In 2022 the implementation of TTR will reach the next phase. On selected lines in Europe, the RUs will have the possibility to submit the Capacity Needs Announcements and co-design the future use of capacity. FTE members are jointly going to test and prepare themselves for this new challenge which also is a great opportunity to improve the capacity usage according to market needs.
Next year all applicants and entities with interest in capacity usage have the opportunity to submit their Capacity Needs Announcements (hereafter CNAs) on selected European lines. The call for CNAs is already published in the Network Statements in chapter 4.9.3.1. A CNA is early information in a standardised format to Infrastructure Managers about the future planned traffic. The IMs should cross-check this information with their other sources and predictions and use the CNA to create the Capacity Models. The detection of congestions thus happens much earlier than today, providing more time for both IMs and RUs to find a suitable alternative and good traffic solutions, also for the periods of Temporary Capacity Restrictions
Over 2021, the TTR-compliant process for CNAs was elaborated by the FTE CNA Working Group (WG). As a result, the respective FTE CNA Guidelines were drafted to support FTE RUs in understanding and implementing this new process. The guidelines are now publicly available and accessible also for non-FTE applicants here.
Besides the work on the process, the FTE CNA WG has gathered the CNA related functional requirements for the European Capacity Management Tool (ECMT), the European-wide software of IMs to handle aspects of advance capacity planning.
Following the decision of the FTE Plenary Assembly on 23 November 2021, the FTE community will now start preparatory works for the CNA implementation on the RU side. In spring and summer 2022, an FTE CNA pilot will be conducted with the aim to test the creation and harmonisation of the CNAs for timetable 2025. Already several RUs announced their participation, and all other FTE RUs are encouraged to join the pilot. It is a great opportunity for RUs to prepare jointly together for the future of capacity management and to utilise the benefits that TTR brings to them.
Created by Fabian Hunkeler