systems,
according to the different national requirements, technical standards and operating rules.
The independent development of this incompatible train protection and control systems has
contributed to impede the cross-border operation of rail traffic in European network.

Figure 7: the diversity of European ATP systems

With the advent of European integration there was a need to establish common rules for the free
movement of rail networks in all countries.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 14 of 58
Following the decision taken by the European Transport minister in December 1989, the EU
embarked upon a project to analyze the problems relating to signalling and train control. At the end
of 1990, the ERRI (European Institute of Railway Research) began to think to develop a common
interoperable ATP/ATC system, which could be adopted in all European countries.
As described in details in 4.1, ERTMS/ETCS (or simply ETCS) has been chosen as the international
command-control and signalling system.
Thanks to these standardizations, from the beginning of the 21s century interoperability of the
European rail networks guaranteed.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 15 of 58
3 HS/HC RAILWAY LINES
Since the EU decision, in 1996, that ERTMS would become the only standard for all HS/HC lines, in a
huge number of European states the introduction of the ERTMS/ETCS has been running parallel to
and integrates with the HS/HC project.
For this reason, this chapter describes its main features, before talking about standard signalling
detailed concepts.

3.1 DEFINITIONS
HS (High Speed)/HC (High Capacity) railway is a type of rail transport which operates significantly
faster than traditional rail traffic.
Its important to clear the difference about HS and HC concept:
- A high speed rails a modern line, with heavy armament, with paths where possible and
basically straight flat, on which trains run specially, designed to achieve high top speeds.
- The terms High Capacity means a rail system to transport both goods train and passengers on
HS lines, but sometimes it can refers to advanced systems for the railway traffic control, that
allow the passage of a greater number of trains because more controlled and regular.

3.2 TARGETS
The main aims of the HS/HC projects are to transform the European railway network into a High
Speed/High Capacity system:
- with an overall capacity of more than twice conventional capacity;
- to upgrade and specialise existing lines for local, regional and goods freight transport;
- to enhance the effectiveness of existing lines, creating connections for port or airports;
- to realize the concept of interoperability (integration with the rail international traffic flows).

Figure 8: Journey time improvements on the HS/HC Italian line

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 16 of 58
3.3 IMPLEMENTATION IN EUROPE
The HS/HC project began in 1991 as a Turnkey project, i.e.: a general Contractor is responsible for
building the infrastructure and installing the technological system on each specific section. To
maintain the technological uniformity on the work performed by each General Contractor on each
HS/HC section, the technological system were built by a technological consortium, responsible for
supplying the technological and signalling system for all the HS sections.
A railway line may be considered high-speed if trains that travel, at least reach a top speed of
200km. As of 2012 the maximum commercial speed is about 300 km/h for the majority of installed
systems, but in some parts of Europe (Figure 9) a train running on a HS/HC line can reach the
maximum speed of 350 km/h.
Spain (3800km), France (2000km), Germany (1600km) and Italy (1000km) are currently the most
HS/HC equipped states in Europe.

Figure 9: HS/HC railway European network

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 17 of 58
3.4 IMPLEMENTATION IN ITALY
Technical Features
Type of traffic ( passengers or freight) Mixed
Max Speed 300 km/h
Minimum radius of curvature 5450 m
Maximum gradient 18%
Minimum radius of altitude fittings 10,5 cm
Maximum axle load 20 km
Seat width 25 t
Wheel tracks 13,6 m
Rail distance 4,5-5 m
Power of new lines 25 kV
Power of urban penetration whether 3 kV
Average distance among electrical substations 50 km
Section of natural galleries 82 mq
Table 3: Technical features of the HS/HC rail lines
The Table 3 just shown, presents is a brief description of the technological innovations that
characterize the performance of the Italian HS/HC lines in terms of traffic safety, speed and
interoperability. For detailed information, refer to [R4].

3.4.1 ERTMS/ETCS
On the HS/HC italian lines, the ERTMS / ETCS (or simply ETCS) L2 signalling system gives to the driver
all the information necessary for safe driving, both in relation to the effects of its actions and to the
changes in line conditions and with the activation of the emergency braking if the train speed
exceeds the maximum allowed. For further information about this technology, refer to 5.
ERTMS / ETCS L2 is active with a maximum speed about of 300 km/h on the HS/HC lines.

3.4.2 GSM-R
Its the mobile communications system used exclusively in the railway sector.
With the GSM-R the railway infrastructure and its staff is equipped of a mobile radio system which
can meet in an efficient and integrated, on a national scale, all the communication needs and data
communications related with rail operations, including the control, safety, and journey of trains.
The GSM-R transmits on a frequency band in the range 900 MHz reserved for railway operations in
Europe and provides communication services ground to train, both during normal circulation in cases
of emergency.
The GSM-R allows a better and constant contact between the crew and the ground (service
communications and emergency management) and allows the exchange of data between systems
and information technology and the various European rails signaling through a single standard
interoperable communications. In this way, the perspective of European integration in rail traffic

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 18 of 58
 operations at the border for trains passing in the various European railway networks is facilitated.

Figure 10: Frequency allocation in 900 MHz-Band

The transport companies have access to mobile telecommunications solutions and services conform
to European specifications, which mean ensuring interoperability with mobile telecommunication
systems of other European railways that are building similar GSM-R systems.
A simplified GSM-R infrastructure is presented in the following Figure 9. For detailed information,
refer to [R10] and [R11].

Figure 11: GSM-R Architecture

3.4.3 CSS - HS
The CSS HS (Command and Control System High Speed) is the most advanced integrated
management system at a distance of movement used in the railway field. Developed to improve and
ensure the regularity of trains in the process of upgrading the quality of services, to manage in an
integrated circulation, diagnostics and maintenance, public information, surveillance and simplify
management and obtaining the top timeliness and effectiveness in solving problems of movement
even on high traffic lines. Its a technologically advanced system that, by means of a logic computer,
sends and receives commands from controls in security from electromechanical instruments
(exchanges, signals) and apparatus (peripheral posts).

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 19 of 58
4 ERTMS PROGRAMME
4.1 SOME HISTORY ABOUT ERTMS
ERTMS is an international standard programme created to develop a common interoperable platform
for railways, authority and signalling systems. Nowadays, the adoption of ERTMS is necessary on all
the HS/HC railway lines, but it can be installed on a conventional line too.
The fundamental objectives of interoperability are based on the need to simplify, improve and
develop international railway transport services, contribute towards gradually creating an open and
competitive domestic market for the supply of railway systems and construction, renewal,
restructuring and operative services, and establish standardised European procedures for assessing
conformity with interoperability requirements.
For this purpose, the essential activities for achieving interoperability were the definition of a set of
sub-system and components of the platform, specifying their essential requirements and interfaces
by developing functional and technical specifications.
Then, at the end of 1993, the EU council issued an Interoperability Directive and a decision was made
to create a group of railway expert called ERTMS Group, consisted originally of DB, FS and SNCF, but
later joined by other railway European companies. The objective was to realize a structure to define
the TSI (Technical Specification for Interoperability).
In the summer of 1998, the UNISIG union, comprising the European Signaling companies Alcatel,
Alstom, Ansaldo Signal, Bombardier, Invensys Rail and Siemens, was formed to finalize the TSI of the
ERTMS project.
This hierarchical process is well shown in Figure 12 below.

Figure 12: Hierarchic document level

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 20 of 58
As shown in the Figure 10 above, the third level, developed by UNISIG consortium, divided the whole
interoperable railway platform into four main subsystems, each of which covers a different set of
functional requirements.
The command and control subsystem chosen, which is a standardized, interoperable ATP/ATC
system was called ERTMS/ETCS (or simply ETCS).
For clarity, in this paper well use the acronyms:
- ERTMS, to refer to the whole standard programme or railway platform
- ETCS, to refer to the signaling system, component of ERTMS programme
To allow the communication between trains, trackside and railway regulation control centres, the
sub-system chosen is GSM-R, the international wireless communications standard for railway
communication and applications.
For this reason, ERTMS programme can be defined as the combination of ETCS and GSM-R
subsystems.

4.2 ADVANTAGES OF ERMTS

Figure 13: Performance increase with ERTMS

Figure 13 shows the advantages of the adoption of the ERTMS system in Europe, in terms of five main
parameters:

Safety:
- constant speed monitoring
- signals received in the train
- direct surveillance of level crossing and avalanche information systems
- uniform european drivers panels
- TSR (Temporary Speed Reductions) sent to the network
Cost:

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 21 of 58
 - no or reduced number of physical signals
- fewer track magnets with cable connections
- european standard
- cheaper signal systems

Accessibility:
- reduced number of track magnets and no cables
- swifter error recovery with reduced number of systems

Interoperability
- standardised information screens for train drivers in Europe
- uniform technical interface between train and infrastructure
- uniform operative interface between train driver and infrastructure

Maintenance:
- standardised systems
- fewer critical safety interfaces
- one system per track
- several suppliers on the market

One of the objectives of this paper is, thus, to specify in more detail the features of this five
parameters just described, showing how ERTMS system realizes a tangible performance increase in
each of them.

4.3 MODIFICATION OF ERTMS/ETCS SPECIFICATIONS

Each new version, also called Baseline, of the UNISIG specifications is developed by the signalling
company which constitute the consortium (Alstom, Siemens, Ansaldo,
Bombardier, Site, Invensys rail, Thales) with an appropriate common migration strategy. This
optimises management of the modification process of software-controlled systems in terms of costs
and benefits.
Management of the modification of ERTMS/ETCS and GSM-R requirements is governed by the ERA,
responsible for steering the modification process, including the issue of specifications, quality
assurance and configuration management.

Figure 14: ERA logo

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 22 of 58
It acts as System authority, centralising and assuring complete consistency of the process. The railway
stakeholders must be members of the CCB (Change Control Board), to establish the management of
the modifications request, also called CR (Change Request).
The CCB must have a system outlook as regards modifications and a global assessment must be
generated.
Figure 15 describes the process of managing modifications to the specifications and the development
of the various versions of the specifications.
Alstom Transport SPA uses this formal process for the realization of the European HS/HC projects too.
On each baseline released for a signalling system, its possible to open a change request, for two
difference reasons:
- Defect if theres an error to correct in the development of the signalling system
- Enhancement if no error is found, but its possible an improvement to the system
The change request is analyzed and, if considered as valid, it is assigned to an implementer, who has
to realize the modification, which is applied on the next BL of the signalling system to be developed.
Just before the release of the BL, the CCB is met to review the status of the opened CR for defects or
enhancement, deciding to approve or reject each one of them.
After the changes confirmation and the relative storage for memory, a new version (or baseline) of
the signalling system is released.

Figure 15: Change Request process for ERTMS/ETCS specifications

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 23 of 58
5 ETCS COMMAND-CONTROL AND SIGNALLING SYSTEM
As component (or subsystem) of ERTMS programme, ETCS is the standardized, interoperable
ATP/ATC system used in Europe.
It is useful to specify that the classification of the ETCS system is not completely uniform. Some
technical texts define it as an evolved ATP system and others consider it an ATC system because,
while not including an ATO part:
1. The automatic brake is an operation does not require human intervention, thus, associated with
an ATO system;
2. The train speed is highly supervised by the system and the driver only has to follow instructions
that appear on the train cockpit (Figure 28).
In this paper we prefer referring to ETCS as an ATP/ATC system.

5.1 ETCS LEVELS

ETCS is divided into different functional levels. The definition of the levels depends on how the
railroad is equipped and the way through information is transmitted to the train.
A train fitted with complete ERTMS/ETCS equipment and functionality can operate on any ETCS route
without any technical restrictions. For detailed information, refer to [R13].

5.1.1 ETCS - LEVEL 0

One of the best advantages of the adoption of the ERTMS/ETCS standards is the absence of lateral
signals. However, when an ETCS vehicle is used on a non-ETCS route, the trainborne equipment
monitors the train for maximum speed of that type of train. Furthermore, the train driver has to
observe the trackside signals.

5.1.2 ETCS - LEVEL 1

ETCS Level 1 is a cab signalling system that can be superimposed on the existing signalling system, i.e.
leaving the fixed signal lateral system (national signalling and track-release system) in place.
Eurobalise radio beacons pick up signal aspects from the trackside signals via signal adapters and
telegram LEU Encoders and transmit them to the vehicle as a Movement Authority (permission to
cross one or more block sections) together with route data at fixed points.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 24 of 58
 Figure 16: ETCS Level 1 operation diagram
The on-board computer continuously monitors and calculates the maximum speed and the braking
curve from this data. Because of the spot transmission of data, the train must travel over the
Eurobalise beacon to obtain the next movement authority.
The ETCS Level 1 constitutes a spot or semi-spot ATP/ATC with interoperable Cab Signalling and fixed
block.
This system is installed on HS/HC Austrian lines and in some sections of the British and Spanish lines.

5.1.3 ETCS - LEVEL 2

ETCS Level 2 is a digital radio-based signal and train protection system. Movement authorities are
given to the driven in order to allow the train to move itself on the track and the most of the signals
are displayed in the trainborne cab, substituting the lateral traditional signals. Thus, apart from a few
indicator panels like overriding and border signals (these panels mark the extreme points of a block
sections or of the ETCS L2 area, Figure 17) it is therefore possible to work without a lateral trackside
signalling.
The train separation systems use the term virtual signals, because the concept of a traditional
railway signal, like fixed light lamps, is physically moved to the train DMI (Driver Machine Interface,
5.2.2.2).
However, with track-release signalling devises like track circuits, the train integrity supervision still
remains in place at the trackside. All trains automatically report their exact position and direction of
travel to the RBC (Radio Block Centre) at regular intervals, trhough the GSM-R radio network.

Figure 17: indicator panels

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 25 of 58
Train movements are monitored continually by the RBC. Any movement authority is transmitted to
the train continuously via GSM-R together with speed information and route data, as shown in the
Figure 18 below.

Figure 18: Exchange of information between RBC and trainborne

The Eurobalises are used at this level as passive positioning beacons or electronic milestones.
Between two positioning beacons the train determines its position via sensors. The positioning
beacons are used in this case as reference points for correcting distance measurement errors. The
on-board computer continuously monitors the transferred data and the maximum permissible speed.
The ETCS Level 2 constitutes a continue ATP/ATC with interoperable Cab Signalling and fixed block
with block sections.
This system is installed on the Italian HS/HC lines.

Figure 19: ETCS Level 2 operation diagram

5.1.4 ETCS - LEVEL 3

ETCS Level 3 provides an implementation of full radio-based train spacing. Fixed track-release
signalling devices are no longer required. As with ETCS Level 2, trains find their position themselves
by means of positioning beacons and via sensors and must also be capable of determining train
integrity on-board to the very highest degree of reliability. The route is thus no longer cleared in
fixed track sections. In this respect ETCS Level 3 departs from classic operation with fixed intervals,
because it calculates safe distance between two trains.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 26 of 58
A movement authority is given on the information relating to the position of the train, based on the
actual distance of a train from the next. This solution called absolute braking distance spacing or
moving block, ensures a greater exploitation of the capacity of the line as it reduces the granularity
of the spacing.
Level 3 is currently under development.

Figure 20: ETCS Level 3 operational diagrams

As shown in the previous figures, for each ETCS level, the trainborne subsystem must also implement
the previous level.
ERTMS Level 2 is currently the most widely used version and we refer to it in the following sections of
this paper.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 27 of 58
5.2 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION
A HS/HC rail line can be equipped of a complex transport system equipped with an ETCS L2 signalling
system solution, able to control trains movements, in order to guarantee the safe and regular traffic
operations.
The next Figure 19 shows the simplified structure of the Ground and Trainborne systems, which
together form the HS/HC Transport System.
The whole Ground System, supplied for the HS line by a railway company. These systems comprise
the power and telecommunication HSSS (High Speed Signalling System) and a ground trackside
subsystem with:
- Train control and distance separation subsystem (ETCS)
- Line management subsystem, called IXL (Interlocking)
- Train command and supervision subsystem (ATS or TMS)
It is described in details in 5.2.1.

The trainborne System comprises mainly:

- On-board HSSS;
- EVC (European Vital Computer);
- DMI (Driver Man Interface);
- Odometry subsystem.
It is described in details in 5.2.2.

Figure 21: HS/HC railway transport system

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 28 of 58
5.2.1 TRACKSIDE SUBSYSTEM
The trackside subsystem, communicate with the other external elements as shown in Figure 22. In
the Figure 19 upon, its possible to recognize the two different following sub-systems:
1. ETCS
2. IXL
3. ATS or TMS
Each of them is briefly described in this section of the paper, from a functional and architectural point
of view.
As an application example, we report in this section the architecture for the Alstom trackside
signalling subsystem installed on the HSL Bologna-Florence, extended to the HS bypass, which
connects the "Milan-Bologna" and "Bologna-Florence" HSL without passing through the "Bologna
Centrale station", ensuring faster journey time.

Figure 22: Communication of the trackside subsystem with other ERTMS L2 elements

5.2.1.1 ETCS
The ETCS L2 system realizes the two following main function:
1. Ensure the safe space separation among the trains working on the HS/HC line
2. Monitor the travel of the train, advising the driver if he pass a red (danger) signal or exceed
a speed restriction. In these cases, the system applied an automatic brake if the driver fails
responding to the warnings.
On the Italian HS/HC lines, it is called SDT (Sistema Distanziamento Treni).
In the next paragraphs, we describe the main components of these subsystems, currently used on
HSL Bologna-Florence. For detailed information, refer to [R5] and [R13].

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 29 of 58
5.2.1.1.1 RBCs
RBC (Radio Block Center) is the heart of the ERTMS/ETCS level 2 trackside system.
It is the safe central trackside equipment of the ERTMS/ETCS level 2 and is responsible for the
security of all trains running in the level 2 area with which a GSM-R communication has been
established.
In other words, RBC manages the exchange of data required for safe train travel and separation, but
only in its area of governance responsibility (70 km, Figure 23).

Figure 23: RBCs area governance responsibility

Each RBC:
- Sends movement authorities to trains according to the information received from the
Interlocking, such as route occupancy, route state, etc.
- Receives information from trains through position reports.
The exchange of data between the RBC and trains is done through the GSM-R communication
network.
Each RBC calculates each train position and records it in its own data base (this data base includes
also the track layout). This way, every train in communication with the RBC shall be supervised at any
moment.
When a train running on an ETCS L2 fitted line is going to overpass a specific RBC Area, this means in
a few km it will approach the next RBC Area, so the two adjacent RBCs have to exchange the train
information in order to permit the train running without less of performance.
This exchanging process is called HandOver.
The RBC whose area is left by the train during the handover process is called Handing Over RBC
(RBCHO), while the RBC in whose area the train enters is called Accepting RBC (RBCACC).

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 30 of 58
5.2.1.1.2 NTG
The NTG (Network Transmission Gateway) is an interface gateway between signalling equipment
network and GSM-R subsystem network. The NTG converts the information coming from the RBC
into GSM-R protocol and vice versa, allowing the communication between the RBC and with
ERTMS/ETCS level 2 equipped trains.
The NTG is the equipment that interfaces between the RBC and the GSM-R network and converts the
information coming from the RBC into GSM-R protocol and vice versa allowing the communication
between the RBC and with ERTMS level 2 equipped trains.
One NTG is able to communicate with several RBCs and trains at the same time.

5.2.1.1.3 KMS
The KMS (Key Management System) is the trackside component in charge of the management of
cryptographic keys on the railway, to facilitate secure ERTMS data radio communication.
ERTMS exchanges information between trackside equipment and trains and vice versa in the form of
data messages. When radio is used for these data messages a secure connection is required and
corresponding keys must be available on either side of the connection.
KMS component if basically composed of two different equipments, which performs different tasks:
KMC (Key Management Centre) and PKI (Public Key Infrastructure).
Key Management Centre (KMC) is part of the KMS; it is in charge of generating, updating and
dispatching the authentication keys into the ERTMS trackside and trainborne equipment and to
exchange keys with foreign KMCs (same equipments belonging to an adjacent line).
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is used for the management of asymmetric key material. The key
material is usually managed through Smart Cards or similar hardware.
For more details about the security issues into the ERTMS architecture, refer to Errore. L'origine
riferimento non stata trovata..

5.2.1.1.4 EUROBALISES
The Eurobalises, called track magnets in Figure 22, is the equipment installed on the track that sends
ETCS messages to trains. In ETCS level 2, it is mainly used for train location management. The
Eurobalises is considered to be fixed if it always transmits the same message stored in its internal
memory. Its mainly used to provide trains with the needed information for the relocation on board
function and to inform the RBC at the station facility about train positions via position reports.
In the opposite case (variable messages), we can talk about of switchable Eurobalises.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 31 of 58
 Figure 24: Eurobalises on a railway track

5.2.1.1.5 LEU
The LEU (Lineside Encoder Unit) is the safe equipment that interfaces between the Interlocking and
other external system, and the switchable Eurobalises installed on the track.
This equipment is able to interface with several switchable Eurobalises at the same time. It sends the
suitable predefined ERTMS/ETCS messages, according to the information received from the
Interlocking or external system.

5.2.1.1.6 MARKER BOARDS

The ETCS marker board are installed along the track at each end of block section. They are used to
indicate to the train driver the exact location where he needs to stop the train in the case of end of
movement authority.
An ETCS marker board is a coloured and reflecting panel in order to be visible from a far distance.

Figure 25: ERTMS/ETCS Marker boards

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 32 of 58
5.2.1.2 IXL
If the train had to follow only a single track between an origin and a destination, an ATP/ATC system
like the one just presented would be roughly adequate.
Indeed, home and destination of a rolling stock is typically a station and there is more than a path
(Path 1, Path 2) to go from an initial point A, to a final point B (Figure 26).
A station consists of a number of parallel rails greater than two and their switches, which give the
possibility to route trains on different tracks. The path of a train leaving a station from the beginning
is called route.

Figure 26: Two possible routes from A to B

The control system that deals the line management and, thus, the routing of trains, is called
interlocking. Setting a route means locking a several number of block sections, which together form
a path for a train. Until the route is active and its track circuit occupied, trains cannot obtain any part
of the route, which is considered as a mutually exclusive shared resource.
On Italian HS/HC lines, it is called GDV (Gestione della Via).

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 33 of 58
5.2.1.3 ATS
The ATS (Automatic Train Service) or TMS (Traffic Management System) subsystem is devoted to
supervise the railway traffic circulation and to perform the diagnostics of the equipment of the
system, Interlocking/RBC equipment included.
It supports the complete Traffic Management life cycle, with functions to plan, regulate and optimize
the train traffic circulation, to manage the infrastructure state, to monitor and to perform diagnostic
of all involved equipment.
All those functions share a single integrated Human Machine Interface for displaying real-time status
of the railway line, managed by a human supervision.

Figure 27: HS/HC Bologna TCC

Figure 27 shows the Alstom TCC (Traffic Control Center), part of the ATS subsystem and located in
Bologna, where a group of men, called train dispatchers, daily command and control the status of
the Bologna-Florence HS/HC line.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 34 of 58
5.2.2 TRAINBORNE SUBSYSTEM
The trackside ETCS subsystem, called on Italian HS/HC lines SSB (Sottosistema di Bordo),
communicates with the trainborne subsystem in order to allow the rolling stocks safe movement.

5.2.2.1 EVC
EVC (European Vital Computer) is the on-board computer, which safely processes the trainborne
functions on the basis of the:
1. information received from the wayside equipment
2. data introduced by the driver
3. data coming from on-board sensors

EVC is physically placed on board through the rack like the one just shown, realized by Alstom for the
Italian SSB. The driver can interface with EVC trough the DMI (Driver Machine Interface).

5.2.2.2 DMI
The DMI is the main means of interaction between the driver and the system. It is used to:
1. display signals and indications via a monitory in every driver cab;
2. acquire entered data end enable specific functions via a series of keys and buttons;
3. achieve technical interoperability on the driver side.

Figure 28: ERTMS/ETCS Cockpit

As shown in Figure 29, the displays on the DMI monitor are located in specific areas depending on
their meaning. In the lower part of the figure, a particular focus is given to the speed control area,
which displays:
1) Instantaneous speed
Its the true train speed and it is shown on the monitor as a digital tachometer with a circular
scale and central indicator. In Figure 27 is shown a digital tachometer, with a scale up to 400
km/h, indicating an instantaneous speed of 104 km/h.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 35 of 58
 2) Warning intervention time
Its a vertical segment, with a decreasing length. Its the remaining intervention time for the
cab driver
3) Maximum speed permitted
It is indicated by the upper limit of the tachometer.
4) Target speed
Target speed is indicated by the point of the arc where change the colour. Its the speed witch
the train has to reach just before the target\danger point. Its shown by a circular arc and
indicated by the upper limit of the tachometer.
5) Target distance
Its the remaining distance between the train and target\danger point.
6) Release speed
A release speed is a speed limit under which the train is allowed to run in the vicinity of the
EOA, when the target speed is zero. One release speed can be associated with the Danger
Point, and another one with the overlap. Release speed can also be calculated on-board the
train. It is indicated in the outer part of the circular arc representing the permitted speed; a
digital representation is provided as well.

Note the different colours between the two circular arc speeds in the lower and upper parts of the
Figure 29. The use of certain colours responds to a predefined sequence of priorities, which
establishes the colour criteria shown in Table 4.

Urgency Colour Driver Action

Low Priority grey No immediate action is required

An appropriate action (i.e: train braking) is required

Average Priority yellow
to the cab driver
An immediate corrective action (i.e.: increased
High Priority orange
breaking) is required
Very High
red The required action has not been performed
Priority
Table 4: Colour DMI criteria

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 36 of 58
 Figure 29: ETCS DMI monitor

5.2.2.3 Odometry subsystem

The Odometry is a technique for estimating position and speed of a vehicle on wheels, based on
information from sensors for the measurement of the covered distance. An odometer measures the
covered distance of a vehicle by sensing the rotations of its wheels, featuring from a given
size\radius. F
Since its applicable to all vehicles with a constrained guide, the railway systems commonly use this
technique. Thus, concerning the on-board system, the odometry subsystem is composed of the
equipment described on the next paragraphs, which provides to the EVC the needed information to
calculate the distance run by the moving train and its speed.
EVC is able to calculate each of these values cyclically, between two defined points of the track P1, P2,
identified by two different balises. When the train passes the point P2, its position is updated and the
process of estimating odometry restarts.
Figure 28 below shows a simplified scheme of the on-board system, where the light-blue boxes
represent the main equipment of the odometry subsystem. For detailed information, refer to [R14],
[R15] and [R16].

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 37 of 58
 Figure 30: Simplified On-Board System

5.2.2.3.1 Wheel Sensor

The running speed of moving vehicles is calculable knowing the rotation speed of its wheels. This
calculation is based on odometry techniques and the consequent covered distance is based on the
assumption that wheels turn linearly in relation to the ground.
The measurement of the speed of a rotational axle and, by extension, of a wheel, is practicable by
means of an incremental rotary encoder, placed on the wheel.
Regarding the characterization of this device, its called:
- Rotary (also called a shaft encoder), due to the fact its an electro-mechanical device that
converts the angular position or motion of a shaft or axle to an analog or digital code.
- Incremental, because its able to calculate the shift distance, without knowing anything about
the initial position.
It provides a specified amount of pulses in one rotation of the encoder. The output can be a single
line of pulses (an A channel) or two lines of pulses (an A and B channel) that are offset in order
to determine the speed rotation.

Figure 31: Wheel Sensor

5.2.2.3.2 Radar
Based on the Doppler principle, the radar sensor gives an image of the ground displacement in order
to provide information about train speed and covered distance.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 38 of 58
Microwaves transmitted by aerial are reflected by ground. The Frequency difference between
emitted and received radiation, proportional to train speed, is computed by a processing unit. The
radar sensor contains embedded software and is powered by the train battery.

Figure 32: Radar Sensor

5.2.2.3.3 Accelerometer
In standard trainborne configuration an accelerometer is used and provides the ETCS trainborne sub-
system with the train acceleration/deceleration.
The accelerometer is based on force balance principle. Submitted to acceleration, the seismic mass
tends to move. The new position is detected by an optical position detector and converted into a
current. This current is proportional to the acceleration.
The accelerometer provides an output voltage proportional to the train acceleration by passing
through an accurate load resistor.

Figure 33: Accelerometer

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 39 of 58
5.3 FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
This section describes some of the ETCS L2 principles, whose functions are implemented on the
Alstom High Speed Bologna-Florence line, extended to the HS bypass.
Each of functions covered can regard both the trackside subsystem and the trainborne subsystem.

5.3.1 TRACKSIDE SUBSYSTEM

5.3.1.1 IMPROVED SAFETY

5.3.1.1.1 Movement Authority

A train travelling on an ERTMS L2 equipped railway needs a permission to cross every block sections
which comprises the line, called MA (Movement Authority).
For this purpose, the permission to proceed is given from the trackside to the trainborne. When
needed, limitations related to the movement authority, i.e: mode profile for On Sight, Limited
Supervision or Shunting. Mode profile is always being sent together with the MA to which the
information belongs.
For further information about the operative modes of a train which runs on an ETCS equipped line,
refer to the right next section.
Whenever the system detects that a virtual signal (marker board) that is part of an MA given to a
train is replaced to danger, the MA will be revoked by sending a CES (Conditional Emergency Stop) to
the train.
Figure 34 below shows a part of the Alstom VMMI-ERTMS simulator interface, customized for the
HS/HC Italian line Bologna-Florence. In this example, a movement authority is given to the train 1
from the track circuit 121 to the 2020, so a green segment is drawn on the interested sections. In the
figure, this area is highlighted by a red rectangle.

Figure 34: Allocation of a Movement authority

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 40 of 58
5.3.1.1.2 Temporary Speed Restriction
A TSR is a speed restriction temporarily set for different reasons, like working staff on the track. To
define a TSR, at least the following data shall be introduced during the data preparation phase of the
project in case of predefined TSR, or by the TCC operator in case of dynamic TSR:

- The starting point of the TSR, regarding the track layout.

- The ending point of the TSR, regarding the track layout.
- The maximum allowed speed between the starting point and the ending point.
- The ending condition, regarding the train's length. The TSR ending condition indicates at what
moment the TSR has to be considered as no more applicable on board.

Figure 35 below shows a part of the VMMI-ERTMS simulator interface, customized for the HS/HC
Italian line Bologna-Florence. In this example, a TSR is imposed from the track circuit 121 to the 2020,
so a yellow segment is drawn down the interested sections. In the figure, this area is highlighted by a
red rectangle.

Figure 35: Allocation of a temporary speed restriction

In this framework, we can distinguish two different kind of TSR:
- Predefined TSR
- Dynamic TSR

Predefined TSRs are planned during the engineering process and implemented into the RBC data
base. Any predefined TSR defined in the RBC internal data base can be automatically activated
according to information received from the Interlocking (e.g. in relation with sensors in the track).

Once the TSR is activated in the RBC data base, it shall be sent to the train only when it is inside the
path assigned by the RBC to this train. If no train is approaching the TSR area, no TSR shall be sent.
Predefined TSR are usually used to limit the train speed at well-known areas when known events are
raised. For example, they can be activated as result of the activation of a trackside detector or other
external electrical signal.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 41 of 58
Dynamic TSRs are defined during the operation of the line. They are introduced by the TCC operator
and sent afterwards to the RBC.
Once the TSR is defined in the RBC data base, it shall be sent to the train only when it is inside the
path assigned by the RBC to this train. If no train is approaching the TSR area, no TSR shall be sent.

5.3.1.1.3 Dynamic Speed Monitoring

The ETCS L2 ATP function called dynamic speed monitoring is the supervision of the speed of the
train versus its position, in order to make the train to respect the Most Restrictive Speed Profile and
Limit of Authority/End of Authority.
The MRSP (Most Restrictive Speed Profile) is a description of the most restrictive speed restrictions
the train shall obey on a given piece of track.
The on-board continuously supervise a list of targets (i.e. speed decrease of the MRSP, LoA, EoA, max
distance in SR mode). Depending of the type of the target, the on-board calculates a specific curve;
from this first curve several others are calculated defining several limits. By comparing the actual
speed and location of the train to the various limit curves, the ETCS board generates indications to
the driver and braking actions.

The following supervision limits are defined:

Pre-indication location: informs the driver that he is approaching an area where he has to
operate the service brake in order to brake to a target;

Indication (I): informs the driver that the train speed is approaching the maximum allowed
speed in that area;

Permitted Speed (P): the maximum speed the train is allowed to run;

Warning (W): If the train speed exceeds the Warning curve, an audible warning is issued to
the driver to indicate that he should start braking;

Service Brake Intervention (SBI): if the driver fails to obey the command to brake within a
predefined time, the train speed will overpass the SBI limit the on-board equipment will apply
the service brake until the allowed speed has been reached;

Emergency Brake Intervention (EBI): if the train speed is such that this limit is overpassed, the
emergency brake will be applied;

Release speed monitoring start location: the release speed may be necessary for two reasons.
One is that a train has to be able to approach the EOA where the permitted speed reaches
zero and might be too restrictive to permit acceptable driving due to inaccuracy of the
measured distance. The other reason is that in a level 1 application the train has to be able to
overpass the balise when the signal clears. For these two reasons a (low) release speed may
be given from trackside or may be calculated on board, based on the distance from the EOA
to the Supervised Location.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 42 of 58
5.3.1.1.4 Detectors
Information coming from detectors as tunnel or hot box detector information can be forwarded to
the Interlocking and up to the RBC. According to this information, the RBC can automatically activate
a predefined TSR and send it to the approaching train.
A direct reaction can also be foreseen by connecting the detector outputs to the encoder, which shall
activate the corresponding predefined TSR and shall send it to the associated Eurobalises.
As several possibilities for sending predefined TSR exist, the final implementation depends on each
project and on each particular case. A safety study has to be achieved during the project phase.
Other possibility is to automatically send conditional (CES) or unconditional emergency stop (UES)
messages after detector activations.

5.3.1.2 ASSURED INTEROPERABILITY

In this section innovative functions witch realize an interoperable system, are reported.
Thanks to them, an ETCS equipped train can move among traditional and high speed lines, even if
starting and ending journey points are in two different countries.

5.3.1.2.1 Entrance Transition Announcement

Trains approaching the ERTMS/ETCS L2 area shall be informed of the distance remaining in front of it
up to the entry border. This Eurobalise group (transition announcement Eurobalise group) shall
include all information related to the entrance point and transition conditions.
In addition to the distance, the train shall be informed through the transition announcement
Eurobalise group of the transition level to be performed once the entry point has been reached.
The physical installation of this Eurobalise group shall be done a given distance before the
ERTMS/ETCS level 2 border in order to give time enough for the train and RBC to exchange the
necessary information for preparing the entrance. In addition, the driver shall be asked to
acknowledge the level 2 transition before the entrance becomes effective.
This distance is line-speed dependent and shall be determined during the design phase of the project
according to track plans (line topology) and speed profiles.
The number of "transition announcement" Eurobalise groups shall be determined during the design
phase of the project and after the corresponding safety and availability detailed studies.
The "transition announcement" Eurobalise group is usually switchable as it is usually installed at the
same location that the last wayside optical signal before the entrance (optical signal protecting the
entrance) and before a point. In case there is no point before the entrance, a fixed Eurobalise group
can be used.

5.3.1.2.2 First Movement Authority

The ERTMS/ETCS L2 system shall verify that the approaching train is the only one and that no other
train is also entering. This shall be done by interfacing with the adjacent signalling system, mainly
with the adjacent IXL

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 43 of 58
If it is the case, the system shall send to the train its first movement authority to be applied from the
border point. The application of this movement authority at the exact border point is an on board
function.

5.3.1.2.3 Entrance with train not fitted with ERTMS/ETCS L2

In order to protect the entrance of the ERTMS/ETCS level 2 area and avoid not fitted trains to enter
the area, several methods have been implemented by Alstom:

- A signal managed by the interlocking and located at entrance is red until the RBC sends a
movement authority to the train. As the not fitted train will not receive any movement
authority, the signal will stay red and the train will not enter the ERTMS/ETCS level 2 area.
- An information containing the train running number is sent to the control center. Based on it
and on its timetable, the operator will permit or not the access to the ERTMS/ETCS level 2
area to the entering trains.
- A Eurobalise of the adjacent national system is located at the entrance and protects the
ERTMS/ETCS level 2 Area by sending information to stop the train. As train fitted with
ERTMS/ETCS level 2 will have already switched to ERTMS/ETCS system, they will not take
into account the Eurobalise message and they will not be stopped.

5.3.1.3 IMPROVED PERFORMANCE

5.3.1.3.1 INCREASED INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY

Today, railway operations in several parts of the world and in Europe in particular require a constant
and increasingly intense flow of trains on busy routes.
Before explaining how ETCS L2 covers this requirement, helping the reader of this paper, Table 4
presents an overview of the terminology used in this paragraph.
Term Explanation
The time a block section (the length of track between two block signals,
Occupation Time
cab signals or both) is occupied by a train.
The time difference between actual headway and minimum allowable
Buffer time
headway.
The distance between the front ends of two consecutive trains moving
along the same track in the same direction.
Headway distance
The minimum headway distance is the shortest possible distance at a
certain travel speed allowed by the signalling and/or safety system.
The time interval between two trains or the (time) spacing of trains or
the time interval between the passing of the front ends of two
Headway time
consecutive (vehicles or) trains moving along the same (lane or) track in
the same direction.
Table 5: Short description of rail capacity terminology

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 44 of 58
Some of the terms described are further illustrated in the following diagram.

Figure 36: Rail capacity parameters

By allowing a reduction of headways between trains, signalling systems play a major role in increasing
capacity on railway networks, as more trains can run on the same track.
In this framework, ETCS L2 offers considerable benefits in terms of infrastructure capacity. So, how
can signalling affect rail infrastructure capacity?
Whilst signalling originally aims to control railway traffic safely and avoid collisions between trains, it
increasingly plays an important role in increasing capacity, i.e. influencing the number of trains on a
given line and the distance between them, and has therefore become a crucial part of railways
competitiveness.
In the early days, Movement Authorities were passed on to train drivers by flagmen or elevated
flags located on the various sections of the track. These were replaced over time by lineside signals
(traffic lights) which are nowadays still largely present on most railway networks.
Now ATP will automatically apply the brakes if the driver fails to respect the Movement Authority
thereby removing the risk of a human error and allowing for higher speeds and shorter headways
between trains.
However, signalling is not the only way to increase capacity on a given rail network.
In fact, there are a number of options to increase capacity, from building additional lines or renewing
existing tracks, lengthening trains and loops or platforms, to operating more frequent services and
higher density trains.
Opting for a modern signalling system like ETCS, operators may easily increase the frequency of trains
on a given line. Instead of building another line or lengthening trains and platforms, upgrading to
ERTMS represents the easiest, most economic and least disruptive way of increasing capacity on a
line or network.
Infrastructure capacity is always a result of several technical and operational factors and this makes it
difficult to provide a generic figure.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 45 of 58
However, it is commonly acknowledged and demonstrated by experience that the moving from a
conventional trackside signalling system to a cab-signalling ATP system like ETCS, with an appropriate
block system, enables up to 40% capacity increase on currently existing infrastructure.
As the most recent signalling system, ETCS is publicly acknowledged to have better performance in
terms of capacity than its predecessors. This is due to the cab signalling features and the ability of
ETCS to take into account the braking compatibilities of each individual train.
Basically, the use of ETCS L2 can offer considerable advantages in terms of capacity increase. Indeed,
when using L2 a continuous stream of data informs the driver of line-specific data and signals status
on the route ahead, allowing the train to reach its maximum or optimal speed but still maintaining a
safe braking distance factor. This therefore enables higher operational speeds and reduced
headways.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 46 of 58
5.3.2 TRAINBORNE SUBSYSTEM
5.3.2.1 OPERATING MODE
The trainborne ETCS L2 subsystem can take on various status and operating modes. For detailed
information, refer to [R19].
Each one of them guarantees a different safety level of driving. Where appropriate, a symbol
displayed on the DMI indicates the mode that is currently selected:

1) Full supervision (FS)

This is the normal non-permissive movement authority, giving full protection. The train is
permitted to run at the maximum speed shown and its supervised against a dynamic speed
profile. This mode cannot be selected by the driver, but it is entered automatically by the On-
Board Unit when all train and track data, necessary for a complete supervision, is available on-
board.
2) On sight (OS)
This movement authority allows the train to enter into a track section that could be already
occupied by another train , or obstructed by any kind of obstacle. The train must proceed at
such a speed that it can stop short of any obstruction. The speed is supervised against a
dynamic speed profile. This mode cannot be selected by the driver, but it is entered
automatically by the On-Board Unit when commanded by trackside and all necessary
conditions are fulfilled..
3) Shunting (SH)
This mode is used during shunting movements. The train's speed is supervised up to a ceiling
speed. A list of expected balise groups can be sent by the trackside equipment: in such case, if
a balise group not contained in the list is passed, tha train is tripped. The train is tripped also if
a stop if in shunting mode information is received from balise group. Display of the Shunt
symbol is not an authority to move the train. This mode can be entered by the driver or
ordered by trackside.
4) NoN-leading (NL)
This mode is selected on the rear traction unit when running in tandem or banking, etc. It
provides limited supervision.
5) Staff responsible (SR)
This mode allows the train to be moved under the driver's own authority on an ERTMS
equipped line. The train's speed is supervised up to a ceiling speed. A list of expected balise
groups can be sent by the trackside equipment: in such case, if a balise group not contained in
the list is passed, tha train is tripped. The train is tripped also if a stop if in SR information is
received from balise group. A given distance is also supervised, and the train is tripped if it
overpasses this distance.
6) Standby (SB)
This is the default mode, automatically selected when opening or shutting down the driver's
desk. The ERTMS/ETCS on-board equipment performs the standstill supervision.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 47 of 58
7) Unfitted (UN)
This mode is selected when driving on lines not fitted with ERTMS. The DMI will display no
information other than the train's speed, which is supervised up to a ceiling speed provided by
national data. Also temporary speed restrictions are supervised by the ERTMS/ETCS on-board
equipment.
8) Trip (TR)
This mode is automatically selected in the event of a movement authority being exceeded,
until acknowledged by the driver. An emergency brake demand will occur and the reason of
the trip displayed.
9) Post trip (PT)
This mode is entered automatically once the train has come to a stand and the driver has
acknowledged the trip. The command brake is then released..
10) Sleeping (SL)
Where a locomotive or unit has more than one set of ERTMS/ETCS on-board equipment, only
one set can be active at any time. The other sets will be in sleeping mode. In this mode no
train supervision is performed.
11) System failure (SF)
This mode is associated with failure of the ERTMS/ETCS on-board equipment and is
accompanied by an emergency brake demand.
12) No power (NP)
This mode is entered when no power is applied to the ERTMS/ETCS on-board equipment. It is
accompanied by an emergency brake demand. Some parts of the On-Board Unit may be fed
by an auxiliary power supply.
13) Isolation (IS)
This mode applies when the driver has isolated the ERTMS following a failure.
14) National System (SN)
This mode allows the National System to access some resources of the ERTMS/ETCS on-board
equipment.
15) Reversing (RV)
The Reversing mode allows the driver to change the direction of movement of the train and
drive from the same cab, i.e. the train orientation remains unchanged. This shall be possible
only in areas so marked by trackside. Reversing areas shall be announced in advance by
trackside. This mode is used to allow the train to escape from a dangerous situation and to
reach as fast as possible a safer location. In this mode a ceiling speed and an allowed
distance are supervised.
16) Limited Supervision (LS)
The Limited Supervision mode enables the train to be operated in areas where
trackside information can be supplied to realise background supervision of the train. Limited
supervision cannot be selected by the driver, but shall be entered automatically when
commanded by trackside and all necessary conditions are fulfilled. The ERTMS/ETCS on-board
equipment shall supervise train movements against a dynamic speed profile. The Limited

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 48 of 58
 Supervision mode enables the train to be operated in areas equipped with lineside signals
where ETCS does not have information regarding the status of some signals, i.e. not all signals
are fitted with LEUs or connected to an RBC. The driver must observe the existing line-side
information (signals, speed boards etc.) and National operating rules.
17) Passive Shunting (PS)
The Passive Shunting mode is defined to manage the ERTMS/ETCS on-board equipment of a
slave engine (NOT remote controlled, but mechanically coupled to the leading engine), being
part of a shunting consist. This mode can also be used to carry on a shunting movement with a
single engine fitted with one on-board equipment and two cabs, when the driver has to
change the driving cab.

5.3.2.2 START OF MISSION

The driver of an ETCS fitted train may have to perform the procedure SoM in order to allow the train
starting its movement along the track, according to the planned operative modes and the
ERTMS/ETCS level:
a) Once the train is awake, OR
b) Once shunting movements are finished, OR
c) Once a mission is ended, OR
d) Once a slave engine becomes a leading engine

For each connection related to an end section point, a safe zone called TAF zone must be
associated, in which the ERTMS/ETCS L2 signalling system can guarantee that the train is the first one
in the block and the section located downstream the train is not occupied.
The common point of all the situations involving the achievement of the function Start of Mission is
that the ERTMS/ETCS on-board is in SB mode. At the beginning of the Start of Mission procedure, the
data required to the driver are:
Driver ID
ERTMS/ETCS level
RBC ID/phone number
Train Data
Train Running Number
Train Position (known, invalid, unknown)

If the train position data stored in the on-board equipment is of status invalid or "unknown", the
information shall be transmitted to the RBC via the "SoM position report" message.
If the position report is validated by RBC, the ERTMS/ETCS on-board equipment is informed that the
train is accepted without valid position data, so it shall delete the train position data (new status:
unknown).
Consequentially, the train is set to SR until the next BG, when its able to send a valid position report
to RBC.
Here, the situations for which train position is invalid/unknown at start-up are listed:

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 49 of 58
 Train comes from mode IS, SF, NP (with no cold movement detector)
Train moved in IS, SF, NP mode

If the train is running in a degraded mode (as at the beginning of the procedure Start of Mission),
ensuring that the train is the first one in the block and the section located downstream the train is
not occupied, is mandatory.
In a level 2/3 area, the ERTMS/ETCS on-board equipment shall be able to handle a TAF Request given
by the RBC. The track ahead free request from the RBC shall indicate to the on-board:
a) at which location the ERTMS/ETCS on-board equipment shall begin to display the request
to the driver.
b) at which location the ERTMS/ETCS on-board equipment shall stop to display the request to
the driver (in case the driver did not acknowledge)

The driver shall have the possibility to acknowledge the track ahead free request (meaning the driver
Confirm that the track between the head of the train and the next signal or board marking signal
position is free).
When the driver acknowledges, the ERTMS/ETCS on-board equipment shall stop displaying the
request, and shall inform the RBC that the track ahead is free.
There shall be no restrictive consequence by the on-board system if the driver does not acknowledge.
A new track ahead free request shall replace the one previously received and stored.

5.3.2.3 INCREASED SPEED

In general and specifically for the ETCS equipped trains, the term maximum speed can have many
meanings. It can reflect:
- Maximum average speed between two scheduled stops based on the running times in
timetables daily operation.
- Maximum speed at which a train is allowed to run safely as set by law or policy on a straight
section in daily service with minimal constraints
- Maximum speed at which an unmodified train is proved to be capable of running.

Official absolute world record for conventional train is held by the French TGV.
In April 2007, a specially tuned train, reduced to three cars with higher voltage, broke the world
record, reaching 574.8 km/h, the highest ERTMS speed until now.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 50 of 58
 Figure 37: TGV speed world record

5.3.3 INTERFACE BETWEEN TRACKSIDE AND TRAINBORNE SUBSYSTEMS

The ERTMS/ETCS L2 trackside signalling subsystem communicate with the OBU (On Board Unit):
1. Through the NTG gateway, by the exchange of RBC Radio messages on a GSM-R channel
2. Through the Air Gap interface, by the transmission of Eurobalise telegrams.

Figure 38: Interface between Trackside and Trainborne Subsystems

5.3.3.1 RADIO Interface

5.3.3.1.1 GSM-R
The GSM-R, just generally described in 3.4.2, is the mobile communications system which allows the
exchange of data between an ERTMS L2 fitted train and the trackside subsystem.
This wireless and connection-oriented approach is often considered as the bottleneck of the
signalling system, which considerably limits the possible number of voice and data connections in
each cell of the network at the same time and it can cause a deadlock of the system, if the number of
users will rapidly increase (e.g. accidents, freight depots, lines with a high and dynamic volume of
traffic).

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 51 of 58
5.3.3.1.2 GPRS-R
A packet-switched approach should be analyzed to counteract this expected deadlock by taking into
account that the GSM-R infrastructure, which is often already installed by the national railroad
operators, also should be used to save the high capital investment of these railroad operators.
In public wireless networks the packet-switched GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) was used to
increase the possibilities of the already existing wireless infrastructure. Currently the amount of data
used for signalling within connection-oriented ETCS Level 2 environment is very small and in most
cases there are no transmissions for a long time interval. However, the classical GSM scheme keeps
the transmission channel busy, due to its circuit-switched behaviour. A full GSM channel is reserved
for each transmission channel used. Supplementary services, e.g. operational communications, are
thus limited and the use of the bandwidth is not the really efficient. A deadlock of the system will
occur if the number of parallel ETCS Level 2 controlled trains will be on the track. With GPRS the
transmission channel is only used when data must be transmitted.
The following presents a classical GPRS infrastructure. The major differences between a packet-
oriented GPRS infrastructure and a connection-oriented GSM infrastructure consist in two further
network elements which are described as follows.

Figure 39: GPRS-R Architecture

The SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) is responsible for the delivery of data packets from and to the
mobile stations within its geographical service area. Its tasks include packet routing and packet-
transfer, the mobility management, the logical link management and, finally, the authentication and
charging functions.
The GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node) acts as an interface between the GPRS backbone network
and the external packet data networks. It converts the GPRS packets coming from the SGSN,
mentioned before, into the appropriate PDP (Packet Data Protocol) format and sends them out on

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 52 of 58
the corresponding packet data network. In the other direction, the addresses of incoming data
packets are converted to the GSM address of the destination user. The re-addressed packets are sent
to the responsible SGSN.
Once GPRS is activated, a virtual continuous connection between the network participants (e.g. train
and RBC) is established. During a session, a user is assigned to one pair of uplink and downlink
frequency channels. This is combined with time domain statistical multiplexing, i.e. packet mode
communication, which provides the common use of one frequency for several users. Only if
information (e.g. ETCS telegrams, described in 5.3.3.3.3) must be transmitted, the radio link will be
reserved by a user.
In fact, one of the highest problems for data transmissions in standard GSM is the limited size of
the data fields on each slot. GPRS fixes that inconvenience by using 4 consecutive GSM data slots,
which constitute a 456 bit GPRS data block. Once this block is defined, multiple Coding Schemes can
be implemented through the transmitted data coming from upper layers.
For these reasons, the GPRS-R technology will be implemented in the future in order to realize the
whole communication between trackside and trainborne ERTMS/ETCS L2 subsystems. For detailed
information, refer to [R17].

5.3.3.2 AIR Gap Interface

The Air Gap interface realizes the Eurobalise Transmission System, a safe spot transmission based
system conveying safety related information between the wayside infrastructure and the train.
More precisely, the Air Gap permits the communication between the Eurobalises installed on the
wayside and the On-board Transmission Equipment.
For detailed information, refer to [Ref. 7]. Here, we can simply explain that when a train passes over
a Eurobalise:
- The OBU provides a signal for transmitting the required power (Tele-powering signal) used for
activating the Eurobalise;
- The activated Eurobalise sends to the train an ERTMS/ETCS telegram;

Thus, as shown in Figure 38, this interface is splittable into the following two sub-interfaces:
- Interface A1, used for transmitting telegrams (Up-link) from the Balise to the OBU Antenna Unit.
- Interface A2, used for transmitting the required power (Tele-powering) from the OBU to the
Eurobalise

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 53 of 58
 Figure 40: Air Gap Interface

5.3.3.3 ERTMS/ETCS Language

The applicative data exchanged between the trackside (RBC and Eurobalises) and the trainborne
(OBU) subsystems are called Telegrams. They are structured and encoded using the ERTMS/ETCS
language.
The ERTMS/ETCS language is based on variables, packets and messages, organized according to a
specific and standard syntax, fully specified in [Ref. 22].

5.3.3.3.1 Variables
ERTMS/ETCS variables are used to encode single data values and cannot be split in minor units. Each
variable unambiguously identify a specific track entity, allowing the system to handle the data to be
evaluated.
The following Table 6 shows an example of a variable treated by the ERTMS/ETCS system, the
purpose of which is to identify the univocal number of a level crossing on the track.

Name NID_LX
Description Identity number of the Level Crossing.
Length of variable Minimum Value Maximum Value Resolution/formula

8 bits 0 255 Number

Special/Reserved Values 127-255 Reserved for RBC transmission

Table 6: Variable NID_LX

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 54 of 58
5.3.3.3.2 Packets
ERTMS/ETCS Packets are used to group multiple variables into a single unit, with a defined internal
structure. This structure consists of a packet header with:
- A unique packet number
- The length of the packet in bits
- The orientation information
- The distance scale and an information section containing a defined set of variables
(optionally)
The packet structure is as follows:

Variable Purpose
NID_PACKET Number - Packet identifier
Q_DIR Direction - Specifies the validity direction of transmitted data
L_PACKET Length - Number of bits in the packet
Q_SCALE Scale - Specifies which distance scale is used for all distance information within the packet.
Information Well defined set(s) of variables

Table 7: Structure of an ERTMS/ETCS Packet

5.3.3.3.3 Messages
ERTMS/ETCS messages (telegrams) are composed of one header, a predefined set of ERTMS/ETCS
variables (when needed), a predefined set of ERTMS/ETCS packets (when needed) and optional
packets as needed by application. The transmission order in ERTMS/ETCS messages respect the order
of data elements listed in the message format (from top to bottom).
As example, here two telegrams sent by RBC to the OBU, are described in term of triggering
functions, which activate the sending process and data structure.

5.3.3.3.3.1 Message 2: SR Authorization

The ERTMS/ETCS trackside subsystem has to issue to the train the Message 2: SR Authorization if
the following conditions are fulfilled:
1. The OBU operating mode is SR and a MA Request is received from the OBU;
OR
2. The OBU operating mode is SB or PT and
3. No TAF Window is configured and
4. The train position is invalid or unknown and
5. A MA Request is received from the OBU.

The following diagram in Figure 39 graphically describes whats just presented.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 55 of 58
 START

SR Train Mode SB, PT

TAF window
configured

NO

Train Position Invalid OR

Unknown

YES
Waiting MA Request

MA Request received from the train

Message 2: SR
Authorization
to be sent

Figure 41: Triggering functions for Message 2: SR Authorization

The following Table 8 shows the data structure of the message:

N Variable Name Variable Value

1 NID_MESSAGE 2
2 L_MESSAGE 12
3 T_TRAIN Time, according to trainborne clock, at which message is sent
4 M_ACK 1
5 NID_LRBG Balise identity number of last relevant balise group (NID_BG)
6 Q_SCALE 0
7 D_SR 32767

Table 8: Message 2 - SR Authorization

5.3.3.3.3.2 Message 3: Movement Authority

The ERTMS/ETCS trackside subsystem has to issue to the OBU the Message 3: Movement
Authority:
1. Only through the RBC which is responsible of the train (Supervising RBC).
2. Only to trains with validated train characteristics and for which an internal route (path)
has been created and assigned.
3. Only to trains with a validated position inside the area supervised by RBC.
4. Only to trains for which there is no Emergency Stop Messages pending.

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 56 of 58
 5. Only to trains for which there is compatibility between the OBU characteristics and the
portion of the railroad covered by the MA.

The following Table 9 shows the data structure of the message:

N Variable Name Variable Value

1 NID_MESSAGE 3
2 L_MESSAGE It depends by Optional Packets
3 T_TRAIN Time, according to trainborne clock, at which message is sent
4 M_ACK 1
5 NID_LRBG Balise identity number of last relevant balise group (NID_BG)
Level 2/3 Movement
6 Packet Number 15 - Transmission of a movement authority for levels 2/3
Authority
7 Gradient Profile Packet Number 21 - Transmission of the gradient
Packet Number 27 - Static speed profile and optionally speed limits depending on the
8 Static Speed Profile
international train category.
9 Optional Packets

Table 9: Message 3: Movement Authority

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 57 of 58
 What has been written without passion,
will be read without pleasure.

Samuel Jhonson

www.railwaysignalling.eu 2013-2014 The ERTMS/ETCS signalling system

Riproduction, use or disclosure of third parts without reference or express autorithy is forbidden.
Equelly, if you recognize contents cited without explicit reference, please report to the staff and well provide an update. Page 58 of 58