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NS: a safer rail network with the ERTMS train protection system
- EIFFEL Project Controls
The world moves fast. Technology is getting smarter, systems more digital, and safety more critical. Some changes are hard to miss. Others happen largely out of sight — but are just as consequential. The introduction of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is a clear example. With ERTMS, the Netherlands is making its rail network safer, future-proof, and fully aligned with a single European standard. A significant intervention — for passengers and for the organizations that keep the rail network running every day.
The project
ERTMS is a digital train protection system that transmits real-time data on location, speed, and braking distances directly to the train driver. This information appears on a screen in the cab, making trackside signals redundant. The system replaces existing analog safety infrastructure — and that demands fundamental change across the rail sector.
For Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), this means far more than a technical upgrade. Trains must be retrofitted, staff trained, and processes restructured. To manage this transition, NS established the ERTMS@NS program as part of the national ERTMS program. Within this program, 4 different train series — SLT, SNG, VIRM, and FLIRT — are being retrofitted separately, each with its own rolling stock project.
The role of EIFFEL Project Controls
EIFFEL Project Controls supports NS in creating clarity and coherence across this complex operation. Our consultants help various teams develop and manage integrated project schedules — bringing together the work of NS, suppliers, contractors, and the national program.
That integrated schedule forms the basis for decision-making. By mapping dependencies, we support choices around time, scope, and risk. We also produce substantiated reports for the NS program team's management, which feed directly into national ERTMS reporting.
For risks with scheduling impact, we develop probabilistic schedules and scenario analyses. This gives NS — and the national program — a grip on uncertainty, so ERTMS rollout can be steered with confidence.
Complexity and collaboration
The complexity isn't just technical — it's primarily about collaboration. Projects are in different phases, stakeholders use different tools and working methods, and information comes from many sources. Our consultants take on multiple roles: from setting up planning management to developing detailed schedules and coordinating information flows.
"They bring all those separate puzzle pieces together into one integrated, consistent picture."
Proud of our contribution
EIFFEL Project Controls looks back with pride on our collaboration within NS ERTMS. Not just because of the substantive impact, but because the value of project controls keeps becoming more visible. Our consultants go beyond their brief, share knowledge, and contribute to structural improvements within rolling stock projects. Always with 1 goal: maintaining control over change, in a project that keeps the Netherlands moving.