PJ Motion at the 2026 ERTMS Conference in Valenciennes

PJ Motion experts Franz Xaver Bachler and Thomas Hofer have returned from the ERTMS2026 conference at the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) headquarters in Valenciennes with many new insights. It was an intensive few days filled with exciting presentations and valuable exchanges with industry colleagues.

Here are the key takeaways:

Competitiveness through ERTMS: The European Train Control System is the decisive key to making our sector future-proof. In particular, the under-pressure multinational freight transport sector can be steered safely through current challenging times thanks to ERTMS.

Focus on the essentials: The complexity surrounding ERTMS is well known. At PJ Motion, we see a clear lever in the reduction of national requirements. The decisive factor is the concentration on necessary features for the respective use case – including a clear separation of requirements into “SHALL” and “SHOULD.”

Strong leadership for joint solutions: There is a consensus that all stakeholders must pull together. For this to succeed, the ERA needs more powers and resources to actively take the lead.

From theory to practice: Solutions are on the table, but the path to implementation often remains unclear. It remains exciting to observe how those involved will overcome these hurdles to bring the true added value of ERTMS to the rails.

At PJ Motion, we will do our part. With our many years of engineering experience and deep expertise in certification processes, we ensure that projects are handled efficiently, structured, and successfully.