PLANS to implement the European Rail Traffic Management System on Poland's main lines reached a milestone on September 26, with the first test operation of rolling stock equipped with the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 1.

The five-day test programme took place on the 24km Psary - Zawiercie section of the 224km Central Trunk line (CMK), which links Warsaw with Katowice.

PKP Intercity supplied drivers and Siemens EU44 Husarz locomotives for the test trains, which ran at speeds of up to 200km/h.

The CMK was built in the 1970s with a design speed of 250km/h, although the absence of cab signalling has meant that trains have until now been limited to 160km/h. The line is being equipped with ETCS Level 1 by Thales under a contract signed in 2009.