Evaluating Key Factors Influencing ERTMS Risk Assessment:A Reference Model

The European Railway Traffic Management system (ERTMS) aims to replace the various national train command and control systems in Europe, and will serve to improve cross-border interoperability, with the final aim of improving the competitiveness of the rail sector. As an additional effect, it is argued that implementation of ERTMS will improve safety. To provide insight into safety developments within the European railway system, this study evaluates ERTMS at both the national and international levels. For this purpose, international data from European ERTMS implementations is combined using data obtained from interviews with ERTMS stakeholders and safety experts from the Netherlands. Effects of the safety case regime, interoperability, deregulation and dynamic specifications on the European railway system have been researched. We present our findings into a reference model that describes the existing situation and shows what key factors are most suitable to improve the situation. The challenges are to improve resilience, to generate more awareness of interrelationships between hazards and risks, but even more: comprehending the safety architecture and creating cross-discipline understanding