Press releases

2024/02/05

CAF recorded its best year in the contracting of onboard ERTMS equipment

- The signalling division has signed contracts to equip more than 450 vehicles with on-board ERTMS, reaching more than 1,300 vehicles equipped

- The signalling business is present in more than a dozen countries, spread over four continents

Donostia, 5th February 2024.- The CAF Group's railway signalling business has closed the year 2023 with more than 450 vehicles contracted to be equipped with its on-board ERTMS. That is the best record for this division in its 14 years of history as a Group company. 

Less than a decade after signing its first contract, the company has exceeded 1,300 vehicles equipped with on-board ERTMS and ATO (Automatic Train Operation), covering all types of vehicles, both new and retrofit. 

During these ten years, CAF has expanded its geographical presence in signalling in four of the five continents, specifically, it has projects in more than a dozen countries: Spain, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Uruguay, United Arab Emirates and Arabia. 

In its beginnings, the signalling subsidiary acquired its first references and experience thanks to the support and drive of CAF's vehicle business. However, over the years this business has also managed to grow outside the Group's umbrella, providing services to other rolling stock manufacturers and benchmark operators such as Renfe, Euskotren, NS, Deustche Bahn, KiwiRail, Ceské Dráhy and SZDC. 

Reference supplier of on-board ERTMS/ERTMS 

The signing of contracts for more than 450 vehicles to be equipped with its on-board ERTMS in 2023 has positioned CAF as one of the main suppliers worldwide in terms of equipment contracted last year as far as signalling is concerned. 

In fact, CAF is currently the leader in on-board railway signalling in markets such as the Czech Republic, where it has a total of more than 400 vehicles equipped with on-board ERTMS; or the Netherlands, with more than 275 references. It has also achieved one hundred percent of the market share in on-board ERTMS in New Zealand, where one of the fleets has also been equipped with ATO over ERTMS.  

In addition, it closed last year with the commissioning of more than twenty First in Class vehicles in countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland and Mexico. 

2024, a challenging year 

The company expects this positive momentum to continue in 2024. The commissioning and certification of the ERTMS on-board project with Deutsche Bahn in Germany is one of the main challenges they face in the short term.  

Another important milestone will be the authorization for placing into service of the Automatic Train Operation (ATO) on ERTMS in Auckland (New Zealand); the commissioning of technically demanding projects such as the on-board ERTMS of SJ trains in Sweden or the entering into ERTMS service of Stadler locomotives in Uruguay.  

In short, the company foresees the implementation of approximately 30 First in class projects, which will be certified in accordance with the new European regulation Technical Specification for Interoperability relating to Control-Command and Signalling Subsystems (TSI CMS) 2023.  

Likewise, CAF's signalling division also participates in collaboration projects of high technological value with reference customers for the vehicle business. These include the technological collaboration project with the Dutch national operator NS, where it is developing and testing solutions linked to autonomous vehicle technologies such as ATO, Automatic Shunting and Remote Shunting. 

"CAF has progressed to consolidate its position as a benchmark ERTMS provider, offering safe, state-of-the-art technological solutions aimed at automating operations," says Jon Alzate, General Manager of CAF's signalling division. 

Contacto de prensa 

Ignacio Calvo 

Ignacio.calvo@cafsignalling.com 

660 36 08 70