Effective cross-border traffic management needs clear communication, shared operational understanding and practical coordination arrangements.
By addressing these topics jointly, IMs can support more reliable disruption management and stronger operational cooperation across borders.
NTCC Cooperation Platform strengthens cross-border collaboration
On 1-2 June 2026, the National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC) Cooperation Platform met in Bern, Switzerland, hosted by SBB Infrastruktur (SBB-I) and facilitated by RailNetEurope (RNE).
The meeting provided an opportunity for representatives of European Infrastructure Managers (IMs) to address practical challenges in cross-border traffic management.
Beyond operational exchange, the discussions helped advance work on communication, disruption handling, contingency follow-up and support tools that can strengthen coordination across the European rail network.
Operational exchange and workshop discussions
The first day focused on operational exchange and practical observation. Participants visited the SBB-I Operations Centre in Olten and the NTCC in Bern.
The visits gave participants direct insights into the Swiss traffic management set-up, operational responsibilities, tools, procedures, communication flows and coordination interfaces. They also provided an opportunity to compare approaches and identify practices that may be relevant for other NTCCs and IMs.
The second day took the form of a practical workshop, combining short presentations, group exercises, report-back discussions. The aim was not only to exchange information, but also to identify concrete lessons and next steps for cross-border cooperation.
The workshop discussions focused on four main topics:
1. Communication in traffic management
Participants reviewed current communication practices, fallback channels and the importance of clear operational contact points. The session also introduced the ETMN Communication Platform concept, being developed within the RNE Train Information System (TIS), to support the structured identification of relevant control centres and role-based operational contacts. The discussion helped clarify which information from IMs is needed to make the platform useful in practice.
2. Practical coordination during disruption
A communication exercise tested how coordination chains might work during a cross-border disruption involving several IMs. It examined contact order, operational roles, minimum information to be exchanged and possible fallback or escalation options. The exercise highlighted both existing good practices and areas where greater structure and visibility could support faster coordination.
3. Artificial intelligence in rail traffic management
SBB-I presented its approach to artificial intelligence (AI), including internal competence development, secure tools and possible railway use cases. Participants then discussed where AI could support traffic management in practical terms, where caution remains necessary and why operational judgement must stay central when introducing new technologies.
4. Contingency follow-up and language support
Building on the previous NTCC Cooperation Platform meeting in Utrecht, participants revisited contingency planning with a focus on post-contingency actions. The discussion covered network validation, traffic restart, the return to normal operations and the collection of immediate operational feedback. A further session addressed the RNE Language Programme, with attention to IM–IM communication, the role of English-speaking dispatchers at NTCC level and the need for common language solutions that support interoperability while maintaining safety.
Meeting outcomes and next steps
The meeting in Bern confirmed the value of the NTCC Cooperation Platform as a practical forum for European traffic management experts. By combining site visits, operational exchange and targeted workshop discussions, the meeting contributed to stronger mutual understanding between control centres and to the continued development of practical cooperation tools.
The outcomes will feed into the ongoing work of the NTCC Cooperation Platform, the ETMN Communication Platform and related traffic management activities.
RNE thanks SBB-I for hosting the meeting and arranging the control centre visits, as well as all participants for their active contribution and open exchange.
