The Digirail project’s market dialogue attracted widespread interest

The modernisation and renewal of the railway safety equipment system and train control systems is progressing. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency presented the content and schedule of procurements to be launched in 2026 in a market dialogue organised for interested actors on 12 June 2025. The scale and significance of the project attracted companies from both Finland and elsewhere in Europe.

The safety equipment systems and train control systems used in Finnish rail traffic will be modernised in the implementation phase of the Digirail project. The market dialogue presented a procurement package valued at around EUR 600 million that will be implemented on the entire state-owned railway network (6,000 km) by 2040.

The purpose of the market dialogue is to present the content of the procurement package and its progress, discuss various contractual choices between alternative directions and the needs of the project as well as to listen to the views and questions of potential tenderers before committing to the actual procurements.

“The Digirail project affects the entire railway sector, and it is important for us that the sector is well informed on what kind of procurements to expect.  This allows us to prepare for them, which in turn ensures the best expertise and quality in the implementation phase. Drawing up tenders for procurements of this scale is also a major undertaking for the tenderers, and when we inform them well in advance about future procurements, they will also be able to prepare better,” says Juha Lehtola, Project Manager at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.

There was indeed a large and interested crowd at the market dialogue: “Fifteen companies from ten different countries participated, and the discussion was delightfully active!”

Market dialogues will continue in the autumn

The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) to be implemented in Finland is based on the radio network, i.e., communication between the train equipment and train control is carried out in the radio network.

“The market dialogue focused on equipment deliveries, the procurement of which will begin in 2026. The aim is to have more than one supplier for both Object Controllers and the Centralised Safety System. Track-side construction contracts will be put out to tender separately,” says Lehtola.

The first market dialogue is the starting point of a large package. The objectives will be specified in the next market dialogues in the autumn, and the actual procurements will be launched in early 2026. The goal is for the procurements to be done by the beginning of 2027.

Enquiries:

Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, Project Manager Juha Lehtola, tel. +358 295 34 3892
 

The Digirail project will lead Finland towards safer, more efficient and smoother rail traffic. The project will renew the obsolete train control system and introduce the common radio-based European Train Control System (ETCS) throughout the railway network. Digirail will enable safe traffic and an improved service level and increase infrastructure capacity. It will create a solid technological development base for Finnish rail traffic in the long term. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, Fintraffic and the Ministry of Transport and Communications will implement the project in cooperation with other stakeholders.