Chain management is the collection of management tasks and management products that together ensure that transport processes function reliably under ERTMS. This is done by monitoring the process, tuning it and adjusting it if necessary. The emphasis in chain management lies on the exchange of data and the joint handling of incidents and issues in the operation.
Why chain management is necessary
Just as ATB makes way for ERTMS, the analogue safety system makes way for a digital safety system. This makes chain management even more important. A digital system makes it more complex to identify faults and correct them. The cause of these faults are less obvious than in an analogue system.
A different way of working together
Because faults can have a range of different causes and because these causes are not as apparent in ERTMS, railway organisations can no longer only look at their own part. All organisations must work together and monitor all links together. Thus safeguarding the chain together. This is the only way to be sure that the Netherlands has a properly functioning railway network.
Chain management as a first migration step towards ERTMS
Every party remains responsible for their own part in the chain. But the manner in which the parties work together is changing. With ERTMS, all parties depend more on each other to solve incidents and problems. Such a change needs time. It requires organisations to design processes differently. This is why chain management is the first migration step when introducing ERTMS in the Netherlands.