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Swiss Federal Railways, SBB, is the first operator in the World
to commercially run a system based on the ERTMS / ETCS level 2
standard.
The need for a higher capacity on a number of key routes inspired
SBB to look towards the future and introduce a completely new and
efficient rail control solution that could operate without line-side
signals and would improve safety and capacity. The solution that
SBB found was to implement ERTMS/ETCS Level 2.
SBB contracted Bombardier for the supply and installation of ERTMS/ETCS
on the line from Olten-Lucerne. The line is 35 km of double track
with 9 stations and a line speed of 160km/h. Each month more than
4,000 intercity, regional and freight trains travel the line. The
line carries over 3,000,000 passengers and 240,000 tonnes of freight
per year.
The main project objectives determined by SBB were:
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Implementation of ETCS level 2 |
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Approval based on the European CENELEC standards |
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Building know-how in the new ERTMS technology |
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Operational experience on a technical and procedural level |
The project faced many challenges that included:
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Development of safety critical hardware and software systems
with high availability |
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System Requirement Specification was not stable and consolidated |
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Breaking new ground regarding operational process |
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Integration of ETCS Level 2 into the existing operational
processes of SBB |
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Development and implementation of new processes and procedures
handling disturbed situations |
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First project to allow CENELEC Standards for approval process
in Switzerland |
The Bombardier Transportation equipment delivered for the Olten-Lucerne
line includes the RBC950 Radio Block Centre, over 220 Eurobalises
and the Ebicab
onboard equipment including GSM-R radio equipment in 63 vehicles of 5 different
types which include;
the Re 420 and Re 460 locomotives, the commuter train RBDe 560, and the shunting
construction locomotives Am 841 and Tm 3.
The modular design of Bombardier
Transportation’s
ERTMS/ETCS system allows various installation solutions. The system can therefore
be installed in different types of trains and locomotives, whether they are
new or old models.
The ERTMS Level 2 system was commissioned for commercial operation on April
28th 2002 after running a series of test cases on the line. The test cases
for regular service operation, assessed and approved by the Federal Office
for Traffic, ranged from elementary tests to very complex ones, which required
several vehicles and the infrastructure of the entire pilot Line. The problems encountered
in the initial phases were eliminated through close co-operation with SBB, systematic analysis of the problems
and structured rectifications.
The RBC950 is the heart of the system, containing all infrastructure data.
It is equipped with a Dispatcher Man Machine Interface (MMI), which allows operators to send text messages, set
temporary speed restrictions, register trains, etc. To ensure safe and uncorrupted data transmission between
the train and the RBC950, the telegrams are encrypted according to the Euroradio standard. The data from
the RBC950 is transferred over a GSM-R radio network.
The data exchange between the train and RBC is processed by the onboard Ebicab
system, which supervises the train speed, the position of the train and the
movement authority. The Driver’s MMI is the system’s interface
to the driver. It is based on a modern industrial PC with touch screen control.
Speed and distance are displayed according to ERTMS specifications. The Eurobalise
antenna is mounted under the vehicle and receives position reference information
from the Eurobalises mounted along the line. Trains are detected and their
integrity checked by the electronic interlocking system.
ERTMS Level 2 has been in commercial operation 24 hours a day, seven days
a week since April 2002 and delivers today more than 95% of all trains on
time.
The project has provided many other positive experiences, which include:
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No safety relevant failures or incidents |
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Large acceptance with drivers and dispatchers |
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GSM-R works as data link for ETCS level 2 |
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