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Issue 1, 2013, Supplements / 25 February 2013 /
This free to view Signalling & Telecommunications supplement is sponsored by Keymile, Kapsch and Thales:
- Crossrail’s signalling plans for best possible performance
Crossrail is a project which aims to deliver a world-class railway for London and the south-east. As construction continues on this major engineering project, what plans are in place for the design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a train control system for Crossrail’s central section? In an interview for European Railway Review, Siv Bhamra, Systemwide Director for the Crossrail project explains the signalling arrangements to ensure safety and best possible performance…
- What is in store for ERTMS in 2013?
Pio Guido, Head of ERTMS Unit, European Railway Agency (ERA)
The mission of the European Railway Agency (ERA) is to help the railway system to work better for society, i.e. that it is necessary to have a European-wide interoperable network and standardised systems with improved life cycle costs. ERTMS is a tool to achieve those results, enabling a more competitive railway system delivering more value to the customers…
- Railway telecommunications and traffic safety
José Pestana Neves, Adviser to the Board of Directors, Refer Telecom and Member of the UIC European Radio Implementation Group (ERIG)
This is the second of two articles dedicated to railway telecommunications and their role in the safety and operation of rail services. Part one was published in European Railway Review Issue 6 2012 and presented a general overview of what railway telecommunications are, with some discussion made about its role and impact on traffic safety. In this second and last article, I will provide a brief description of the role of railway telecommunications in traffic control and command, and also discuss some issues about its future…
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Issue 6 2012, Supplements / 28 November 2012 /
This free to view Signalling & Telecommunications supplement is sponsored by Alcatel-Lucent, Keymile, Kapsch, DeltaRail and Syrtem:
- Infrabel installing ETCS step-by-step on Belgian railway network
Luc Lallemand, CEO of Infrabel
- Railway telecommunications and traffic safety
José Pestana Neves, Adviser to the Board of Directors, Refer Telecom and Member of the UIC European Radio Implementation Group (ERIG)
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Issue 1 2012, Supplements / 8 February 2012 /
Improved location of trains involved in safety critical scenarios (Davide Quatrini, Mauro Giaconi and Giuseppe Fazio, Faculty of Engineering, University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’)
Eurotunnel is switching to digital and remains at the forefront of technology (Michel Boudoussier, Chief Operating Officer, Eurotunnel)
A history of electronic interlocking in Hungary (Péter Tóth, Signalling Expert, Hungarian State Railways, Telecom, Electrification and Signalling Technological Centre) (more…)
Issue 3 2011 / 31 May 2011 /
The Danish parliament Manager, Engineering Team of the Signalling Programme, Banedanmark has decided to fund a €3.2 billion replacement programme of renewing all Danish railway signalling before 2021. The programme is unique in Europe both in size and in its approach of focusing on economies of scale and creating a competitive market situation to ensure the best possible price and quality.
The programme also introduces a step change in technology which maximises the possibilities and benefits of re-signalling the Danish railway network. Customer benefits from the programme include higher reliability, higher line speed at selected lines and homogenous high safety across the country. (more…)
Rail industry news / 21 February 2011 /
Invensys Rail announced today that it has been awarded a multi-million pound contract by Network Rail to complete the Modular Signalling programme on the Shrewsbury to Crewe Pilot Line. (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 3 2010 / 31 May 2010 /
In January 2009, the Danish parliament decided to fund a €3.2 billion replacement programme of renewing all Danish railway signalling before 2021. The programme is one of its kind in Europe both in size and being unique in its approach of focusing on economies of scale and creating a competitive market situation to ensure the best possible price and quality.
The programme also introduces a step change in technology which maximises the possibilities and benefits of re-signalling the Danish railway network. Customer benefits from the programme includes: higher reliability, higher line speed at selected lines, homogenous high safety and nationwide interoperability. (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 /
Metal particles, caused by train wheels grinding against the rails and at points, are a source of faults and delays on the railway. These particles adhere to the rails, which are magnetised by voltage spikes and return currents.
On tracks equipped with Insulated Block Joints, short circuits occur between the insulated rail sections because metal particles act as conductors. Passing trains have the same effect, so the safety system detects an occupied track section, resulting in incorrect red signals and delays. (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…)
Rail industry news / 5 May 2010 /
Invensys Rail has been awarded a 48 million pound contract by Network Rail for the Paisley Corridor project in Scotland, the latest in a series of recent wins for the company in the UK.
The project is a combination of both enhancement and renewal, replacing life-expired signalling equipment at Shields and Paisley with the company’s WESTLOCK signalling technology, as well as providing triple tracking of the line between these two locations. The project also includes the migration of the control area of Paisley Signalling Centre to the West of Scotland Signalling Centre. The project is scheduled to be delivered over 21 months.
Invensys Rail is part of global process automation and systems control provider Invensys plc. It has already undertaken a number of demanding projects in Malaysia, including installations at North Butterworth and the Token Block Working Project. Projects in progress include the Sentul-Batu Caves and Johor Bahru Sentral upgrades.
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