A project to upgrade Austrian and Slovenian locomotives in terms of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) will be supported by the European Union with a little over €1.6 million from the TEN-T Programme. The project will improve the safety of rail transport whilst at the same time making the sector more competitive.

The project was selected under the 2012 TEN-T Multi-Annual Call, which gave priority to ERTMS, a major European industrial initiative to make rail transport safer and more competitive. Its goal is to substitute more than 20 different train control-command systems which are currently in use in Europe with a single harmonised system.

The Action covers the retrofitment of 7 locomotives "2143" (manufactured by Simmering-Graz-Pauker A.G.) and 5 locomotives "ES64U4" (manufactured by Siemens) with ETCS Level 2, Baseline 2, Release 2.3.0d. The locomotives will then be able to operate on the ERTMS (level 1 and 2) lines of Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland. The Action also includes field and off-site tests to demonstrate compatibility between the on board equipment and Austrian, German, Hungarian, Czech Republic and Slovenian 2.3.0d lines.

The project will be monitored by the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) and is set to be completed by the end of 2015.