Alstom has signed a framework agreement worth around €900 million with Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) to design, deliver and commission a large-scale European Rail Transport Management System (ERTMS) ERTMS2 system.

ERTMS2 is the most advanced train supervision and control system available today. 27 lines managed by RFI in the regions of Sardinia, Molise, Puglia, Umbria, Lazio, and Campania will benefit from the technology, which Alstom will deliver with the latest ERTMS Baseline 3 Level 2 system with GSM-R 3 and digital interlocking ACCM4. GSM-R 3 is a radio system for voice and data communication between the track and the train, and ACCM4 is Multi-station Central Computer Equipment.

ERTMS ensures the interoperability of national railway systems, reducing the purchase and maintenance costs of signalling systems, and improving trains’ reliability and track capacity. It guarantees the highest safety standards by meeting the European Union’s technical specifications for interoperability and the CENELEC5 (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) standards for railway safety.

The lines covered by the agreement are part of a 2.7-billion-euro tender by RFI to implement ERTMS throughout Italy and represents the last part of technical projects to be financed within the framework of the NRRP that will transform approximately 4,800 kilometres of railway lines.

The framework agreement is not a specific order, but call-offs under the agreement will be ordered

Alstom has 160 years experience in manufacturing trains in Italy and for the last 90 years has provided signalling and electrification solutions. The company now has ten sites throughout the country with over 3,500 employees.

Alstom has implemented its ERTMS/ETCS technology on Spain’s new AVE high-speed line, and has been awarded a £31m contract to equip trains in Sweden with ERTMS.

Gian Luca Erbacci, Europe Region President at Alstom, said: “With this new contract, Alstom reaffirms itself as the reference player in the railway sector in Italy. Being selected by RFI for the second time for one of the key projects of the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan is a source of immense pride for Alstom. It also demonstrates Alstom’s commitment to providing Italy with innovative technology aimed at improving the country’s rail infrastructure and providing smart and sustainable mobility solutions that will benefit its passengers.”