Channel Tunnel ERTMS project starts with 57 LeShuttle locomotives
Eurotunnel (Getlink) has launched a project to modernise rail signalling in the Channel Tunnel and is starting an ERTMS deployment to migrate the Fixed Link from the current TVM cab signalling system to ETCS.
The first deliverable is onboard fitment. Eurotunnel will install onboard equipment on 57 Brush locomotives used for LeShuttle services between Folkestone and Coquelles.
The onboard package is a dual-standard ERTMS/TVM solution designed to support operation during the TVM–ETCS migration period.
Compagnie des Signaux (CSEE), part of MERMEC Group, will supply the onboard signalling equipment. The dual-standard architecture is designed to allow operation under both systems, rather than requiring an immediate cutover from TVM to ETCS.
Trackside adaptations planned for a later stage
A later stage will adapt the ground system to enable track-to-train communication between the trackside system and the onboard equipment. Eurotunnel describes the locomotive work as the starting point for the wider signalling modernisation programme.
The announcement does not specify an ETCS level or baseline, and it does not set out a commissioning timetable.
Why it matters: The Channel Tunnel is a heavily used, cross-border chokepoint where changing signalling is as much about keeping traffic running as it is about the technology itself. A dual-standard ERTMS/TVM approach supports migration without requiring an immediate TVM–ETCS cutover.