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Connecting Europe Facility - Streamlining measures for the realisation of the TEN-T - Railway safety and signalling: Assessing the state of play of the ERTMS deployment (debate)
Mr President, rapporteur, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for this report and for your consultation work in this context. The safety objective pursued by the traffic management system must remain a priority for the Member States when implementing ERTMS. At the same time, improving passenger comfort and interoperability must drive the rest of its application, in order to make the train ever more attractive. Finally, improving the pace and delivery times of rail freight will also support the credibility of the sector, vis-à-vis road or air transport. To support a deployment worthy of the 21st century, I believe that the functionalities offered by satellites and especially the Galileo system must, in the future, be privileged. Less expensive than a physical beacon, the development of satellite positioning for rail mobility would further strengthen its international credibility. Research resources must be devoted to rapid implementation, on the main lines and throughout Europe. Indeed, new technologies can serve both to meet the requirements of fluidity and security, but also to inform the public. What to meet, colleagues, all our objectives.