Managing Systemic Innovations in Rail Systems: The case of ERTMS technologies

Interoperability has become a keyword in the European Transport Policy, with the strong objective to improve transportation services. In the rail sector, this trend is embodied in technological innovations: A deep change in the communication and signalling system is taking place with the new ERTMS projects (European Rail Traffic Management System). This new technology will constitute in the future an important improvement of performances of the rail transportation system, in term of interoperability between railways networks, in term of capacity and in term of traffic management. Such a systemic innovation is however a big challenge: It impacts equipment of infrastructures, rolling-stock, control centres as well as operating rules. Introducing such changes on a complex rail network with high traffic density is not an easy task: How implementing disruptive technologies in an incremental manner? After a short presentation of ERTMS and its expected benefits, this paper examines the stakes of such an innovation through a case study approach, based on the recent experience of SBB and of the Industry (Swiss experience and international overview).

About this result

This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.

Related concepts (2)

European Rail Traffic Management System

The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is the system of standards for management and interoperation of signalling for railways by the European Union (EU). It is conducted by the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and is the organisational umbrella for the separately managed parts of GSM–R (communication), European Train Control System (ETCS, signalling), European Train Management Layer (ETML, payload management) The main target of ERTMS is to promote the interoperability of trains in the EU.

Innovation

Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or services or improvement in offering goods or services. ISO TC 279 in the standard ISO 56000:2020 defines innovation as "a new or changed entity realizing or redistributing value". Others have different definitions; a common element in the definitions is a focus on newness, improvement, and spread of ideas or technologies.