Recently, a consortium formed by Hitachi Railway and Bulgarian electrical engineering company Cerb has officially been awarded a contract by the National Infrastructure Corporation of Bulgaria (NRIC) to deploy the European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS) on the Wolouac Dragoman double track railway connecting the capital city Sofia with the Serbian border. The implementation of this key project will significantly enhance Bulgaria's hub position in the pan European transportation network.

The project covers a 35 kilometer dual track section from the Sofia suburb of Volouac to the Serbian border of Dragoman, and the contract includes the deployment of ETCS Level 1 trackside system and GSM-R communication system. The project is scheduled to be completed within 34 months and will be synchronized with NRIC's comprehensive upgrade and renovation of the line. According to the division of labor, Hitachi Railway will be responsible for the entire process of designing, delivering, installing, and debugging the ERTMS system, and will collaborate with partner Cerb to promote localization implementation.

Manfred Zekl, head of the Bulgarian branch of Hitachi Railway, pointed out: "This ERTMS deployment will form a synergy with our previous projects to jointly build a modern railway corridor connecting the borders of Serbia, Sofia, the Black Sea and Türkiye. This will significantly improve the efficiency of regional freight transportation and the reliability of international passenger services. "

It is worth noting that the Wolouac Dragoman section where the project is located is an important component of the European Union Trans European Transport Network (TEN-T) Western Balkans Eastern Mediterranean Corridor. By improving the operational speed and interoperability of this cross-border segment, Bulgaria's strategic position as a key transit country between Central and Southeast Europe will be further strengthened. Keywords: International News and Information, International News Network

Hitachi Group (including member companies such as Ansaldo and Thales) has accumulated rich project implementation experience in Bulgaria, and has completed the deployment of over 250 kilometers of ETCS Level 1 trackside systems, installed more than 100 sets of ETCS onboard equipment, and constructed electronic interlocking systems, central traffic control centers, and multiple on-site devices. The implementation of this new project will further consolidate Hitachi's leading advantage in the railway signal system market in the Balkan region.

The deployment of the ERTMS system marks a crucial step for Bulgaria in advancing railway modernization and integrating into European railway integration, injecting new impetus into promoting regional connectivity and economic development.Editor/Cheng Liting