Signalling &Telecommunications

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Crossrail will initially operate 24 trainsper hour during peak times betweenPaddington and Whitechapel. What signalling system is expected tobe installed in this central section of the route, and how will it work?The signalling system expected to be installed in the central section, between Paddington and Abbey Wood, is a Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system. This type oftechnology includes continuous automatic trainprotection to ensure safety and automatic train operation.

A CBTC system works by using moving block technology. This means that the trainsreport their location back to a safety system that then calculates how far the train behind can safely move. As this calculation is per-formed several times per minute, this type of system ensures that the maximum number oftrains per hour can be safely achieved inpassenger service.

The system will also incorporate auto-matic train operation where the computercontrols train movement. This minimises ‘driver’reaction time – again maximising the number of trains per hour that can be achieved. Auto -matic train operation systems can also beoptimised to reduce power consumption whenrunning a reduced service in the off-peakpassenger service hours.

There will still be a driver on the train tosupervise the service in the central section,manage departures from stations, and drive thetrain when on Network Rail infrastructure.

There are plans to increase thefrequency of trains operating throughthis central section at a later date. How will the signalling system beadapted to support this? The signalling system is specified to deliver themaximum numbers of trains per hour practicalin the central section. The signalling system will have the capability to deliver up to 33 trainsper hour.

The maximum number of trains per hour is limited by the length of the train and how quickly they accelerate/brake. The train has been specified to accelerate/brake at the maximum values possible whilst still keeping passengers safe and comfortable. If the values were in creased then standingpassengers could be at risk of falling when thetrain rapidly arrives or departs from a station.

To provide more recovery time in case of minor delays (e.g. passengers holding thedoors open) the station dwell times aredynamically altered by the signalling system if necessary, although the driver can override this if passenger movements require a longerdwell time.

Crossrail has shortlisted five bidders to supply the new signalling system.What is the current situation in thisprocess and when is the contractexpected to be awarded?Following the shortlisting of bidders, Crossrailawarded the signalling system contract inNovember 2012 to a consortium comprisingSiemens Plc and Invensys Rail Limited.

The contract covers the design, manu -facture, supply, installation, testing andcommissioning of a train control system forCrossrail’s central section.

How long after the signalling contract is awarded will workcommence, and how long is installation expected to take?Work is now underway and the first designs willbe available in late-2013 to support the trainprocurement process.

Installation is due to start in 2016 when ourstation contractors have completed building the equipment rooms. Installation work in thetunnels is planned to start when the SystemwideMain Works contractor has installed the track inthe tunnels.

Installation of the signalling equipment willbe completed in early-2018 to allow testing to becomplete before the Crossrail central sectionopens for passenger service at the end of 2018.

Crossrail is a project which aims to deliver a world-class railway for London and the south-east. As constructioncontinues 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 forEuropean Railway Review, Siv Bhamra, Systemwide Director for the Crossrail project explains the signallingarrangements to ensure safety and best possible performance.

Crossrail’s signallingplans for best possible

performance

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The signalling system will obviouslyneed to be fitted on-board the newrolling stock for Crossrail. Whatresearch has been done in this area?Crossrail carried out extensive investigationsacross the train building and signalling industryto minimise the risk associated with this area. Both sides of the industry stated that cabsignalling is now the normal solution formodern railways, either as European Rail TrafficManagement System (ERTMS) for mainline

railways or CBTC for metros. As such, both thesignalling suppliers are used to working with allthe train suppliers, and vice versa. Both thesignalling and rolling stock industry alsoconsider this to be their ‘bread and butter’ workand do not consider the installation of signallingon-board a train to be high risk.

The fitting of a signalling system to a newtrain is a well-known process and the applica-tion is eased as to a degree the train can bedesigned around the signalling system. Industryfeedback suggests the biggest challenge is retro fitting a new signalling system to an existingtrain as space, in particular under body space, isnot available.

How will the new rolling stock workwith signalling systems on existingNetwork Rail routes at both ends of the central tunnels?The new rolling stock will have operatedbetween Maidenhead and Shenfield via theCrossrail central section. Network Rail areinstalling ERTMS on the Great Western Main Lineso the rolling stock will run under ERTMS on the

Great Western Main Line, the Crossrail CBTCsystem in the central section and Network Rail’sTrain Protection and Warning System (TPWS) onthe Great Eastern Main Line.

The signalling systems will seamlesslychangeover from one system to the next at theboundaries to the Crossrail central section andthese transitions are technical challenges thatCrossrail will overcome before opening. There iscurrently extensive experience of transitionsbetween different signalling systems across

Europe. For example, Eurostar currently has sixdifferent types of signalling system on-board.

Has Crossrail researched other projects in the world and theirexperiences in installing signallingsystems to understand what system is best for Crossrail?Yes. There are very few other projects similar to Crossrail as most cities, like London, have suburban rail to a terminal station and then use an underground metro system tomove passengers around the city and to thecentre. Crossrail runs on the suburban railwayand then runs at metro frequencies through thecentral section.

Paris has the RER network which is similar,but these lines were last re-signalled in the 1980s. RER currently have a project to update the signalling which is due to deliver soon after Crossrail on their lines and we have worked closely with them to share knowledgeand experience.

In addition to looking at other projectsaround the world, we have also drawn on the

experience of our colleagues in LondonUnderground and Network Rail when specifyingthe type of signalling system.

In summary of Crossrail has a wholeand thinking about when it is complete,how will the route benefit London andthe South East’s transport network, andwhat does the future hold?Crossrail will increase rail capacity in London by 10%.

The current transport network in and aroundLondon is already extremely congested, withhigh levels of crowding on key National Rail,London Underground and Dockland LightRailway (DLR) services, particularly during thepeak period. Even with the on-going invest-ment on the London Underground, National Rail network and other transport systems,London’s transport system is struggling to meetexisting demands.

The key transport aims for Crossrail willsupport delivery of the objectives set out in theMayor of London’s Transport Strategy (May2010), namely to: ● Support sustainable economic develop -

ment and population growth by increasing

transport capacity, reducing congestion on

the transport network

● Improve transport connectivity throughjourney time savings

● Bring wider benefits including: enhancingaccessibility (particularly those withrestricted mobility) thereby improvingpeople’s access to jobs, schools and otherlocations; improved transport safety withreduced road accidents; and environmentalimprovements; including a reduction in CO2 emissions.

European Railway ReviewVolume 19, Issue 1, 2013 4

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Siv Bhamra is a senior executivewith over 30 years of experiencein the project management and engineering of major railprojects. He has worked on thefull spectrum of rail projects fromlight-rail and urban metros to

high-speed lines, engaging in activities rangingfrom conducting feasibility studies to imple -menting full schemes. Currently as SystemwideDirector on the Crossrail Project in London, Sivmanages design and delivery of all rail systemscontracts and integration functions, includingChair of the Railway Integrating Authority on thislandmark project. Siv has a PhD in RailwaySystems Engineering, an MBA in ProjectManagement and an MSc in Engineering Design,all from Universities in the UK.

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European Railway Reviewwww.europeanrailwayreview.com 7 Volume 19, Issue 1, 2013

ERA has the responsibility to develop andmaintain the specifications for ERTMS: In thelast 12 months we have seen the successfulconclusion of four years of intense work,culminating with the release of the ETCS

Baseline 3 in April 2012, the positive opinion ofthe representatives of the EU Member States inJune 2012, and the adoption and publication ofthe corresponding EC Decision in the OfficialJournal1 in November 2012. These achieve -

ments have been possible because there is wideand strong support for ERTMS in the sector andfrom all the stakeholders.

In fact, the European organisations of thesector, together with the European Commissionand ERA, have enshrined the common comm -itments in the ERTMS Memorandum ofUnderstanding signed in April 2012 in Copenhagen.

A first priority is to safeguard the investmentsmade by the railways: With the help of the sector,ERA has maintained the stable functionality ofETCS Baseline 2, the 2.3.0d version, since

The mission of the European Railway Agency (ERA) is to help the railwaysystem to work better for society, i.e. that it is necessary to have aEuropean-wide interoperable network and standardised systems withimproved life cycle costs. ERTMS is a tool to achieve those results,enabling a more competitive railway system delivering more value to the customers.

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What is in store forERTMS in 2013?

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Pio Guido Head of ERTMS Unit, European Railway Agency (ERA)

2008: The EC Decision now in force allows in fact the continued use of Baseline 2 in parallelwith Baseline 3. ERA will also continue in thefuture to manage the Change Control process tomaintain Baseline 2 specifications. Trainsequipped with Baseline 3 will be able to operateon Baseline 2 lines.

Baseline 3 has been developed to ensure a wider deployment of ETCS by adding the specific functions identified with the sector in 2008 (Limited Supervision, dedicatedLevel Crossing functionality, harmonised braking curve model, etc.) to incorporate the valuable return of experience from the ever growing number of Baseline 2 projects and to deliver more standardisation at the on-board interfaces.

The STM interface specifications in Baseline3 now allow integrating a legacy ATP system on-board without exporting requirements orconstraints from the legacy system ontoERTMS/ETCS. The standardised interface is asignifi cant improvement in regard to standard -isation, certification and placing in service.

The establishment of a harmonised brakingmodel which closes a previous open point iscentral for interoperability and matches theallocation of responsibilities between infra -

structure managers and railway undertakings inaccordance with the directives.

The standardisation of the DMI ergonomicinterface (between the machine and the driver) ensures a common train operation underERTMS/ETCS and marks a significant improve -ment towards a harmonised train operation

within Europe. This also allowed the develop -ment and validation of the harmonised ERTMSoperational rules in parallel and in coordinationwith the technical requirements: This is the firsttime since the inception of the ERTMS project.

In July 2012, ERA delivered the recomm -endation to update Annex A of the TSI Operationand Traffic Management with the ERTMSoperational rules, which are structured in a singleset of rules applicable for all operational situationswith Baseline 2 or Baseline 3 tracks and trains.

In accordance with the ERTMS MoU, one ofthe first tasks in 2013 will be the finalisation of the additional interface and test specificationsfor Baseline 3: In particular the test specifica-

tions for ETCS Baseline 3, the train interfacedefinition and RBC-RBC interface. The proactivesupport of the sector organisations will beessential to deliver on all the points. The ERTMSCoordinator, Mr. Karel Vinck, has indicated in hisreport2 that he will oversee this activity as one ofhis priorities for 2013.

In addition to that, in 2013 ERA will focus onthe follow-up ERTMS implementations: On theearly implementations of ETCS Baseline 3 toensure successful implementation of theharmonised system; on Baseline 2 imple -mentations, to gather the return of experience;and on the GSM-R deployment and operations.

For GSM-R, a key issue is the question ofinterferences originated by the public servicesusing adjacent bands; ERA will play a central rolesupporting the European Commission and thesector to assess the situation and define nextsteps (see separate text box in this article).

ERTMS is a priority for Europe and this is alsoreflected in the financial support granted to thesystem: In particular in the TEN-T programme2007-2013 a significant amount has beenearmarked for ERTMS. In the current on-goingMultiannual Call for Proposal, ERTMS has beenincluded again as a specific priority.

ERA co-operates with DG MOVE and the TEN-T Executive Agency to provide technicalexpertise in the evaluation of the projectseligibility for receiving financial support fromEurope. Within the limits of available resources,we are committed to follow-up those projectsand provide information, guidance and feed-back to help ensure the correct and fullimplementation of the CCS TSI.

For the success of ERTMS it is essential thatproducts are placed on the market only if in conformity with the specifications, andauthorisations are granted when the sub-systems are compliant with the specifications.The role of the Notified Bodies and of theaccredited test laboratories, as required bythe TSI, are key elements to ensure evidence in the verification and authorisation processesfor ERTMS giving confidence in the inter -operability of the system. ERA has established aFocus Group on ERTMS with representatives ofthe National Safety Authorities.

If we consider that the concept of ERTMS wasdeveloped before the interoperability and thesafety directives, in the world of integratedrailways, and we consider its growing successtoday, with separate roles for infrastructure

European Railway ReviewVolume 19, Issue 1, 2013 8

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Interferences with GSM-R – time for actionThe railways are becoming increasingly aware and

concerned about interferences to GSM-R. The

deployment of ERTMS, including GSM-R, is a

priority for Europe, and mandatory according to the

Interoperability Directive 2008/57/EC and the TSI

CCS. On the other hand, the deployment of wide band

technologies to serve citizens and train passengers

with seamless communication is also a priority.

Coexistence of public wireless communication and GSM-R has to be ensured by all the involved actors2012 has seen different studies and measurement

campaigns carried out in this direction.

The European Railway Agency is follow-

ing those activities, and assists the European

Commission (DG Move and DG CONNECT) in

identifying solutions at EU level to achieve the

coexistence of all the communication technologies.

The European Commission and ERA organised

the first Interference Workshop in Lille in November

2012, with the participations of representatives from

Ministries, National Safety Authorities, National

Frequency Regulators, Public Telecom Operators,

technology suppliers and from the sector. The

workshop allowed an open and dynamic exchange of

views and understanding of the situation and

the impact in railway operation and legislation. The

proceedings are available on ERA’s website3.

The range of possible solutions to be explored by all

involved parties included:

● Coordination by National Frequency Regulator

● Implementation of filters in the cabin radio

● New GSM-R module with better

immunity characteristics

● Filter implementation at the BTS of the public

operator to reduce the unwanted emissions

● Network planning and network optimisation

(public and railways).

ERA reported the results at the meeting of the Radio

Spectrum Committee (Regulatory Committee

competent for frequency spectrum harmonisation in

Europe) held in December 2012, emphasising

the need of achieving an effective coordination of the

interests of the public communication operators and

the railways.

The way forward and measures to be taken DG MOVE and DG CONNECT decided to initiate a

steering activity to follow-up the list of actions

identified with the stakeholders.

ERA will now collect case studies of inter -

ference with the relevant data from railways, to detail

the real impact of the wideband technologies in the

GSM-R networks and the necessary coordination

measures. We will present those results at the Radio

Spectrum Committee in March 2013.

‘‘Today, more than 4,000km of lines are in operation and 1,500 vehicles are running in

Europe using ERTMS’’

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managers, railway undertakings and nationalsafety authorities, we must recognise this as a testimony to the quality and resilience of its concept.

Today, more than 4,000km of lines are in operation and 1,500 vehicles are running inEurope using ERTMS. Nearly all of the Italian andSpanish high-speed networks are in service with ERTMS; so are significant parts of the Swiss, Dutch and Belgian networks. ERTMS is inservice, or in construction, in 18 European

Countries. ETCS control trains are running at300km/h on high-speed lines, but also freighttrains on conventional lines, on dedicated routes(e.g. Betuwe line) and in tunnels under the Alps (e.g. Lötschberg).

We witness the progressive extension of thescope of application towards urban traffic: The implementation of ERTMS on the Madridsuburban lines represents a great achievement.

The start of the commercial service of this project is a clear demonstration of the flexibilityand viability of ERTMS in commuter lines withdense traffic. We look forward to the results ofother developments like in London with theThameslink project, for example.

According to figures from UNIFE, ERTMS has emerged as the system of choice for rail-ways worldwide, where the decision is based on the performance of the system, and on the advantage offered by a multi-suppliersystem. ERTMS contracts have been signed incountries as diverse as Algeria, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Libya,Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey or theUnited Arab Emirates.

ERTMS as a worldwide system represents anopportunity for Europe to strengthen itsleadership in the railway industry, and can bebeneficial in terms of economies of scale: Withinthe limits of our mandate, and in coordinationwith the policy of the Commission, ERA isexploring opportunities of cooperation withregulatory bodies outside Europe. In 2012 wesigned a memorandum of cooperation with theFederal Railroad Administration in the U.S.

ERTMS is a reality. The challenge now is to increase its cost-effectiveness and realise improved, interoperable operation. Therequirements for ERTMS must be controlledtransparently at European level for the benefit ofall the parties. The European Railway Agencyputs its competence and its transparent processto manage the harmonised system at the serviceof all the stakeholders.

References1. EC Decision 2012/696/EU of the 6 November 2012.

2. Annual Report of the Coordinator: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/infrastructure/ten-t-implementation/priority-projects/doc/ertms.pdf

3. www.era.europa.eu

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Pio Guido is Head of the ERTMSUnit at the European RailwayAgency. He is an electronicengineer who developed hiscareer in Europe and in the USAin the field of automation forindustrial control and transport

systems. He joined the Italian Railways in 1997. In 2001, Pio was appointed Deputy ManagingDirector of the ERTMS Users Group in Brusselsand has been working at the European RailwayAgency since its initial establishment in 2005.

‘‘ERTMS as a worldwide system represents anopportunity for Europe to strengthen its

leadership in the railway industry’’

Railway telecommunications and traffic controlThe purpose of the traffic control and comm-and function, as its name indicates, is themanagement and organisation of railwaytraffic, including decisions (in real or almostreal-time) on traffic incidents. In reality, themost significant component of this functionconcerns the management of anomalies(delays, rolling stock faults, inoperability ordeficiencies in infrastructure components,traffic accidents or incidents, etc.), which clearlyimplies constantly obtaining, also in real oralmost real-time, all information on the locationof trains and on the conditions in which they arerunning, particularly with regard to anomalies.This information, depending on each case and

on the technology available, is transmitted byhumans and/or by entirely or partly auto-matic means, constantly evaluated and, whennecessary, leads to traffic interventions. Typicalexamples of these interventions include:● A change in the passing station on

single-track lines

● Stabling and overtaking of trains● Suppression of trains or provision of

extra trains● Change in passing tracks at stations● Setting up of temporary single tracks or

other traffic restrictions.

The most important traffic control models inservice in the Portuguese network are known as‘Centralised Traffic Control’ and ‘Regulation’.

Centralised Traffic ControlThe Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) model is the most important model in the Portugueserailway network, already covering a significantpart of the main network and being extended tonew lines and line sections as the overallnetwork modernisation proceeds.

The abbreviation CTC also designates, byextension, the Control Centre itself, covering thetraffic control and command of several linesand/or line sections. These centres include varioustraffic control operator stations, the allocation ofthe respective controlled sectors being dynamic.This means that the Traffic Control Sector(s) (TCS)allocated at any time to each operator station is (orare) potentially variable, depending on trafficpatterns and time of day or on internal manage -ment decisions. Traffic control operators arecoordinated by ‘supervisors’ who may alsoperform operational duties.

When these control centres, besides CTCtraffic control, also include other services, inparticular traction power supply control,infrastructure supervision, public informa-tion and video surveillance of remote facilities, they are known as Operational Control

European Railway ReviewVolume 19, Issue 1, 2013 10

This is the second of two articles dedicated to railway tele -communications and their role in the safety and operation of rail services.Part one was published in European Railway Review Issue 6 20121 andpresented 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 roleof railway telecommunications in traffic control and command, and alsodiscuss some issues about its future.

Railwaytelecommunicationsand traffic safety

SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

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José Pestana Neves Adviser to the Board of Directors, Refer Telecom and Member of the UIC European RadioImplementation Group (ERIG)

Centres (OCCs), the geographical coverage of each of these Centres corresponding to several CTCs.

In this centralised control model, decisionsand related implementation actions concerningtraffic control are carried out by the same entity(operator, or, eventually, supervisor), and settingroutes and changing signal aspects are tasksperformed by remote control from the respectivepositions. The existence of remote control of thesignalling system is an essential condition for the implementation of this traffic control model,as well as the existence of automatic signallingsystems on the lines controlled.

RegulationThe Regulation model applies in zones wheresafety is granted through the telephone blocksystem (where, indeed, for technical limitationreasons, it is the only applicable solution) andalso in automatic block zones where there is nomeans for remote control of the respectiveinterlockings. In this model, traffic managementdecisions are communicated by telephone bythe Regulation Operator (or ‘Regulator’) to thestations existing in the corresponding TCS.These decisions are carried out and imple -mented locally using the resources available ineach case, which can be manual or the localautomatic signalling control desk. In theseconditions, in this model the ‘Decision’ and‘Implementation’ actions concerning trafficcontrol are carried out by different entities, in different locations and with responsibilitiesthat are clearly differentiated as far as safety is concerned.

Regulation control positions are physicallyinstalled in OCC (or CTC) Control Rooms wherethey are geographically integrated, although,naturally, the resources and auxiliary instru -ments that are typical of the centralised controlare not available.

Traffic control related railwaytelecommunicationsAccordingly with the aforementioned functionalcharacteristics, traffic control telecomm -unications systems in ‘Regulation’ areasbasically consist of point-to-multipoint systemsconnecting with all the stations in each TrafficControl Sector with the respective controlcentre. These were, traditionally, selective callshared line systems, now replaced by IP(Internet Protocol) based systems, with an IP switch (duplicated for redundancy purposes)

and VoIP (Voice over IP) terminals at all the‘Regulators’ positions and stations.

In CTC areas, a similar structure is used, but,due to the fact that most of the stations in theseareas are unstaffed, the system also includestrack-side telephones, at signals, level crossings,branches, etc., allowing direct communicationsbetween the CTC operator and train drivers, levelcrossing guards and other operational staff.

In addition to those fixed systems, ground-to-train radio systems have been installed at allmain lines, being of special importance in CTCareas, allowing train drivers to communicatewith CTC operators with no need to use track-side telephones.

In any case (fixed or mobile communi -cations), calls to the CTC operator are auto -matically forwarded to the right operatorposition, according to the caller party location.

The future of railwaytelecommunicationsIn telecommunications in general, in otherwords, in public telecommunications, trends inrecent years have been characterised by thehuge development of mobile communica-tions and the corresponding decline oftraditional fixed telephone communications.This has meant that, in rapid analysis, anydiscussions and projections about the future of railway telecommunications have focusedalmost exclusively on mobile systems. This approach – possibly influenced by thegrowing trend of using cab signalling systems,such as the European standard ETCS – isconsidered simplistic and detached from reality because while it is true that mobilecommunications have a growing importance inrailway operation and safety, it is no less true

that there are (and there will still be in thefuture) a significant number of operationalcommunication needs, fixed by nature, of arelative dimension, compared with mobilecommunications, that is very different of theworld of public communications.

A more careful analysis of the evolution andfuture of railway telecommunications shouldthus be based on a projection of changes in the real needs of the railway and not on asimplistic extension of expected trends in public telecommunications. Some basic realitiesshould not be forgotten, sometimes surprisinglyomitted in these speculations. For example,mobile communication systems require thepresence of a fixed communications network tosupport its infrastructure and that mobilecommunications are not synonymous withwireless communications: mobile communica -tions are wireless but wireless communicationsare not necessarily mobile.

Current trends in technical and tech -nological changes in telecommunicationssuggest, with reasonable certainty, that thescenario for railway telecommunications duringthe 2020s will probably be based on fixednetworks in which various current technologieswill have converged on IP and/or IP/MPLS (Multi-Protocol Layer Switching) support, and mobilenetworks, LTE (Long Term Evolution) and/orothers, which will progressively replace thecurrent GSM-R standard. Future mobile comm -unications technologies should hopefully notimply specifically railway-related requirements –in other words they should comprise standardoff-the-shelf equipment. Fixed networks willsupport the infrastructure of mobile networksand most of the fixed applications, while mobilenetworks, with much greater capacity than theexisting GSM-R, will support mobile applications,including broadband applications (video andothers), not possible with current technology,and also a range of fixed applications, insituations in which wireless access is technicallyor economically more favourable than the fixednetwork itself.

In what concerns mobile communications,some railways, including Portuguese Railways(Refer Telecom), have been presenting aproposal for a new vision of interoperability ofradio communications on European rail-ways. The basic idea of this vision is that, in thefuture, the radio system must be essentially ameans of transmission, not itself implementingfunctions or applications specific to railways,

European Railway Reviewwww.europeanrailwayreview.com 11 Volume 19, Issue 1, 2013

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Traffic Control related communications on the Portuguese rail network. Above: ‘Regulation’ areas configuration. Below: CTC areas configuration.

which will be implemented by servers and‘intelligence’ outside the actual radio system. Inthis scenario, the interoperability of mobilerailway communications would be based onstandardisation between fixed and on-boardcomponents of functions and applicationsspecific to railways and not necessarily oftransport radio systems, in which differenttechnologies could even coexist.

This architecture essentially corresponds to the current situation of public mobilecommunications, in which practically worldwideexisting ‘interoperability’, (although this term isnot usually applied in this scenario), is essentiallyachieved at the expense of multisystem andmultiband terminals and through a degree ofharmonisation of roaming services providedunder agreements between operators. Theproposal for application of this concept in the railway environment thus depends, to a largeextent, on the assumption of a significantevolution of terminals and of cab radios inparticular. These devices, without losing theirspecial characteristics of robustness anddurability, would have to start to present amodular design with regard to front-end radios inorder to present multisystem/multibandcharacteristics, preferably with the possibility ofdynamic evolution throughout the useful life of each device.

With this approach, railway interoperability,as far as radio communications with trains areconcerned, will no longer require the samesystem and the same frequency band throughoutEurope and it will be possible to have differentsystems in different countries or even in differentregions of the same country. For this reason,migration to a new system, with greater capacityand supporting new applications, could bemanaged on a country-by-country, or even aregion-by-region basis, depending on their owndifferent needs and timings, without jeopardisingthe basic functions that ensure interoperability.

The aforementioned scenario of increaseduse of standard equipment, rather than specific railway ones, plausible from a tech-nical and financial viewpoint, leads to anotherkind of discussion on the justification of theexistence of private networks belonging to the railways – or the use of public tele -communications operator’s services.

It is believed that the real and decisive issuethat justifies, and will justify, the existence ofprivate railway telecommunications networksdoes not lie in whether the techniques and

technologies used are unique to railways oridentical to those of public telecommunications,but rather in the nature and criticality of theservices provided. It is interesting to note that, with regard to the most critical role thattelecommunications play in railway operations,namely in the area of traffic safety, recenttechnological developments have significantlyincreased the dimension and importance of thisrole. Indeed, after an initial phase in which trafficsafety was based exclusively on telecommuni -cations (the telephone block system, actually theorigin of private railway telecommunications

networks), the phase of the introduction ofautomatic blocks corresponded to a reduction inthe importance of telecommunications in thecontext of safety, since these systems generallyused dedicated signalling cables as connectionsupport. However, recent trends and futureprospects of increasingly intensive use of cabsignalling systems based on mobile comm -unications, have brought telecommunicationsback into a central role in traffic safety, not only tosupport radio communication between the railinfrastructure and the train, but also in thesupport for fixed communications between the various signalling systems components. As discussed in the previous article1, anycommunications failure in this context does notthreaten traffic safety, or at least not directly, butmay impair the reliability and quality of therailway service.

Issues of this kind (quality, reliability,continuity of service), indeed not exclusive toapplications related to traffic safety, areeffectively the critical factors differentiating a

private network from a public network.Exclusivity, full control, the definition of prioritiesand intervention capacity are decisive factors inquality of service, effectively impossible to obtainin a public network, in which railways, much asthey may be a priority, would still be just onemore client among many. We have all had theexperience, taken for granted, of the frequencywith which phone calls are ‘cut off’, even on thelarger road networks; it is easy to imagine the consequences that a similar situation wouldhave on a railway service with cab signalling:irregular running, sudden braking, etc.

After all, this is essentially a false issue; public telecommunications and private railwaytelecommunications are not antagonists, butinstead, and increasingly, cooperative andcomplementary to each other. Indeed, therailway network offers excess capacity to publicoperators, as well as various types of facilities forthe provision of direct service to passengers. On the other hand, they themselves are cust-omers of those operators, namely to supportoperational services, in emergencies and insecondary areas that do not justify an investmentin private resources. In the future, technologicalcon vergence between public networks and theprivate network may be able to create scenariosthat foster closer collaboration, with advantagesfor both parties.

In any case, the future of railway tele -communications should, or rather, must bemarked by constant evolution and improvement,with a view to the quality and excellence ofrailway transport.

Reference1. European Railway Review, Volume 18, Issue 6 2012

(November) Page 53-55. To order a back issue please contact Karen Hutchinson atkhutchinson@russellpublishing.com

European Railway ReviewVolume 19, Issue 1, 2013 12

SIGNALLING &TELECOMMUNICATIONS

SUPPLEMENT

José Pestana Neves is anElectrical Engineer (Electronicsand Telecommunications), andhas worked continuously and exclusively, since 1969, inthe subject of railway tele -communications. He is currently

an Adviser to the Board of Directors of ReferTelecom and a Member of the UIC EuropeanRadio Implementation Group (ERIG).

Further ReadingJosé Pestana Neves is also the author of ‘RailTelecommunications – How, Why and What for’(Ed. Refer Telecom, Lisbon 2012). This book is

available at www.refertelecom.pt

Future scenario of international interoperabilityof radio communications: Interoperability ofApplication Level.

European Railway Reviewwww.europeanrailwayreview.com 13 Volume 19, Issue 1, 2013

This could be completed by either portingexisting applications from analog or from Public GSM based services, or by introducingcompletely new applications.

Our approach is to discuss any of ourapplication offerings with railway operators andinfrastructure owners from the concept phase up to the implementation in the operationalnetwork, also covering migration phases.

We have grouped our railway applicationsoffering into the following four categories:1. Train Operations applications

2. Trackside Operations applications

3. Personnel Safety

4. Optimisation Services.

Train Operations applicationsThe goal of this applications offering is to simplify operational procedures. The GSM-Rshunting application is the second most impor-tant application, just after track-to-train radio, and it has a high communication need. Shuntingin railway operations is the process of sortingwagons into complete trains. It is used for pushingmaneuvers or humping scenarios and can beadapted to specific operational requirements andprocedures of railway companies. The mainbenefits of this application are:● No additional shunting communication

system is required

● The GSM-R system resources are used efficiently

● Increased safety for staff members● All-in-one terminal due to the replacement

of various analog terminals.

Beyond shunting, other applications in thiscategory are the Departure Ready Messageapplication and various IN-based applications.

Trackside Operations applications Our applications offering within Trackside

Operations are based on services that focus on trackside activities, especially on staffworking alongside tracks whether it is formaintenance, operations or constructionpurposes. For example, the Track WorksiteWarning application is used for short-term ormobile worksites and is renowned for itshandiness and quick installation. It can there -fore be mounted, demounted and movedquickly, whenever necessary. Railway staffworking directly on the track will be warnedautomatically as soon as a train approaches.

Besides Track Worksite Warning, there areapplications for service staff and NFC-basedtrackside operations applications to be found inthis category.

Personnel Safety applicationsEmploying human resources more efficientlyand increasing personnel safety are the mainbenefits of the Lone Worker Protection appli -cation, the star of the Personnel Safetyapplications. For safety reasons, two people areoften assigned one task in and around railwaystations and tracks. The Lone Worker Protectionapplication allows for an increased range oftasks that can be carried out alone, thusincreasing the overall efficiency of staff.

Each ‘lone worker’ carries a handheld device

that triggers an automatic alarm in case of an accident. The alarm sent to the AlarmManagement Centre includes the detailedlocation of the lone working person. Also, a call isestablished automatically and the injured personcan directly speak to the controller on duty. Withthe help of our GSM-R network components thecall will be routed directly to the responsibleAlarm Management Centre.

Optimisation Services ApplicationsOptimisation Services applications areapplication concepts to prove existing para -meterisations. With IN-based Services the actualparameterisation of location dependentaddressing and/or functional addressing couldbe checked and corrected by doing tests in thefield and correcting the parameters accordingly.Parameterisation can be carried out moreprecisely and the timing for parameterisationcan be improved.

Railway Applications: Broadening the use of your railwaycommunication network

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SUPPLEMENTADVERTORIAL

Kapsch CarrierCom AGAm Europlatz 5,

1120 Vienna, AustriaTel: +43 50 811 0

Email: kcc.railways@kapsch.netWeb: www.kapschcarrier.com/railways

Lone WorkerProtection (LWP)application

For railway operators, track-to-train radio is the most important application and the reason for initially setting upGSM-R networks. However, the GSM-R infrastructure opens up a world of possibilities to introduce applicationsthat reduce maintenance costs, increase passenger and employee safety and simplify operational procedures.