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9. February 2021The Network of European Railways e.V. (NEE) comments on the decision of Federal Finance Minister and SPD Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz, who apparently wants to miss the opportunity to advance the rapid implementation of the European Train Control System (ETCS) on locomotives and multiple units with the help of the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Fund.
(Berlin) The Network of European Railways e.V. comments on a decision by the Federal Ministry of Finance. Practically simultaneously with the resolution of the SPD party executive board on “Future Missions for Germany”, the SPD-led Federal Ministry of Finance issued a sharp and general rejection of funding for the equipping of locomotives and multiple units with the unified European train control and safety system “European Train Control System” (ETCS).
Rejection is counterproductive
While the SPD program speaks of a new “transport network” and the goal of establishing the “most modern and climate-friendly mobility system in Europe”, the finance minister’s rejection is economically counterproductive. This risks that the large infrastructure investments in the digitization of control and safety technology cannot be effectively utilized.
NEE Chairman Ludolf Kerkeling: “Germany is still lagging behind other European countries in implementing ETCS technology.”
The freight railway association, together with the German Transport Forum (DVF), proposed to the federal government to use funds from the EU’s Corona Recovery Fund for the rapid equipping of rail vehicles with the necessary “On-Board Units”. Germany expects more than 22 billion euros from Brussels. A study commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Transport estimates the need for ETCS On-Board Units in freight and passenger transport at around four billion euros in total.
No additional economic stimulus
However, the BMF does not want to use the EU funds provided by the Recovery and Resilience Facility for additional economic stimulus. The ministry points out that these funds should only finance measures already decided in the federal budget. However, the still outstanding financing of the vehicle-side ETCS components could provide short-term economic stimulus.
ETCS is an important component for the digitization of railway operations and is intended to be part of the complete interoperability in cross-border traffic. ETCS promises not only a gain in safety but also more efficiency in operations, strengthening rail freight transport in competition with road transport. In particular, the planned ETCS expansion stage “Level 3” could also increase the capacity of the rail network.
Kerkeling: “The new control and safety technology on the tracks only works with corresponding devices that must be installed in the driver’s cabs of the trains. Power meters must also be paid for by the power grid operator and not by the power consumer.”
If railway companies had to procure the ETCS On-Board Units in addition to the existing PZB devices, the competitiveness of rail transport would suffer a setback with costs of up to 500,000 euros per vehicle – calculated without the higher maintenance costs.
Public funds not only for rail
In the past, it has been shown that it is beneficial for the transport transition to invest public funds not only in rail infrastructure as usual but also, under certain circumstances, in the vehicles themselves: Without the federal government’s cost coverage for so-called “whisper brakes”, the realization of the now only half as loud rail freight transport would not have been possible so quickly. The goal of the federal government and the industry is to have ETCS deployed nationwide by 2035. Ludolf Kerkeling concludes:
“If SPD Chancellor candidate Scholz is truly serious about the future mission of mobility, he must make the financing of all ETCS components an immediate priority. He will find a supporter in Federal Minister of Transport Scheuer.”
Photo: © NEE
