PROJECT HISTORY
The challenge
Dutch population growth is driving demand for rail services, railway infrastructure manager ProRail must digitize to improve railway operations.
European Rail Traffic Management System, Belgium border
Delivering Seamless Data Integration for ProRail’s Digital Transformation
The solution
Arcadis is partnering with ProRail to develop a standardized method for exchanging railway asset data throughout the asset lifecycle.
The impact
Arcadis' DynDash™ platform for data collaboration has transformed key ERTMS projects in the Netherlands.
10 years+
Length of relationship with ProRail
2030
Target date for ERTMS rollout across the Netherlands
EUR3.9bn
Total investment
The challenge
The growing Dutch population brings increased demand for both passenger and freight rail services, underscoring the critical role of rail transport in ensuring accessibility to new residential areas and advancing our climate objectives. The current network, reliant on outdated analog signals and underground cables, will experience substantial strain under these growing demands. In response, the country’s railway infrastructure manager ProRail is spearheading the transition to the fully digital European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) to address these pressures.
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ERTMS is the European standard for command and control systems that will create an interoperable railway system in Europe that is more efficient and safer, reduces delays, increases the reliability of train services and shortens travel times through improved speed and capacity. The goal is to complete the core ERTMS network on the main lines across the Netherlands by 2030. This transition aims to alleviate network congestion and enhance connectivity, effectively easing borders between European countries and supporting the future growth of international rail connections.
However, the shift to ERTMS involves a substantial financial commitment, with a current estimated total investment of 3.9 billion euros for new systems, training and infrastructure upgrades. This significant expenditure places heightened budgetary pressures on ProRail, increasing the financial risks associated with the project. Furthermore, inefficient coordination among railway stakeholders contributes to cost overruns and delays. Ambiguities regarding responsibilities add to the complexity, leading to additional costs and extending the overall project timeline. Effectively addressing these challenges is crucial for ProRail to manage the financial and operational impacts of transitioning to a fully digital and internationally integrated rail system.
The solution
To address these challenges, Arcadis has partnered with ProRail since 2014 to develop the Information Model Rail XML (IMX), a standardized method for exchanging railway asset data throughout the asset lifecycle which is crucial for the success of ERTMS. By providing seamless and accurate data integration across systems and stakeholders, IMX facilitates the alignment of technical designs with standardized data. This alignment is essential for a smooth transition to a fully digital railway system, where the integration and efficiency of data are paramount.
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Building on this foundation, Arcadis introduced DynDash™ (short for Dynamic Data Sharing) – a pioneering platform for data collaboration. This innovative digital platform takes the principles established by IMX and extends them into a dynamic and user-friendly environment. DynDash™ integrates the various complex dimensions of rail design, making data visualization, manipulation and verification both effortless and accessible. The platform ensures uniform data interpretation across all rail disciplines by providing real-time design updates and enhanced collaboration, minimizing human errors. This consistency is crucial for managing the entire rail asset life cycle, from initial design to ongoing maintenance and eventual decommissioning.
By addressing the issues of suboptimal collaboration and data fragmentation, DynDash™ directly contributes to the more efficient implementation of the ERTMS program. It simplifies data visualization and manipulation, fostering better alignment between ProRail and all connected railway parties. This enhanced coordination not only leads to significant cost savings and reduced delays but also supports the successful rollout of a fully integrated and digital railway system.
The impact
DynDash™ has transformed key ERTMS projects in the Netherlands, with a standout impact on the ERTMS Kijfhoek - Belgian Border (EKB) project. By converting complex tasks that once took hundreds of hours into operations that now take mere seconds.
The plaform’s advanced data integration and collaboration capabilities played a pivotal role in securing ProRail’s top customer satisfaction score in 2023. ProRail recognized the IMX designs—developed with DynDash™—as industry-leading, highlighting the platform’s role in achieving high-quality, seamless results. By aligning perfectly with the evolving demands of the international rail sector, DynDash™ has proven to be an invaluable asset in advancing ProRail’s mission and setting a new benchmark for rail infrastructure excellence.
