Technical standards, interoperability, and the further development of the ETCS/ERTMS system were the main topics of the international TSI Open Days Technical Workshop held in Prague and organised by the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic, ACRI – the Association of Czech Railway Industry Companies, and UNIFE – the European Rail Industry Association. The workshop confirmed that ETCS is evolving from a purely technical subject into a strategic and political issue with a direct impact on the competitiveness of European railways.
The opening session of the workshop was attended by the Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic, Ivan Bednárik, along with representatives of key European and Czech institutions and companies active in the fields of railway interoperability, signalling, and rolling stock manufacturing – including the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), ACRI – the Association of Czech Railway Industry Companies, UNIFE – the European Rail Industry Association, the Czech Rail Authority, the Railway Infrastructure Administration, Czech Railways, Škoda Group, and AŽD.
Discussions focused on practical experience with the implementation of ETCS in the Czech Republic, which ranks among the most advanced countries in Europe in deploying the system. ETCS currently covers more than 1,400 kilometres of railway lines in the Czech Republic and nearly half of total transport performance, with exclusive ETCS operation in place on selected sections since January 2025. The main benefits include a significant increase in railway safety, a reduction in accidents caused by human error, improved traffic flow, and better situational awareness for train drivers.
At the same time, participants openly identified major challenges. These include high investment and operating costs, the complexity of approval and certification processes, differences in implementation between individual countries, and limited real interoperability in cross-border operations. There was repeated emphasis on the need to simplify regulation, enhance standardisation, and shift from viewing ETCS as an individual “project” to treating it as a unified European “product”.
Representatives of ERA stressed that their priorities include completing the Single European Railway Area, optimising regulation in order to reduce costs, and managing the introduction of innovations in a way that does not jeopardise investments already made. Key prerequisites for further progress are stable technical specifications, predictability of changes, and close cooperation with industry and operators.
Manufacturers, operators, and infrastructure managers highlighted the need for a realistic approach to the scope of ETCS deployment, particularly on less heavily used lines, as well as the risk of rail losing competitiveness to road transport if costs increase disproportionately. However, according to participants, the Czech experience demonstrates that even a highly complex technological transformation can be successfully managed through intensive communication and cooperation between public authorities, regulators, operators, and industry.
As stated in the opening address by Marie Vopálenská, Director General of ACRI:
“Technical standards and interoperability are not merely technical matters, but a fundamental prerequisite for the safe, competitive, and long-term sustainable development of European railways. If we are to succeed in a rapidly changing world, we need predictability of technical standards, simplification of approval processes, and a reduction in the costs associated with them. These steps are essential for the global competitiveness of our companies.”
The workshop confirmed that the future of ETCS will depend not only on technological progress, but above all on political will, a stable regulatory framework, and Europe’s ability to act in a coordinated and unified manner.
Ministr of transport of the Czech Republic, Ivan Bednárik (left) talking to Marie Vopálenská, ACRI Association of the Czech Railway Supply Industry CEO.
