1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:16,760 If we want a competitive Europe which creates jobs, then people and goods have to be able 2 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:22,200 to move around easily and quickly, and without harming the environment. 3 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:27,240 That's the aim of the Trans-European Transport Network, a huge continental-scale programme 4 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:32,680 that will interconnect the national transport infrastructures to create a genuine trans-European 5 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:33,680 network. 6 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:16,400 Although initiated at the beginning of the 90s, the Trans-European Transport Network 7 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,280 has not yet attained its ambitious goals. 8 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:26,800 It's run into financing problems and difficulties with cross-border coordination. 9 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,480 Meanwhile, road traffic in Europe is constantly on the rise. 10 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:32,600 However, solutions exist. 11 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,840 Goods transported by road today can be switched to other, less polluting means of transport, 12 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:41,040 such as rail, waterways or sea transport. 13 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,400 This is referred to as modal transfer, or moving from one mode of transport to another 14 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:47,080 that is less used. 15 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:51,720 This solution is strongly encouraged by Europe. 16 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:56,720 In this context, rail offers important potential for easing traffic on major trans-European 17 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:57,840 roads. 18 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:03,000 That's why the European Union wants to reinvigorate trans-European railway projects. 19 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,880 It's identified five fundamental railway axes where progress is not being made quickly enough 20 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:12,480 due to difficulties of various kinds. 21 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,900 To give impetus to these projects, the European Union has appointed important public figures 22 00:02:16,900 --> 00:02:21,400 to serve as European coordinators for these five different axes. 23 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,480 Their assignment is to bring the member states involved together, to come up with solutions 24 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,640 to the problems and to speed up project execution. 25 00:02:29,640 --> 00:02:34,180 A sixth coordinator has been appointed to oversee the implementation of a trans-European 26 00:02:34,180 --> 00:02:40,360 industrial project, the European Rail Traffic Management System, ERTMS. 27 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:46,360 This project is crucial to ensuring an excellent network that is safe, reliable and interoperable. 28 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:52,520 Well, the main role of the coordinator is, in fact, to be a facilitator between the member 29 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:57,400 states, the railway undertakings, the infrastructure managers and also the industry, the supply 30 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:02,040 industry, in order to make the ERTMS system fly. 31 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:07,520 All the countries of the European Union are convinced that the ERTMS is the system of 32 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:08,680 the future. 33 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:13,880 The problem is, where do you begin and how do you fix the priorities? 34 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:18,560 That's exactly the work which we are doing for the time being. 35 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,520 The high-speed tallies between Paris and Cologne illustrates the problem of railway 36 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,320 signalling systems. 37 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,880 Locomotives are equipped with seven different mechanisms to control the train throughout 38 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:33,080 its journey, which is quite costly. 39 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,240 This fragmentation is due to the fact that in most cases, the signalling systems and 40 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:42,320 speed control systems of locomotives have been developed on a national scale by local 41 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:48,720 industrialists, without considering the rail network as a whole. 42 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:53,560 The actual system is a very complex system in the sense that you have in Europe more 43 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,480 than 20 different signalisation and control systems. 44 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:06,760 And this is the complex situation and structure which we want to replace by one system. 45 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:11,960 While most national systems will become obsolete in coming years, replacing them with a standardised 46 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,200 system represents a major industrial challenge. 47 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:20,800 To facilitate the transition, targeted community funding has been provided, with special importance 48 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,720 placed on the major corridors for freight traffic. 49 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:31,320 ERTMS also represents the latest technology on the global market, making the European 50 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:37,880 industry a forerunner in signalling, with an annual turnover of 3 billion euro and 15,000 51 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:40,000 jobs in Europe. 52 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:46,440 The system is so complex, but also so efficient, that in fact it's increasing not only the 53 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:51,600 capacity of the lines and the corridors which are going to be equipped, but also increasing 54 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:58,800 the safety and it's also increasing the service which we are going to give to our customers. 55 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:03,840 In time, the new rail lines and the improvement of existing lines throughout the network will 56 00:05:03,840 --> 00:05:08,800 enable millions of Europeans and companies to enjoy better mobility on a continental 57 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:09,800 scale. 58 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,720 That's essential for a more competitive Europe.