# Efios Rail

> Efios Rail is an independent railway consultancy based in the Netherlands, founded in 2002 by Erik van Bekkum. It provides senior-level test management, project and programme management, and ERTMS advisory for railway infrastructure managers, train operators, ministries, and suppliers across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Europe.

Key facts:
- Founded: 2002
- Founder & principal consultant: Erik van Bekkum
- Legal entity: Efios Rail BV, KVK (Dutch Chamber of Commerce) number 34179907
- Contact: info@efios.com
- Location: Netherlands; working across Belgium and Europe
- Clients and collaborating organisations include ProRail, NS, Infrabel, the Dutch Ministry of Public Works, Siemens, Ansaldo STS, Thalys International, Eurostar, Lloyds Register Rail, KEMA, and Gemeente Amsterdam

## Services

- [Test Management](https://www.efios.com/test-management.html): End-to-end design, coordination, and execution of test campaigns for railway infrastructure and rolling stock — master test plans, test coordination and logistics, results analysis, and verification & validation (V&V) compliance.
- [Project Management](https://www.efios.com/project-management.html): Programme and project management for complex, multi-stakeholder railway programmes — governance, planning, risk management, procurement support, and delivery management.
- [ERTMS Advisory](https://www.efios.com/ertms.html): Strategic advisory, test programme management, and design thinking for ERTMS transitions — Level 1 and Level 2, dual signalling, human factors and simulation, and national rollout programmes.
- [Frontier Services](https://www.efios.com/frontier-services.html): AI and LLM agent development, social network analysis, and LoRaWAN sensing, applied with engineering-consultancy discipline.

## Reference Projects

- [Reference Projects](https://www.efios.com/projects.html): Full portfolio since 2002. Highlights:
  - Metro Amsterdam CAF M7 (2020–2023): supervised the signalling and control component of new metro rolling stock, including system integration and acceptance.
  - ProRail ERTMS Test Track Amersfoort (2019–2020): project-managed specification, design, procurement, and commissioning of a test track facility.
  - NS QHSE Human Factors & DAS Study (2018–2019): research on driver workload and safety implications of Driver Advisory Systems using eye-tracking and simulation.
  - ERTMS Pilot Amsterdam–Utrecht (2013–2014): managed the full testing programme and supervised commercial operation of the ERTMS Level 2 dual-signalling pilot.
  - Fyra V250 (2009–2013): led the complete test programme for the V250 high-speed train on behalf of NS International.
  - HSL-Zuid (2002–2009): verification and validation of superstructure and infrastructure for the Ministry of Public Works, followed by train-track integration tests.

## Company

- [About Efios Rail](https://www.efios.com/about.html): Company history, founder profile, and philosophy.
- [Beyond Railway](https://www.efios.com/beyond-railway.html): Pre-railway heritage in knowledge management, communities of practice, and organisational learning.
- [Corporate Social Responsibility](https://www.efios.com/csr.html): Youth sports sponsorship and international social initiatives.
- [Contact](https://www.efios.com/contact.html): Contact form and details. Enquiries are answered directly by the founder.

## Insights

- [Digitalising European Instructions](https://www.efios.com/digitalising-european-instructions.html) (11 August 2026): Why digitalising the European Instructions issued to drivers during disruption is a testing and human-factors problem rather than an IT delivery problem. DEI is a digitalisation initiative of ProRail Verkeersleiding (Traffic Control), not part of the ERTMS programme — what a credible test programme must cover, and why acknowledgement semantics change when a digital channel replaces voice readback. Written by Erik van Bekkum, programme manager for the DEI programme.