You are here: Home » Archives for ETCS
ETCS - Articles and news items
Rail industry news / 17 October 2011 /
Österreichische Bundesbahnen Infrastruktur AG, the Austrian railway infrastructure company, has awarded an order to Siemens Mobility and Logistics to equip the Nordbahn route between Vienna and Břeclav (Czech Republic) with the European Train Control System (ETCS). An ETCS Level 2 of the Trainguard 200 RBC type will be installed along the 87 km rail link and eleven stations will also be equipped. The overall volume amounts to some 7 million Euros. Commissioning is scheduled for the end of 2013. The scope of the contract also includes an option for equipping the Central Station in Vienna for around 4.5 million Euros. (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 /
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…)
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 aim of this article is to present the current situation of the ETCS deployment on the Spanish network managed by the Spanish Infrastructure Manager (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias – ADIF). It covers the situation in the newly built High-Speed Network (UIC gauge) and the deployment over the existing conventional network (Iberian gauge – 1,638mm). An overview about the commissioning of the ETCS equipment is also presented. Finally, some punctuality figures are provided together with some conclusions about the deployment of ETCS. (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…)
Issue 3 2010 / 31 May 2010 /
ERTMS, and more specifically its rail component ETCS, is arguably the technology that has caused most controversy and emotional debate amongst the railway community during the past decade. In many ways, this grand project, coordinated by the European Union, is now reaching a new and important phase in its history. The recently adopted European ERTMS deployment plan should ensure a coordinated migration to ETCS on a number of freight routes. This will open new opportunities in the long run for the railways to strongly compete with road transport. (more…)
Issue 3 2010 / 31 May 2010 /
European Rail Software Applications (ERSA), a member of the DeltaRail Group, has a long and successful background in the field of ERTMS/ETCS development. We encapsulate ERTMS know-how into value-adding software, technology and services to deliver value for our customers.
Our innovative, cost-effective solutions answer the challenge of maximising availability, reliability and capacity on operations, on track and on train. ERSA helped to develop the main prototype software modules for the first independent test bench for ETCS in the EMSET project. This first test bench development was the basis for the later creation of SUBSET 094. (more…)
Issue 3 2010 / 31 May 2010 /
SŽDC, the Czech Railway Infrastructure Administration, is responsible for the modernisation and development of the railway network in the Czech Republic. We put great effort into enhancing the quality of our railway infrastructure and, together with carriers, we offer reliable services to both passengers and freight transport.
In my opinion, if the European railways do not establish a top-quality and reliable network in the near future, and do not provide customers with high-quality services with the assistance of carriers, then their future might be seriously endangered. (more…)
Issue 2 2010 / 5 April 2010 /
The economic recession has had a big impact on Germany’s railways – but restructuring of the industry is continuing, albeit at a slower pace. The 2008 credit crunch had a severe effect on manufacturing across Europe, with automobile assembly and construction hard hit. This had knock-on effects on the railways: steel and coal traffic in particular were down, taking rail freight carryings in Germany down by well over 10% last year.
Passenger traffic was not so badly affected, but the effect on the railway’s finances of the recession prompted the federal government to put off plans for a partial flotation of the state railway, Deutsche Bahn (DB), on the German stock market. (more…)
Login to access exclusive content