The signaling systems shape the way we commute with the railways. They ensure efficiency, reliability and safety of the railway and reduce the risks of unwanted situations leading to safety issues. The diversity of the European tracks and long history of the implementation of country-specific solutions has resulted oftentimes in completely closed systems and technological silos.
What seemed to be long-lasting solutions turned out to become bottlenecks in recent times where the need for improved capacity of the network and interoperability require integration of multiple systems into interconnected technologies.
The advent of digital technologies allowed to plan and design solutions intended to replace legacy systems and harmonize railway operations.
The European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS) and European Train Control System (ETCS) became standards that shape the future of railways in Europe. Although this idea may have seemed an easy way to achieve harmonization, the reality shows that unification of the European network remains an ongoing topic with long implementation plans.

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