Hello! Thank you very much for this invitation. I started my career in the railway industry in 2013, although a bit unexpectedly, as my engineering background is not related to railways. However, it only proves that entry into railway is not only intended for the signalling experts.

Since the beginning of my professional journey, I have been involved in the area of ETCS systems. The international aspect of the projects and involvement in projects in multiple European countries gave me exposure to different characteristics of signalling systems and insight into the real state of the European signalling network.

Starting from testing and gradually expanding to integration, data analysis and management areas, I had a chance to interact with the signaling systems on both low and high level which was a catalyst for my further interest in the area.

Currently I am providing consulting services in the area of ETCS signalling, and I am also actively engaged in ongoing projects on the European level by cooperating with different stakeholders.

You worked for several suppliers of railway signalling and control systems, as well as automatic train protection systems. Can you explain some of the main tasks you performed through different roles and responsibilities in your career?

Over the years, my roles have spanned various organizations and positions. My expertise developed in the area of verification and validation encompassing laboratory testing, interoperability tests (IOP), to field tests on various vehicles in
12 different countries. This included runs on ETCS L2 and L1 lines as well as with mixed signaling and cross-border corridors.

I was responsible for ETCS on-board system laboratory and, apart from the testing, managed the integration of new system software and hardware, as well as installation and configuration of equipment.

A significant and valuable part of work involved data analysis of issues arising from the field, identifying the root causes by analyzing system and infrastructure logs and Juridical Recording Data (JRU) from the vehicles. Later, I also led ETCS train track integration team of engineers and coordinated several European projects and work packages. My engineering experience in this domain was invaluable in effectively addressing team’s issues and prioritizing project goals.

Nowadays, I do not do much testing, but I am more involved in the development of the systems, focusing on the on-board part. Despite the complexity of the systems, and minor differences between suppliers, all systems have one thing in common: they must comply with the same baselines and requirements, which makes transitions from one supplier to another manageable.

Considering your extensive experience in the field, how do you see the evolution of signalling technology in the future, especially of the ERTMS system?

The analysis of the development of ERTMS systems and their evolution is something that I have been really interested in recently. The transition into modern signaling systems must bring viable benefits to be attractive so that the investment pays off in the long run.

With programs like the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and the European Deployment Plan (EDP), the progress is measurable. However, reports show that the actual implementation is a bit behind the planning. The National Implementation Plans (NIP) created by each EU country show different approaches to handling transition phases and timelines for keeping the national systems operational. So, there is room for improvement in harmonizing both country and European needs.

The railway undertakings, infrastructure managers and operators should be made

Countries like Switzerland and Luxembourg are prime examples and pioneers in ETCS deployment covering their entire network.

Potential obstacles may concern frequent changes requirements (e.g., TSI CCS) leading to the lack of interest for the operators in system deployment due to the continuous need for updates. Funding issues as well as shortages of experts may post a risk to facilitate European deployment plans.

You participated in the interoperability activities in international test facilities across Europe. In this sense, what recommendations would you give to countries or regions just adopting ERTMS for their railway networks, in terms of testing, validation and certification of the ERTMS system?

A frequent concern in ERTMS system authorization includes issues arising during approval runs and final deployment of the system. The field tests are the final validation step that checks compatibility between vehicle on-board system and trackside. Issues detected during authorization runs require system or software improvements that could cause significant delay in the projects.

International test centers like the test center in Amersfoort, Netherlands allow for interoperability tests (IOP) between different suppliers’ subsystems (on- board and wayside) without the need for running a field campaign since the lab

aware of the benefits of the system, configuration reflects the field
including enhanced safety, infrastructure.
interoperability, full utilization of line
capacity, to justify the required
investments.

Such test facilities reduce preparation time, effort, and significantly decrease the costs of system tests. They also address major limitations of field tests: track availability (as tests are usually limited to nights or weekends, sometimes on dedicated test tracks which are usually queued by multiple suppliers), involvement of multiple stakeholders, and months of preparation. They also could be used for various engineering tests.

Certified interoperability test centers in each country would allow for smoother, quicker, and safer integration of systems.

Another benefit is that test campaigns in in such centers do not affect train operations, and organizing them is several times cheaper than conducting tests in the field, so cost reduction may be one of the viable benefits.

You are also one of the pioneers in the application of data analytics, machine learning and AI in railway signalling and railway engineering in general. Can you briefly describe some of the areas where these tools were applied and give us your predictions for future trends in their application on railways?

The data systems, AI, and machine learning are areas in which I see great potential for solving various railway issues in the future. The amount of data exchanged between signaling systems and railway components is vast, coming from trackside, vehicles, train management or passenger information systems or communication systems (GSM- R, GPS, and in the future, GNSS).

The application of machine learning can help determine error patterns in equipment and find optimization areas for example in energy management. Analytic tools could optimize track usage and identify areas for improvement, allowing for better utilization of the network, train frequencies, and timetables.

Advanced predictive maintenance systems already use data models to predict and prevent railway equipment failures. Alstom has its own HealthHub for predictive maintenance, Siemens uses Railigent X for rail asset management, and Stadler has developed the ANYmal robot, capable of performing train inspections.

AI can also detect weaknesses in the security layers of control and information systems, identify security vulnerabilities, and contribute significantly to addressing cybersecurity issues, which have become a considerable topic. To keep up with development trends, I am also working on my own application to combine and utilize railway data with machine learning models. It’s still in the early phase of development, but it’s a great way to explore new technologies.
With all these tools in hand, we can
expect steady development in the railways, bringing more innovative solutions to the tracks.

Artur, thank you so much for sharing your insights and expertise about the wide scope of railway engineering topics. It’s been a pleasure talking with you.

Thank you very much. It is my pleasure to take part in this discussion and to contribute to the newsletter.