ERA issues a single safety certificate for THALYS

Josef Doppelbauer, Executive Director of ERA, signed today the single safety certificate for THALYS (THI Factory). This certificate is valid for a period of five years and covers an area of operation currently limited to France. THALYS continues to operate in Belgium under their safety certificates Part A and Part B until their validity expires.

Patrice Lambert, Safety Director at THALYS, summarises: "This certificate demonstrates THALYS’ commitment to the safety of its operations. By following ERA's processes, we have demonstrated our commitment to transparency and we are delighted that these efforts have been recognised by the European authorities. Engaging with ERA before the submission of the application and during the course of the assessment gave us a better understanding of the procedural stages and of what was expected from THALYS. This considerably facilitated the processing of the application. The One-Stop Shop supports the applicant in preparing its application file in a structured way, which should make updating and follow up during the supervision phase more transparent for the railway undertaking”.

ERA’s Executive Director, Josef Doppelbauer, welcomes the positive experiences during the certification process with THALYS: “I am satisfied about the good collaboration of ERA staff with the French national safety authority (EPSF)”, he said, “but we recognise that there is more work to do to streamline the process for the benefit of all those involved.”