The aims of VICE4RAIL -Hybrid Virtualized Testing for Certification of EGNSS in Railway Train Positioning- are to fill the gaps still preventing the utilisation of the EGNSS for the ERTMS bringing higher efficiencies and better economic sustainability. The novelty of VICE4RAIL is a Virtualized Test Bed connecting a dedicated rail circuit for on-field tests with laboratories to assess the performance of positioning devices developed by industries for the standard ERTMS ecosystem. The pillars of this new Certification Environment are the RFI’s railway circuit in Bologna S.Donato connected with the ERTMS accredited laboratory of CEDEX in Madrid and a set of tools to manage the validation process in all the foreseeable scenarios in which the positioning device must operate. Advantages are for both the ERTMS stake-holders with a reduction of time to validate the new EGNSS technologies and put them into operation and for the industries to customize their products for adopting these technologies into the ERTMS. Yet this facility responds to Europe’s need for enhancing the capabilities of the EGNSS and ERTMS being two pillars of the European industrial policy. VICE4RAIL is the missing element to transform EGNSS innovations into operational benefits enhancing the European competitivity in the rail and satellite sectors. Furthermore, the new Virtualized Test Bed will realize a standard and scalable model for a comprehensive evaluation of rare threats which characterize the EGNSS technologies that instead are requiring ad hoc, intense and costly tests on field.
The consortium includes RFI (FSI group) as project coordinator with SNCF, Italcertifer, Bureau Veritas, CEDEX, Sogei, the University of Pardubice, the University Gustave Eiffel, and Radiolabs as members of the consortium.
HORIZON-IA – EUSPA – Project Nr. 101180124
October 2024 – September 2027
Costs: 2.695.986,25 euro
