Thirty-five years ago, a small international team sat down to write the first specification for what would become the European Train Control System. Bogdan Godziejewski was one of them. So when he says ETCS rollout has been disappointingly slow, it carries the weight of someone who has followed the system from its very first idea to today.

Bogdan is the immediate past president of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineering (IRSE), Rail Director and Fellow at Mott MacDonald, with more than 40 years of international experience across the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, Denmark, the USA and beyond. Between 1992 and 1996 he worked at the European Rail Research Institute on the first ETCS system requirements specification. Few people are better placed to take stock of where ETCS now stands.

In this conversation we cover why deployment has crawled in the big countries while smaller ones forged ahead, what Belgium did differently to fit its entire network in record time, and why a countrywide vision matters more than the technology itself. We get into repeatability, approvals and testing as the real levers of an industrialised rollout. We also turn to Bogdan's IRSE presidency and his Generation Unlimited theme: bringing younger people into the discipline and building bridges between generations.

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If this conversation has got you wanting to go deeper, visit my training platform at www.docfranktraining.com. There you find the most comprehensive suite of online courses in advanced railway signalling anywhere. CBTC, ETCS, high capacity signalling, and more. All in one place, all vendor neutral.

Chris Gibb spent 45 years in high-profile positions across the British railways. He knows what a successful railway operation looks like — and right now he is publicly challenging the plans for High Speed 2 (HS2).

The issue is not the construction. It does not even impact the High Speed Rail service between London and Birmingham, what most people think HS2 is about. It is the impact of the new HS2 train fleet that continues around Birmingham on the West Coast Main Line to the North. Chris foresees a substantial reduction in capacity from today's fleet travelling up North, at times when more, not less, capacity will be needed. And he tries to do something about it before procurement decisions cement a future capacity shortfall. It is a lesson about long-term planning decisions and their consequences.

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When it comes to advancing your understanding of modern train control technologies, nothing beats world-class training. I've partnered with Informa Connect Academy to create what I believe is the most comprehensive portfolio of online training courses in advanced signalling available anywhere. Find out more here: https://docfranktraining.com/courses

Doc Frank talks to Michael Byng from England. Based on his vast experience from working on high speed rail projects in various countries, including Britain and the Middle East, Michael could share valuable lessons that went way beyond his home turf of cost estimation.

If you like Michael’s insightful comments, check out the previous podcast episode 72 with him. And please remember to like, share and subscribe if you have not already done so. In doing so, you’re not only supporting the channel but knowledge growth across the wider railway industry. Thank you for that.

Also, if you are interested in world-class education on modern train control technologies and their successful application, check out the world's most comprehensive portfolio of online training courses in this field: https://informaconnect.com/academy/rail/

Doc Frank talks to Steve Allday, a renowned and experienced railway consultant from Sydney and regular guest on the show. They talk about three key topics defining the future of railway in Australia and maybe some other countries too. High Speed Rail (of course), interoperable train control with ETCS and the increasing shortage of resources in the rail industry.

If you like Steve’s down-to-earth discussion style, check out the YouTube playlist with his other podcast episodes linked at the end of the video version on YouTube. And please remember to like, share and subscribe if you have not already done so. In doing so, you’re not only supporting the channel but knowledge growth across the wider railway industry. Thank you for that.

Also, if you are interested in world-class education on modern train control technologies and their successful application, check out the world's most comprehensive portfolio of online training courses in this field: https://informaconnect.com/academy/rail/

Doc Frank talks to Tim Parker, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian High Speed Rail Authority. The conversation addresses various points of criticism towards Australia's quest for High Speed Rail and is aimed to increase transparency around this high-profile national project. The insights from this conversation are valuable for anyone involved in High Speed Rail or similar large infrastructure projects.

You can access the business case for the Sydney-Newcastle High Speed Rail here:
https://media.caapp.com.au/pdf/j2IbcN94MVkB/4d2b42f4-a09d-457d-ae1d-cf7f8fe872e8/HSRA%20Newcastle%20to%20Sydney%20High%20Speed%20Rail%20Business%20Case%20FINAL_Redacted%202026.pdf

If you enjoy railway conversations like this, please like and share this episode and subscribe to this channel. It does not cost you anything and helps to keep going with this podcast, more than you might think.

If you are interested in world-class education on modern train control technologies and their successful application, check out the world's most comprehensive portfolio of online training courses in this field:
https://informaconnect.com/academy/rail/

Doc Frank talks to Stanislas Pinte from "The Signalling Company" which set out to address shortcomings in the fitment of locomotives and trains with ETCS onboard equipment.

If you like this content you can support the channel by liking the video, sharing it with friends and coworkers, and of course subscribing so that you get notified of future episodes.

Feel free to check out the previous 100 episodes of this podcast. There is more that will interest you if you liked this episode.

Lastly, for your training needs in the field of advanced signalling and train control there is no better source than the comprehensive online course portfolio of the Informa Connect Academy. You can check out their full range of railway trainings here: https://informaconnect.com/academy/rail/.

Specifically for ETCS, I'd like to recommend the "ETCS Masterclass" course where you learn everything relevant about the technology and its application. Direct link here: https://informaconnect.com/etcs-masterclass

Doc Frank chats with Oliver Fried from Sydney, Australia, about Metros but also about High Speed Rail and the common topics between them. Learn how Sydney Metro compares to big hitter metros like Hong Kong or London, how new rail services need to be integrated into wider public transport networks, how Sydney Metro could inform the High Speed Rail planning for Australia, and much more.

A BIG thank you to all listeners, viewers and subscribers for your interest during these 100 episodes of the show. As a gesture of thanks, all training courses on https://docfranktraining.podia.com/courses are 30% off until the end of December 2024 by applying the coupon code PODCAST100 at checkout.