European railway signaling targets at risk of 50% shortfall by 2030

European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS) coordinator Matthias Ruete has warned that the 2030 target for a unified European railway signaling system will likely only be half-achieved. According to the 2026 Work Plan, ETCS was operational on only 10% of the EU's TEN-T network by the end of 2024.

While political support for the system is widespread, progress on the ground remains slow. Current member state plans for the core network aim to equip an additional 22,000 kilometers by 2030, which is significantly lower than the legal requirement of 62,960 kilometers.

In Romania, the current implementation stands at just 40 kilometers of ETCS, though the country has planned for 2,561 kilometers on its central network by 2030.