EU-Rail at the ERTMS 2026 Conference: Shaping the Future of European Rail

EU-Rail was at the ERTMS 2026 Conference in Valenciennes, France, from 21 to 23 April 2026. Organised by the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), the 3-day Conference provided an in-depth exploration of ongoing projects and successful deployment cases of ERTMS across Europe and worldwide. The event brought together over 600 participants in person and 200 joining remotely. 

EU-Rail activities were highlighted throughout the conference including workshops on FRMCS, Operational Harmonisation, technical solutions contributing to the Single European Rail Area, Cybersecurity, and Modular Safety Case, as well as demonstrations linking ERA ontology to real-time trackside diagnostics. Let’s explore in depth how EU-Rail contributed to the discussions throughout the whole event. 

Workshop 4 – Practical solutions to overcome FRMCS-related deployment challenges 

EU-Rail moderated Workshop 4 on practical solutions to overcome FRMCS-related deployment challenges. Over 250 attendees joined the workshop, where deployment group members present and explore the challenges and possible solutions that will allow FRMCS deployment in the coming years: an aligned and long-term vision for FRMCS deployment across Europe, the use of public Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), and real deployment scenarios and operational applications. 

Participants were involved working in small groups, comparing operational needs, technical constraints and opportunities for innovation. The lively discussion showed a high interest in the upcoming sector transition to FRMCS. It also became clear that creating awareness and cooperating between all stakeholders is important for better knowledge and preparation for the migration ahead.  

EU-Rail is actively working on this topic, and the Deployment Group will soon release webinars and communications for the railway sector. 

Session 4 – Preparing the future with FRMCS 

Senior Programme Manager/Seconded National Expert Karel van Gils contributed to the panel on FRMCS. He addressed the collaborative work of the EU-Rail Deployment Group to prepare the transition by analysing cost drivers, delivering concrete input to ERA to simplify the authorisation process, as well as the work that lead to the already published practical deployment guidelines and the report on different deployment scenarios. 

Session 6 – Future of European Rail Systems 

The final sessions of the conference brought forward key reflections on the future of ERTMS and the wider European rail system. Giorgio Travaini, Executive Director at EU-Rail, together with Ian Conlon, Head of System Pillar, Communication and Outreach, moderated the Session “Outlook – Future”, highlighting how EU-Rail is addressing many of the challenges raised in the conference including cybersecurity, operational harmonisation, and functional improvements such as automation. 

Discussions underlined the need for a system-level transformation, with digitalisation and automation (including ATO, digital automatic coupling, and data-driven systems) set to improve efficiency and capacity. Moving from fragmented solutions to a truly integrated European rail system is essential to achieve the sector goals, and standardisation is a key enabler, with a harmonised CCS ecosystem seen as crucial to reduce variability and accelerate deployment. Looking ahead, autonomous operations, 5G integration, and modular systems will play a major role, alongside stronger coordination across stakeholders. 

Closing Session 

Giorgio Travaini also joined Oana Gherghinescu – Executive Director of ERA, and Kristian Schmidt – Director Land Transport at DG MOVE, in the closing session, reflecting on both the progress made and the road ahead for ERTMS. The discussion highlighted the urgency to move forward with concrete solutions and stronger alignment, with key common priorities: simplification, harmonisation and industrialisation, stronger governance and collaboration between stakeholders. 

To further ERTMS deployment across Europe, next challenges include reducing unnecessary change requests, tackling national specificities, and moving from multiple systems towards a truly unified ERTMS to enable scale, competition, and cost reduction. Looking ahead, several strategic initiatives are already underway, all aimed at reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and supporting large-scale deployment.  

A clear message resonated throughout the conference: ERTMS is no longer a technical experiment, it is a reality, already deployed by pioneers and increasingly shaping the European rail system. At the same time, its rollout comes with significant costs, complexity, and pressure at different levels – legal, financial, operational, and political.