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ERTMS - Articles and news items
Rail industry news / 19 April 2012 /
Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation has delivered the world’s first application of a European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) regional solution on the Västerdal line in Sweden. The groundbreaking BOMBARDIER INTERFLO 550 ERTMS regional system reduces operational costs and accommodates increased traffic capacity and automated train control around the clock.
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Issue 6, 2011, Supplements / 13 December 2011 /
Challenges across the borders with ERTMS (Justus Stern, Rolling Stock Division, Engineering & Projects, SJ AB)
Europe’s leading signalling experts raise opinions and debate – conference review of Rail Network Solutions 2011 (Craig Waters, Editor, European Railway Review) (more…)
Issue 5 2011 / 22 September 2011 /
The Association of Swedish Train Operating Companies (ASTOC) acts on behalf of Sweden’s train operators. It seeks to represent the interests of commercial rail traffic in its dealing with the Government and Parliament, authorities, business principals, the media and other bodies. ASTOC also assists in increasing the rail industry’s know-how and competitiveness by providing information, advice and services to members. During 2010–2011, several topics have attracted the interest and work of ASTOC, not least related to the latest developments of Swedish transport policy.
ASTOC has continued to grow in terms of the number of members. The association now has 26 members (up from 21 from the previous year) of train operating companies carrying either passengers or freight (see Figure 1). In addition to this, the number of associated members has increased from two to five. A major new member is Malmtrafik AB (MTAB), the train operating subsidiary to the mining and ore company giant LKAB, based in Kiruna in the very north of Sweden. It is a company with unique competence in heavy-load freight traffic, also used to face rather extreme weather conditions. In recent years, the booming demand for raw materials such as iron has implied a surge in volumes from the mining industry – to be transported by rail as well as by other modes. LKAB is currently struggling to keep up with demand. (more…)
Issue 4 2011 / 4 August 2011 /
After years of preparation and comprehensive calls for tenders from suppliers, Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has placed all orders for the implementation of the European Train Control System (ETCS). In February 2010 the final purchase order was placed, concerning system integration. During the past two years, a company-wide programme group has been working on the implementation of ETCS in Austria. This marks the beginning of a new era in automated train control and protection for ÖBB and is simultaneously a further step towards deregulated and efficient rail traffic throughout Europe.
Harmonised standards thanks to ERTMS
Due to the many differences in the historic development of national railways in Europe, various non-compatible train control systems have emerged (see Figure1). This circumstance has impaired cross-border traffic and poses a significant operational and economic obstacle for the railways, especially with regard to the European common market. The EU has therefore been keen to standardise and deregulate train services throughout Europe – with the goal of establishing interoperable and efficient crossborder rail traffic for all operating companies. (more…)
Issue 3 2011 / 31 May 2011 /
The legal environment of the European rail system has dramatically changed during the last two decades. The three rail packages have caused a completely new structure of the railway business and induced an introduction of a number of new actors on the European railway market. Furthermore, in order to enable railway stakeholders and their customers to fully benefit from the advantages deriving from the establishing of an area without internal frontiers, the interoperability of the national rail networks as well as access thereto has been set out as the ultimate target. (more…)
Issue 3 2011 / 31 May 2011 /
In this paper, we will try to provide a general overview about the state-of-the-art aspects of satellite positioning systems and their usage in the railway safety assessment field, in particular in the On-Board Technological Systems (OBTS) assessment processes. Obviously CENELEC norms are applied in Italy, but the national peculiarities request additional specifications for the testing of ETCS with the integrated Italian National Automatic Train Protection System, the SCMT (Sistema di Controllo Marcia Treno, i.e. Train Run Control System).
The main norm for this kind of test is the RFI TC.PATC ST CM 03 E23 document1 ‘Sistema Tecnologico di Bordo – Verifica funzionale dell’installazione del STB sui rotabili’ (On-Board Technological System – Functional Verification of the OBTS installation on rolling stock), compiled and issued during 2008 by the Technical Department – Automatic Train Control Project of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana inc. (Trackside Manager) and then incorporated in the official National Railway Standards by the National Railway Safety Authority (ANSF, Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza delle Ferrovie). (more…)
Issue 1 2011 / 15 February 2011 /
The preparation, tendering and implementation phases of the GSM-R project in Greece are presented in a descriptive, but mainly explanatory type methodology. The objective was to introduce a new digital telecommunication network to replace the analog system along the main railway axis and provide the necessary interoperability for future roaming of border crossing trains. Although one would think that the technical specifications would present the major complexity, thanks to standardisation work done by the UIC/ERTMS group, it is in fact the administrative and commercial aspects of the project, such as government policy, environmental implications, stakeholder base, functional requirement gaps, operation and maintenance issues that introduce time and cost delays. The maturity of the project is established in phases and therefore a systematic and parsimonious approach in management is required. Lessons learned are based on return of experience from the people involved and the objective of this article is to ensure that the case can be used in other countries, which are already implementing or planning a GSM-R system. (more…)
Issue 1 2011 / 15 February 2011 /
In the past, Poland (with its 23,000km railway network) badly needed a good operational radio communication system. The first simple analogue system started in 1972 connecting the harbours of Gdynia and Gdansk with Silesia. The radio-telephone network has provided good communication between dispatchers and running trains along the whole route of approximately 800km. The loco-drivers, beside the connection with the dispatchers, were able to communicate among themselves. On the frame of this system (which was called colloquially ‘train line radio’) various mutations were created, e.g. marshalling yards or emergency/rescue networks. As it was mentioned, the first PKP analogue system using simplex transmission worked properly and is still operating in a 150 MHz band. (more…)
Rail industry news / 10 January 2011 /
Luxembourg Railways (CFL) has selected Alstom to install the third and final portion of its fleet with the Atlas ERTMS signalling solution*. The contract is worth more than €13 million and covers the installation of 19 locomotives and 22 double-deck electric multiple units (EMUs). CFL’s entire fleet, numbering more than 100 trains, will therefore operate with Alstom’s ERTMS Level 1 solution, for a total amount over €30 million. (more…)
Issue 6 2010 / 10 December 2010 /
The first thoughts for the implementation of a unified train control system to facilitate the plan of freight and passenger trains in Europe working in an interoperable and cross border manner arose in the early 1990s as the map for a unified European transport system emerged from the initial stages of the Common Market.
The situation that technically a train could not cross a border because of the differences in the train control systems was opposed to the European ideal. Freight by its nature may be perishable and would be rendered useless if not moved rapidly. Freight goods, whatever their consistency, for good economic reasons need to be moved efficiently to their point of use or consumption. Passengers can also be vocally demanding when faced with delays at border crossings. (more…)
Issue 6 2010 / 10 December 2010 /
Railways epitomise the triumph of engineering. From the early exploits of technological progress in the Victorian age, to the most recent speed records, from the age of steam power to the age of power semiconductors, engineering prowess has always been closely associated with the railway world.
Engineers have been successful in developing and perfecting the railways to a remarkable extent: historically this was done for integrated railways within the national borders. (more…)
Issue 3 2010 / 31 May 2010 /
The ERTMS/ETCS system currently being deployed on high-speed lines in Spain is the latest state-of-the-art signalling system, and in consequence the most complex signalling system available on the market.
The complexity of the ERTMS system requires a great deal of effort to test and validate all application data, much more than conventional signalling systems. This is particularly so when working on existing lines with revenue service, which allow for very short track possessions. (more…)
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