“ERTMS Deal” Side Event at Connecting Europe Days 2026: Kick-starting ERTMS Deployment in Europe

28 September 2026 – The vision of a harmonised European Rail Traffic Management System took shape today at the side event “ERTMS Deal – Kick-starting ERTMS Deployment in Europe”, organised by EU-Rail  in the framework of Connecting Europe Days 2026, which gather key industrial stakeholders and policymakers at the Infrabel Academy in Brussels to discuss about ERTMS deployment in Europe.

Around 200 participants attended the event to discuss the momentum behind — and the practical implementation of — a shift from today’s fragmented approach to ERTMS deployment towards a standardised, EU-wide solution capable of delivering cost reductions and faster rollout across the continent.

ERTMS deployment has long been constrained by fragmentation, resulting in complexity, higher costs, and a lack of compatibility between infrastructure and vehicle equipment. To address these challenges, the European Commission has proposed an “ERTMS Deal”, built around three core pillars: a European blueprint for ERTMS, a funding condition through a “Single European Rail Area label”, and a fast-track approval process by the EU Agency for Railways for compliant projects.

The event opened with welcome addresses given by Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General of DG MOVE, European Commission, and David Van Sype, Chief Operations Officer at Infrabel, followed by the first panel discussion “Call for a Faster Deployment of ERTMS and Deeper Harmonisation”. The session, moderated by Monika Heiming, Executive Director of EIM, focused on the need for accelerated ERTMS rollout paired with deeper harmonisation across the European railway system. Speakers included:

• Matthias Ruete, European Coordinator for ERTMS
• Gerard Scheffrahn, Programme Director of ERTMS – Netherlands
• Mathieu Delecrin, Head of New Fleet, Eurostar
• Rainer Beller, Engineering Director, Beacon Rail Capital Europe
• Aymeric Sarrazin, President Digital & Integrated System, Alstom

The second panel turned to implementation. Moderated by Joachim Lücking, Head of Unit Rail Safety and Interoperability at DG MOVE, the discussion “How to Implement an ERTMS Deal” brought together:

• Ian Conlon, Head of System Pillar, Communication and Outreach
• Oana Gherghinescu, Executive Director, EU Agency for Railways
• Eric Morand, Head of Digital Signalling Programme, SNCF Réseau
• Gemma Salazar Luque, Head of Technology Edge, Hitachi Rail
• Piotr Glinka, Head of Sector ERTMS, CINEA

Speakers emphasised that delivering the ERTMS Deal will require coordinated action by Member States, industry, and stakeholders, prioritising standardised solutions and ensuring more effective use of EU funding to concretely kick-start ERTMS deployment across Europe.

Hosted at the Infrabel Academy, the event also gave speakers and participants the opportunity to explore the venue itself. Guided tours were organised to best experience this unique Learning & Development Center, which provides modern training facilities and hands-on rail expertise for railway sector professionals.