Revealed live at the 8 February ceremony, the 2022 Rail Trailblazer Award went to Bane NOR’s ERTMS programme. The Norwegian national rail infrastructure company’s plan is to revolutionise its railway network over the next ten years by investing more than €2 billion in the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), which promises to enable future digitalisation and automation. It is the first project of this scale in Europe, with around 4,200 kilometres of track and more than 350 stations around Norway slated to be equipped with European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 technology.

Due to run until 2034, with a first ERTMS line set to open in October of this year, the programme implementation is ongoing, and several important milestones have already been reached. Perhaps most significantly, BANE Nor has already launched an ERTMS pilot line and a training and simulation centre. Workforce training is an important aspect of the project as an estimated 6,000 people will require ERTMS training to fully make use of this important technology. The new, fully digitalised signalling system will enhance safety, punctuality and capacity across Norway’s rail network. It also promises to save a significant amount of hardware and provide the basis for data-based, minimised preventive maintenance. For passengers, it will ultimately allow for a far more efficient and reliable travel experience, with similar benefits for the transport of goods.

Find out more in this video from Bane NOR.