Hitachi Rail to implement cutting-edge digital signalling on Warsaw-Radom rail route

Hitachi Rail, in cooperation with DP System, has signed a contract to implement its modern ERTMS/ETCS Level 2 signalling system on railway line 8 between Warsaw and Radom. The project is worth PLN 85 million (€20 million) and is expected to complete in December 2027.

Hitachi Rail will implement its European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Level 2 technology, consisting of the European Train Control System (ETCS), the GSM-R communication system and modern IT technologies. Together, this solution enables continuous communication between train, tracks and control centres. This enables real-time reception of information about the situation on the tracks with the system automatically monitoring and adjusting the speed of the vehicles according to the recorded events.

The project will safely enable trains to run at closer intervals to each other enhancing the capacity of the line, and thereby increasing passenger comfort and cargo transport efficiency. Passengers will also benefit from shorter journey times, with cities including Radom, Warka, and Piaseczno along the route gaining a more reliable and convenient connection to Warsaw.

As part of the investment, line 8 between Warsaw and Radom will be equipped with two RBCs (Radio Block Centres), which are the main component of the ETCS 2 system. They will be installed in the Local Control Stations (LCS) at Okęcie in Warsaw and in Radom. Hitachi Rail has extensive experience delivering its advanced digital signalling technology in Poland, with its ETCS 2 technology operational on almost 1,500 km of railway lines in the country.

Poland is an important market for Hitachi Rail
Hitachi Rail is installing both Level 1 and Level 2 ETCS systems in Poland. In addition, it is currently the only supplier of the ETCS Limited Supervision system, the standards of which the company has developed in collaboration with its Polish partners – the Association of Engineers and Technicians of Communication of the Republic of Poland, the Warsaw University of Technology, and the Railway Institute. ETCS Limited Supervision allows for a significant increase in safety by automatically monitoring train movements and accurately transmitting data to the drivers. The system is currently in operation on the Poznań – Wągrowiec line. When introduced on subsequent sections, it will replace technologies from the 1950s and 1960s.

In 2024, Hitachi commissioned 10 Local Control Stations (LCS), which are responsible for ensuring traffic safety on over 512 km of railway lines. In total, the company has built 24 such facilities across Poland. Among them is one of the most technologically advanced LCSs on the Polish market – located in Białystok, it remotely supervises around 70 km of route between Czyżew and Białystok, providing high efficiency and precision in railway traffic management.

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