The Basque infrastructure manager, Euskal Trenbide Sarea (ETS), and Euskotren have begun the first nighttime tests of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Level 1 on the Irun-Hendaia stretch. These are the first on-track tests of the system that will replace the Euroloop.
Implementation will be gradual. Although it will be extended to the entire ETS network, it is currently only being installed in the province of Guipúzcoa. It will come into service on the Hendaye-Usurbil section in the second half of 2026 and on the Usurbil-Zumaya section in early 2027.
To implement the system, 260 Euskotren and 80 ETS professionals will need to be trained. For this purpose, two simulators have been installed in the Araso workshops, which were visited by the Councillor for Sustainable Mobility, Susana García Chueca, within the framework of the test start.
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The ERTMS will replace the Euroloop system, an adaptation of the German LZB system also used in Spain on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line and on the C-5 Madrid Cercanías line. It has been in operation for almost 30 years and its replacement will require an investment of 70 million euros.
The ERTMS level 1 will automatically supervise driving, set speed limits and adjust margins in real time from the control room in the event of incidents or adverse conditions and will significantly improve safety and railway interoperability in the Basque Country.