ABSTRACT
The Netherlands is one of the countries that have invested in a new European train signaling system. Due to a high degree of uncertainty in the beginning of such a project, and the gradual accumulation of expertise and experience, intermediate adaptations and improvements are inevitable. The eventual goal of ERTMS is to guarantee safety at high speeds, an undisturbed course of operations, interconnectivity with adjacent railway networks and interoperability across the European high speed line network for all rolling stock. High demands are put on availability, reliability and safety, during a continuous upgrading and modification throughout the ERTMS life cycle. Parallel development of a new signaling standard and implementation of technological equipment in track and rolling stock on the Amsterdam-Paris Line, has caused performance deficiencies and unanticipated delays in software deployment. This has raised political questions about the reasonability and fairness of the software development and migration time of various ERTMS versions.
