International Railway Control Command and Signalling Harmonised Educational Programme

The project was carried out with the aim of sustaining and extending international collaboration of rail infrastructure managers in Germany and the Netherlands that existed already before the proj...

The project was carried out with the aim of sustaining and extending international collaboration of rail infrastructure managers in Germany and the Netherlands that existed already before the project start. The project addressed specific needs and gaps of vocational training and education across borders in the context of the deployment of ERTMS. The project had four objectives: 1) Intensifying and extending collaboration beyond the collaboration of DB InfraGO AG and ProRail B.V. on the deployment of ERTMS by involving additional (rail) partners and relevant education providers and institutions from other EU countries. 2) Developing learning material for young railway engineers and building a European network of young professionals (“Rail Newcomers”) at company level in collaboration with affiliated training centres in the partner countries and at EU level. 3) Designing and implementation of a two-week learning event – the “CCS Summer School” for the target group of rail newcomers from the two partner countries and additional participants. 4) Development of a long-term learning and education programme and a sustainable network on ERTMS, i.e. a pan-European Rail CCS Education and Training programme.

To reach the four key objectives of the project, the following activities were carried during the project duration of 12 months: - Regular project management meetings between the three project partners at management level as well as – between DB InfraGO and ProRail – at the level of experts and young railway professionals. - Establishing an expert group with young railway professionals in the field of ERTMS and CCS at European level, involving the German and Dutch project partners as well as presentatives of railway infrastructure companies and other relevant institutions (e.g. European level associations). Several virtual and physical expert group meetings were implemented during the project duration - Preparation and implementation of the CCS Summer School - Activities in the context of documentation of learning material of the Summer School, dissemination of outcomes and presentation of the CCS Education Programme and Network on the own website of the project - Activities (virtual and physical meetings) discussing the continuation of the CCS Education Programme, sustaining the network and developing educational programmes (e.g. European Master Programme on ERTMS).

The following outputs and results have been achieved: 1. The CCS Education Progamme has been established as a European network of expertise and identifying needed knowledge and skills as well as skills and learning hub for ERTMS. The collaboration and involvement of national partners have grown by the project. 2. Contents of a transnational ERTMS/Rail CCS Education programme has been designed and developed for different target groups of company level railway employees/trainees who are involved in ERTMS deployment. 3: A (physical) pilot learning and exchange event of the Rail CCS Education programme has been successfully implemented, including the preparation of different types of learning material and learning formats as the basis of follow-up activities of networking of trainees/junior staff, experts and other relevant target groups. 4: The project significantly contributed to the visibility and stronger institutionalisation of the CCS Education Programme and related contents and activities as a recognised form of education in the European railway sector.