Rail Freight Corridor North Sea-Mediterranean - Corridor Information Document - Book V – Implementation Plan Timetable 2017 “RFC North Sea – Med is co-financed by the European Union's TEN-T. The sole responsibility of this publication lies with the author. The European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein” 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 5 1. CHARACTERISTICS AND GOVERNANCE OF RFC NORTH SEA-MEDITERRANEAN ........................................ 5 1.1 RFC NORTH SEA-MEDITERRANEAN CHARACTERISTICS ....................................................................................... 5 1.1.1 RFC North Sea-Mediterranean routes ............................................................................................... 5 1.1.2 RFC North Sea-Mediterranean terminals .......................................................................................... 7 1.1.3 Number of tracks .............................................................................................................................. 9 1.1.4 Speed limits ..................................................................................................................................... 10 The following map provides an overview on the speed limits on the corridor lines. ................................................ 10 1.1.5 Electrical systems ............................................................................................................................ 11 1.1.6 Signalling systems ........................................................................................................................... 12 1.1.7 Maximum axle load ........................................................................................................................ 12 1.1.8 Train Length .................................................................................................................................... 14 1.1.9 Loading Gauges .............................................................................................................................. 15 1.1.10 Gradients .................................................................................................................................... 17 1.2 TRAFFIC AND BOTTLENECKS ........................................................................................................................ 18 1.2.1 Traffic on RFC North Sea-Mediterranean ........................................................................................ 18 1.2.2 Bottleneck description .................................................................................................................... 19 1.2.2.1 Antwerp node ........................................................................................................................................ 21 1.2.2.2 Lille node ................................................................................................................................................ 21 1.2.2.3 Strasbourg node ..................................................................................................................................... 22 1.2.2.4 Other bottlenecks .................................................................................................................................. 22 1.3 GOVERNANCE .......................................................................................................................................... 23 1.3.1 Management board ........................................................................................................................ 23 1.3.1.1 Members and Partners .......................................................................................................................... 23 1.3.1.2 Legal structure ....................................................................................................................................... 23 1.3.1.3 Permanent team .................................................................................................................................... 24 1.3.1.4 Working groups ...................................................................................................................................... 25 1.3.1.5 Communication ...................................................................................................................................... 26 1.3.1.6 Finance ................................................................................................................................................... 27 1.3.2 Executive board ............................................................................................................................... 27 1.3.2.1 Mission Statement ................................................................................................................................. 28 1.3.2.2 Framework for capacity allocation ......................................................................................................... 28 1.3.3 Advisory groups .............................................................................................................................. 28 1.3.3.1 Railway undertaking Advisory Group ..................................................................................................... 29 1.3.3.2 Terminal Advisory Group ....................................................................................................................... 30 2. TRANSPORT MARKET STUDY: ADDENDUM UNITED KINGDOM ............................................................. 31 3. OBJECTIVES OF THE RAIL FREIGHT CORRIDOR ....................................................................................... 40 3.1 TRAIN PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: A CORRIDOR ORIENTED PERFORMANCE SCHEME ......................................... 40 3.2 PUNCTUALITY OBJECTIVES.......................................................................................................................... 40 3.3 CAPACITY OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................... 41 3.3.1 Trains running on the Corridor ........................................................................................................ 41 3.3.2 Strategy for the number of Pre-arranged Paths ............................................................................. 41 3.3.3 Average Journey Time Objectives ................................................................................................... 42 3.4 ALLOCATION OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................... 43 2 4. INDICATIVE INVESTMENT PLAN ............................................................................................................. 45 4.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN ......................................................................................................................... 45 4.1.1 Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 45 4.1.2 List of projects ................................................................................................................................. 45 4.2 DEPLOYMENT PLAN RELATING TO INTEROPERABLE SYSTEMS .............................................................................. 53 4.2.1 ERTMS strategy along the corridor ................................................................................................. 53 4.2.2 Compulsory systems and deactivation of national legacy systems ................................................ 54 4.2.3 ERTMS deployment plan ................................................................................................................. 55 4.2.3.1 Second track Fleurus-Auvelais ............................................................................................................... 66 4.2.3.2 Bettembourg central signalling centre ................................................................................................... 66 4.2.3.3 Metz node .............................................................................................................................................. 66 4.2.3.4 Metz-Nancy ............................................................................................................................................ 67 4.2.3.5 Strasbourg node ..................................................................................................................................... 67 4.2.3.6 Lille bypass ............................................................................................................................................. 68 4.2.3.7 Lyon Railway Node (NFL) ....................................................................................................................... 68 4.2.3.8 Paris area ............................................................................................................................................... 69 4.2.3.9 Other improvement projects ................................................................................................................. 70 4.2.4 Train length increase .....................................................................................................................