Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) and the Iricav Due Consortium have signed a €1.82 billion contract to begin executive design and work on a crossing at the junction of Vicenza as part of a new High Speed/Capacity (HS/C) railway line between Verona and Padua, which is set to help modernise transport in northern Italy. The new line will be 76.5 km long in total and, in addition to connecting Verona and Padua, will complete the rail link between Milan and Venice.

The line is subdivided into three so-called construction lots, the second of which relates to the crossing at Vicenza. This lot will run for about 6.2 km from the town of Altavilla Vicentina to the Vicenza Station, transforming journeys for passengers looking to travel between Verona and Padua. It will also include the renewal of 4.8 km of the existing line, allowing for an increase in high-speed, regional and freight transport services along the Milan–Venice route.

The signing of the new contract will see Hitachi Rail — as a member of the consortium — supply its European Rail Transport Management System (ERTMS) digital signalling to create the HS/C line. ERTMS is an advanced system for the digital control of railways that uses radio signals between the train and track to monitor speed and automatically activate the train’s emergency brakes if a hazard is identified or if the train exceeds the track’s speed limit. This means that trains can safely run faster and closer together, improving service speed and reliability and allowing more trains on the track.

Hitachi Rail has described the ERTMS level 2 system as a significant step in railway interoperability, simplifying and optimising train control on international railway networks. The traditional track-based signalling is replaced by radio communications between the trains and the Radio Block Centre (RBC). This simplifies the railway environment by reducing the costs of the installation and maintenance of traditional signalling systems. This technology will also allow trains from nearby countries to operate on Italian railway lines without interruption, with the aim of creating a harmonious and integrated system throughout Europe.

“Our ERTMS digital signalling will deliver for the customer and the passenger alike,” said Luca D’Aquila, COO Hitachi Rail Group and CEO Hitachi Rail Italy. “Once installed, the system will enable a service that can safely travel at greater speed and with increased capacity on the line.”