Successful start for ETCS on the Rhine

On 14 December 2025, DB InfraGO AG reached an important milestone as part of the ‘Digitalen Schiene Deutschland’ initiative: the European train control system ETCS Level 2 was successfully put into operation on approximately 55 kilometres of track between Niederlahnstein (Rhineland-Palatinate) and Assmannshausen (Hesse). This marks the second time that Hitachi’s modern ETCS technology has been used in the project corridor Rhine-Alpine, following its successful commissioning on the Rheintalbahn in south-west Germany in August this year. This section is part of the 180-kilometre route from Troisdorf to Wiesbaden, which is to be fully equipped with ETCS by the end of 2027.

The ETCS equipment was implemented as part of the project corridor Rhine-Alpine (now Corridor North Sea – Rhine – Mediterranean), which is equipping a total of around 1,360 kilometres of track between Oberhausen-Sterkrade and Haltingen near Basel with ETCS and modern interlocking technology. Part of this corridor runs between Troisdorf and Wiesbaden along the right bank of the Rhine and is to be fully equipped with ETCS by 2027. The 55 kilometres now in operation mark the first section of this subsection and, at the same time, an important milestone for the further equipping of the entire corridor.

Read more: Successful start for ETCS on the Rhine | Digitale Schiene Deutschland