Space for innovation in rail

The head of localization projects at SNCF presented the goals of his team, which include developing and testing new localization solutions for trains in collaboration with suppliers, to ensure their integration into railway systems, particularly ETCS. Among the mentioned projects are CLUG 2.0 and FP2-R2DATO, where SNCF is leading activities related to rail user needs and safe localization demonstrations.

To enable the adoption of satellite-based localization in ERTMS, it is necessary to demonstrate the performance of localization solutions within the FP2-R2DATO project. European partners must also work on defining a common architecture with standardized interfaces, including EGNOS.

To achieve these goals, the R2DATO project relies on 8 Absolute Safe Train Positioning (ASTP) demonstrators, 6 of which use an EGNOS for Rail service to meet safety requirements. A rail-specific EGNOS service is being developed in collaboration with ESA, EUSPA, ERA, and ERJU, targeting a release in 2025. This service is crucial for validating the localization demonstrators, which are necessary for integrating satellite-based localization into ERTMS Technical Specifications.

A strong collaboration between the rail sector and the EU Space Program is essential to demonstrate GNSS-based localization for ERTMS by 2025-2026, thus facilitating the future adoption of this technology in ERTMS.