Norway: Bane NOR Awards Contract for Installation of ERTMS to Alstom
Bane NOR, the Norwegian railway authority, has awarded a contract to equip the entire Norwegian railway fleet with the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) to Alstom Transportation, with a provision to maintain the system for up to 25 years.
The new on-board system, which is based on Alstom’s Atlas model of ERTMS, will improve safety and efficiency on the network by reducing delays for passenger and freight trains. The installation of the equipment will start in 2021 and be completed by 2026.
The agreement which Bane NOR has negotiated with Alstom encompasses frame contracts for the installation of the ERTMS on 467 trains in 55 models across 14 different railway companies in the country.
Sverre Kjenne, Executive Vice President, Digitalisation and Technology at Bane NOR, said:
“Awarding the contracts for on-board equipment on the trains is a significant and important step forward in the digitalization of Norwegian railways. We strongly believe in Alstom’s ability to develop good solutions together with us for the benefit of the railways, the train companies and the passengers.”
Rob Whyte, Managing Director of Alstom in the Nordics, said:
“We are very pleased to have been awarded this contract. Alstom will supply a reliable and durable on-board signalling system, providing Norway with a punctual, safe, modern and larger capacity rail system. The proposed solution will capture the benefits of the Norwegian government’s investment programme for passengers, local stakeholders and the diverse communities the railway serves.”
Alstom’s Atlas range of ERTMS solutions features a dual system which equips trains to run on legacy lines fitted with ATC-2 system and lines which use the ERTMS Level 2 system. The design and software of the system shares some on-board components, including the balise antenna and the computer, to reduce the space required for it.
Alstom’s ERTMS centre of excellence in Charleroi, Belgium, will collaborate on the design of the system with its project office in Oslo, Norway, and its hardware development centre in Villeurbanne, France.
