Request for information: Digirail Project - ETCS Testing laboratory

This notification is only a request for information. The notification is not a contract notice or a call for tenders or an invitation to a negotiated procedure or a preliminary notice to reduce the time period for tenders. Finland has committed to the implementation of ERTMS on its national railway network. The ERTMS implementation is to be carried out by a national ERTMS program called Digirail, involving the Ministry of Transport and Communication, other Government agencies, and all identified stakeholder companies. Digirail is important part of the 12-year National Transport System Plan. The goal of the Digirail is to introduce a modern radio based European train control system for the entire Finnish rail network by the 2040s. Currently it is envisioned that as rollout happens, also most (or all) of the current interlockings and traffic management systems are replaced to ensure future proof and efficient modernisation program. In addition, in the future there will be ETCS greenfield projects if current plans for the new tracks materialise. The purpose of this request is to get information about the ETCS Testing laboratory. This notification and/or answering to it do not create any obligations for the contracting authority or for those who choose to answer to it. The contracting authority does not pay any compensation for taking part to this RFI. The information provided by the contracting authority is preliminary and it is subject to change. Taking or not taking part in the RFI does not change the standing or status of a company in the procurement process. The public RFI material written by the contracting authority will be available to anyone interested in it. We kindly ask you to register for the market consultation by sending an e-mail to hankinnat@fintraffic.fi no later than September 7th 2023 at 12.00 CET. Please state the subject as ” ETCS Testing laboratory”, along with the name of your organization and a return address to which we can send some materials. Answers in writing are kindly asked to be given either in Finnish or in English by September 11th in 2023 via e-mail. After that the contracting authority reserves the right to meet potential suppliers via Teams in the weeks 38-39. Fintraffic rail transport management is responsible for the safe and smooth travels of morethan 500,000 trains and 82 million passengers each year. The company’s purpose is to ensure that passengers and goods reach their destinations safely. The core of the company’s services is in railway traffic management, traffic planning to coordinate with maintenance work, capacity management, operating centre functions and passenger information services for rail passengers. The company also operates a safety control room/ security control room and a technical control room. Fintraffic facilitates mobility on the land, in the air and at sea. We help people and goods get where they are going, safely and smoothly while caring for the environment. Smart traffic management services, digital services for consumers and businesses, and real-time traffic data are helping Finland become a pioneer in sustainable transport and logistics. We employ 1,100 professionals.

Finland is planning to rollout radio based ETCS signalling for the entire rail network, and the first RFQs are planned to be sent during the year 2023. The purpose of the RFI is collect initial information for ETCS Testing laboratory before planned RFQs. The goal of the Digirail project is to introduce a modern radio network-based train control system for the entire Finnish rail network by the 2040s. The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) will therefor replace the old Finnish signalling system in accordance with EU requirements.