Course Description
ERTMS/ETCS is the international standard for mainline train control, adopted well beyond Europe — including across corridors in Central Asia, the Middle East and Asia — precisely because it enables interoperability across borders and suppliers. For any railway carrying international traffic, ETCS competence is strategic.
This course develops a comprehensive understanding of ETCS and ERTMS. Participants learn the ERTMS architecture, ETCS application levels 1 through 3, onboard and trackside subsystems, balises and radio communication (GSM-R and FRMCS), braking curves and supervision, and the migration and interoperability challenges of ETCS deployment.
What you will achieve
By the end of this training course, participants will be able to:
- Explain ERTMS and ETCS and their purpose
- Understand interoperability and cross-border operation
- Describe ETCS Levels 1, 2 and 3
- Explain onboard and trackside subsystems
- Understand balises, loops and radio communication
- Explain movement authority and braking curve supervision
- Understand GSM-R and the transition to FRMCS
- Address ETCS migration, testing and certification
How the course is delivered
The course combines ERTMS architecture with practical application-level and migration examples from international deployments. Participants work through level selection, subsystem interfaces and migration scenarios.
The programme emphasises interoperability — the core purpose of ERTMS — and is relevant to railways carrying cross-border and corridor traffic.
Designed for
This training course is ideal for:
- Signalling and rail systems engineers
- Mainline railway professionals
- Project engineers on ERTMS programmes
- Infrastructure managers and operators
- Anyone deploying or specifying ETCS
Daily programme
- What ERTMS and ETCS are
- Interoperability and cross-border operation
- ERTMS architecture
- The standards and specifications
- ETCS Level 1
- ETCS Level 2
- ETCS Level 3 and moving block
- Level selection and application
- Onboard subsystems and the EVC
- Trackside subsystems and RBC
- Balises and loops
- GSM-R and the transition to FRMCS
- Movement authority
- Braking curves and supervision
- ETCS migration strategies
- Testing, certification and workshop
Certification & accreditation
BII Certificate of Completion
BII Certificate of Completion Upon successful completion, participants receive a BII Development Institute Certificate of Completion with a unique reference code that is independently verifiable. Our certificates are recognised internationally and reflect successful completion of your chosen programme.
