Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Err 2013 - 6
Err 2013 - 6
Err 2013 - 6
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1 INTRODUCTION
Utilising high-speed lines
James Abbott, Technical Editor, European Railway Review
7 FOREWORD
Planning ahead to meet future demand
Stephen Hammond MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, UK
8 NEWS
12 UK & IRELAND PROFILE:
NORTHERN RAIL
A clear vision for rail in the North
Alex Hynes, Managing Director, Northern Rail
14 UK & IRELAND PROFILE:
NETWORK RAIL
Rebuilding for a proper gateway
A look at the Birmingham New Street station revamp
16 UK & IRELAND PROFILE:
NETWORK RAIL
Making the capacity case for HS2
Rupert Walker, Head of High-Speed Rail Development, Network Rail
19 UK PROFILE:
FIRST GREAT WESTERN
New FGW franchise to build on improvements
Looking at what the new FGW franchise will bring
22 UK & IRELAND PROFILE:
LONDON OVERGROUND
Investment, improvement and
modernisation at London Overground
Peter Austin, Managing Director, London Overground Rail Operations Ltd
25 UK & IRELAND PROFILE:
TRANSLINK
Translink leads the way in sustainable
station development
Clive Bradberry, Infrastructure Executive, Translink
29 UK & IRELAND PROFILE:
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
Combating the cold weather
Edd Stewart and Clive Roberts, Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and
Education, University of Birmingham
36 FRANCE
RFFs impressive rail network
modernisation plan
Matthieu Chabanel, Deputy General Director, Marketing and Planning, RFF
European Railway Review
www.europeanrailwayreview.com 3 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013
CONTENTS
The B 66 U is a high-output universal
tamping machine for S & Cs as well as
plain line track. The proven high
technology of the lining, leveling and
tamping tools allowing a lateral
movement of 2,800mm from the tracks
centre makes it particularly well-suited for
heavy switches on high-speed lines.
www.matisa.com
COVER SPONSOR...
Editorial Board
Libor Lochman
Executive Director
Community of European Railway and Infrastructure
Companies (CER)
Robin Gisby
Managing Director, Network Operations
Network Rail
Alex Hynes
Managing Director, Northern Rail
Alex Veitch
EU Representative and Sustainability Manager
Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC)
Andrew McNaughton
Chief Engineer & Technical Director
High Speed Two Ltd
Poul Frsig
Senior Adviser on Transportation, EU
Interoperability, Signalling and Control Systems
HITACHI INNOVATION
CLASS 800 INTERCITY EXPRESS TRAINS
UK MANUFACTURING Were investing in Britain and Britains railways. Our new state-of-the-art
manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe is creating over 700 jobs and major opportunities for the
UK supply chain. Our focus on delivering passenger trains which exceed expectation, combined
with our passion for exceptional service, delivers the ultimate rail experience. To find out more
about Hitachi Innovation in the UK and to follow our progress, visit our website.
Made Great in Britain
hitachirail-eu.com | @hitachiRailEU
40 SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
Total renewal in Denmark is on time
and on budget
Henrik Holtermann, Head of Secretariat in the Signalling Programme,
Banedanmark
44 SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
The European rail industrys commitment
to ERTMS implementation
Philippe Citron, Director General, UNIFE and Michel Van Liefferinge,
General Manager, UNISIG
48 SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
The signalling sector opens the door
to the Spanish industry
Pedro Fortea, Director, MAFEX the Spanish Railway Association
50 SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
Telecommunications: ringing in the new
ric Le Moal, Head of ERTMS and Telecom Services, RFF
53 BOGIES
FLEXX Compact the most successful bogie
platform for regional and commuter trains
Frederik Allert, Project Engineer, Bombardier Transport France S.A.S.
58 NOISE & VIBRATIONS SUPPLEMENT
Reducing vibrations near railway lines
ways for finding effective measures
Wolfgang Behr, RIVAS Coordinator, UIC and Isabelle De Keyzer, Dissemination of
EU Co-Funded R&D Projects, UIC
62 NOISE & VIBRATIONS SUPPLEMENT
Industry cooperation needed for
a less noisy railway
Siv Leth, Chairwoman, UNIFE Noise Mirror Group and Nicolas Furio, Coordinator,
UNIFE Noise Mirror Group
65 NOISE & VIBRATIONS SUPPLEMENT
Speech intelligibility in trains
Jess Otero Yugat, Senior Test Engineer, CETEST and Igor Alonso Portillo, Director
Strategy and Business Development, CETEST
68 INTEROPERABILITY
TAP TSI improving the customer
experience of European rail journeys
Rtger Fenkes, Project Leader, TAP TSI
70 NEWSTRACK
European Railway Review
www.europeanrailwayreview.com 5 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013
Independent audit
watchdog service for
printed publications
European Railway Reviewcan
guarantee its circulation is 7,494
(for the 6 issues distributed between
1 January 2011 and 31 December 2011).
The publication is ABC audited .
This is an independent verification that
our circulation is genuine.
Printed by
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Russell Publishing Ltd, is registered
as a Limited Company in England,
Number 2709148
VAT Number GB 577 8978 47
Russell Publishing Ltd
Founder Ian Russell
Managing Director Vivien Cotterill-Lee
Editor Craig Waters
Technical Editor James Abbott
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Sales Director Rail & Urban
Transport Division Ben Holliday
Sales Executive Josh Russell
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European Railway Review:
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CONTENTS
Independent audit
watchdog service for
printed publications
European Railway Reviewcan guarantee its circulation is
7,494 (for the 6 issues distributed between 1 January 2012 and
31 December 2012). The publication is ABC audited .This is an
independent verification that our circulation is genuine.
Printed by
Registered Office as above.
Russell Publishing Ltd, is registered
as a Limited Company in England,
Number 2709148
VAT Number GB 577 8978 47
No responsibility can be accepted by Russell Publishing Limited, the editor, staff or
any contributors for action taken as a result of the information and other materials
contained in our publications. Readers should take specific advice when dealing
with specific situations. In addition, the views expressed in our publications by any
contributor are not necessarily those of the editor, staff or Russell Publishing Ltd.
As such, our publications are not intended to amount to advice on which reliance
should be placed. We therefore disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from
any reliance placed on such materials by any reader, or by anyone who may be
informed of any of its contents. Published November 2013
Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/EuroRailReview
Join us on LinkedIn:
http://linkd.in/EuroRailReview
HOCHLEISTUNG I PRZISION I ZUVERLSSIGKEIT
www.plassertheurer.com
Plasser & Theurer and Plasser are internationally registered trademarks
The new technology of the APT 1500 RL made by Plasser & Theurer is the
rst ash-butt welding machine that can weld rails fully automatically
without manual interaction. Thanks to the integrated capability of the
APT 1500 RL to perform automatic closure welds, a separate rail pulling
device is not needed. Main features of the new rail welding robot are:
fully automatic alignment of the running edge and top of the rail, pulsation
welding to achieve a high-quality weld in shorter time and with less burn-off
as well as automatic evaluation and documentation of the weld.
The best connection
The welding robot with certied
quality: for travel on road or rail
HIGH-CAPACITY I PRECISION I RELIABILITY
Importantly, it will benefit from a step change in
investment. Rising passenger and freight
demand since privatisation had stretched the
capacity of the railway to its limits. In res-
ponse, the Government has embarked on the
biggest rail modernisation programme in
Britain for generations.
One of the tangible benefits will be an extra
140,000 seats at peak times by the end of the
decade. Between 2014 and 2019, infrastructure
operator Network Rail is planning to spend over
35 billion to run and expand the railway. Of that,
the Government is investing over 9 billion to
deliver major improvements across the country.
We are electrifying 850 miles of track, and
spending 5.8 billion on new rolling stock for our
main north-south lines. We are also building
Crossrail a new high capacity railway for
London and the South East.
Despite this increased level of expenditure,
we will be running out of capacity on our busiest
routes in the years ahead. Inter-city rail demand
has doubled in 15 years faster than the rest
of the network.
To address these challenges, we are pressing
ahead with HS2 a new high-speed network for
Britain running from London to Birmingham,
Manchester and Leeds. Construction is due
to start in 2017.
While high-speed rail will speed-up journeys
and improve connectivity, the real argument for
building HS2 is providing the capacity to meet
increasing passenger demand. HS2 would be
capable of carrying 14 trains per hour in each
direction, rising to 18 trains when the network
is complete each capable of carrying up to
1,100 passengers. It will link eight of our
10 biggest cities, deliver around 2 of economic
benefits for every 1 spent, and create at
least 100,000 jobs. As long-distance services
transfer onto HS2, capacity will be created on the
existing network.
All these investments will give Britain a world
class railway, with the capacity we need to
prosper. But the railway will need to change in
other ways.
Smart ticketing technologies will transform
the way that passengers use services. We recently
announced a trial of flexible ticketing, which,
for example, would offer discounted fares for
those travelling outside the peak, and flexible
season tickets for people who dont work
five days a week. Ultimately, passengers will
have a single smartcard to travel on diff-
erent routes and different modes of transport,
allowing for a system to be designed to suit
travellers individually.
We are also committed to simplifying the
current, complex system of fares where possible,
and making sure that the information provided is
clearer and more customer-friendly. And as our
economy recovers, we will make fares more
affordable. We have already made a start by
reducing average fare rises.
Looking at the structure of the industry in
Britain, I think we will see closer collaborations
between train and track operators. Partnerships
like the one formed by South West Trains and
Network Rail will help align objectives to improve
the railway for passengers, and ensure that
different parts of the industry do what they
do best whether it is selling tickets, running
signals, or fixing track. However, it is not
impossible to imagine alliances which include
building or infrastructure companies, as well as
train companies.
The next 20 years promise to be exciting ones
for Britains railway. By 2033, HS2 will be built and
running. Crossrail will be more than a decade old
and a familiar part of London life. Our current
mainlines will be largely electric. Services will be
faster, more frequent, more accessible and easier
to use than ever before.
Therefore the increase in passenger journeys
that we have seen since privatisation is likely to
continue. As our economy grows, rail demand will
grow. And this time, we will be ready to meet it.
European Railway Review
www.europeanrailwayreview.com 7 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013
FOREWORD
It is 20 years since Britains railways were privatised. At the time it was seen as a risky move, even though the
network had grown increasingly unreliable and inefficient under state operator British Rail. Responsibility for
tracks and trains was split, and private companies were invited to bid for regional franchises. Two decades later,
the benefits of privatisation are clear. Passenger journeys have doubled to a level not seen since the 1920s, rail
freight has grown by half, and revenue is up by more than 3 billion. And on a network roughly the same size as
then, our railway today is running 4,000 extra services a day. But how our railway will continue to succeed over the
next 20 years is now the key question.
Planning
ahead to meet
future demand Stephen Hammond MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of
State for Transport, UK
The new generation
MATISA B 66 U tamping machine
European Railway Review
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013 8
NEWS
Further Reading:
Do you want to know what the latest ERTMS plans
are in Denmark? Turn to page 40 in this issue of
European Railway Review to read an article from
Henrik Holtermann, Head of Secretariat in the
Signalling Programme at Banedanmark.
The new generation
MATISA B 66 U tamping machine
The European Union will co-finance with
11.5 million from the TEN-T Programme a
project to electrify the last missing section on the
CopenhagenEsbjerg rail line and build a new track
to the Port of Esbjerg.
The project, which was selected for funding
under the 2012 TEN-T Annual Call, will install an
electric overhead system with associated power
supply units throughout the entire 57km double-
track line from Esbjerg to Lunderskov, in Denmark.
The TEN-T funds will also support the upgrade
of the existing line from Esbjerg main station to its
port, as well as two 450m tracks connecting the
main railway system directly with the Port of
Esbjergs terminal area.
Completion of the project will eliminate
a bottleneck and optimise modal shift. The
electrification of the railway line will have a
positive impact on the environment by reducing
pollutant emissions and contribute to better
re-balancing of transport modes in favour of rail.
The initiative will be monitored by the
Trans-European Transport Network Executive
Agency (TEN-T EA) and is set to be completed by
the end of 2015.
http://tentea.ec.europa.eu/
EU to support
Danish rail
improvements
The B 66 U (fully compliant to EN requirements) is a
universal lining and leveling tamping machine capable
of handling all types of switches and plain line with
a very high performance in terms of output, flexibility
and ease of use.
Featuring three working and driving cabins with
an emphasis on ergonomics, view on the working
components and usage of space, this machine is
characterised by its compactness and light-weight for a
big, high-output machine.
The four tamping units are completely inde -
pendent in vertical, lateral and longitudinal directions.
In switches, the diverting track can be wedged at a
distance of 2,800mm from the track axis on which the
machine is operating. Each tamping unit has the
possibility to move 560mm longitudinally. In addition
to the combined hook and roller universal clamp, the
B 66 U is fitted with two synchronised telescopic
diverting track lifting devices, making the B 66 U
capable of handling the heaviest concrete sleepers
found on switches used on high-speed lines. This
machine can also handle switches fitted with hinged
sleepers and tracks featuring Y shaped sleepers.
The new generation B 66 U features: a new
Human Machine Interface (HMI) which allows easier
use of the machine controls, a more rapid interaction
and a greater comfort for the operator; a largely
improved diagnostics software that provides visual and
easily understandable fault finding capabilities; an
improved optical measuring system (NEMO) which
features completely new electronics and LED
technology; a new guiding software capability
(MIRIS); a reduced engine regime during work and a
variable engine regime during transit (with the benefits
of a hydrostatic drive) for lower energy consumption
and lower noise emission; an improved universal S & C
clamp (additional rotational degree of freedom) to
facilitate the lifting of the switches; an improved
diverting track lifting clamp (additional rotational
degree of freedom) in order to accommodate more
types of switches; a new control system of the vertical
movement of the tamping tools to allow for precision
positioning; a new ballast brush featuring an adjustable
axle to allow for the different sleeper shapes; and
integrated ballast compacting units.
MATISA has more than 50 years of know-how
and expertise in the design and making of on-track
machines and is always looking to improve for
the future.
www.matisa.com
Renfe and MAFEX
collaborate to
promote the rail
sector abroad
MAFEX (the Spanish railway association) and Renfe
(the Spanish rail operator) have recently signed a
cooperation agreement with the aim of promoting the
Spanish railway sector abroad and encourage a greater
international presence of Renfe and the Spanish
railway industry. The agreement, signed by the
Chairmen of RENFE and MAFEX, Julio Gmez-
Pomar and Victor Ruiz Pieiro, states that the parties
will develop different activities, such as technical
research and assistance, training programmes,
specialised visits and technology and innovation
promotion applied to rail transport.
www.mafex.es
Further Reading:
How is MAFEX currently working to promote the
Spanish signalling sector? Read more from Pedro
Fortea, Director of MAFEX, on page 48 in this issue of
European Railway Review.
Vossloh Espaa
EURO 4000
locomotives
for ETF
The EURO 4000 is the most
powerful diesel-electric locomotive
manufactured in Europe
ETF the French rail construction company has
ordered two EURO 4000 locomotives from Vossloh
Espaa for freight services. The vehicles are intended
to transport building materials for the construction of
railway lines.
These new units will be in-service before summer
2014; ETF will use them on their high-speed lines
jobsites on the East European high-speed line and the
HSL ToursBordeaux.
The EURO 4000 is the most powerful diesel-
electric locomotive manufactured in Europe. It is a
highly innovative vehicle that stands up due to its
versatility, performance, technology and environmental
compliance, and it can pull longer and heavier freight
trains at faster speed than its competitors, which
increases the operators competitiveness and efficiency.
www.vossloh-espana.com
Alstom branded Pendolino
on West Coast Main Line
European Railway Review
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013 10
NEWS
EVENTS
Rail & Public Transport
Safety & Security 2014
6 March 2014
Location: London, UK
Email: sgooding@russellpublishing.com
Web: www.eurotransportmagazine.com/rptss
UIC ERTMS World
Conference 2014
1-3 April 2014
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Email: mouchel@uic.org
Web: www.ertms-conference2014.com
Scandinavian Rail
Development 2014
29 April 2014
Location: Oslo, Norway
Email: tdean@russellpublishing.com
Web: www.scandinavianraildevelopment.com
If you have a diary event you wish to
publicise, send details to Sarah Wills at:
swills@russellpublishing.com
Alstom has recently been awarded a contract worth over 12 million by Virgin to modernise its entire fleet of
56 Pendolino trains. The contract includes the refurbishment of the interiors, bar, kitchen facilities and toilets.
The work is being undertaken at Alstom Traincare Centres in Oxley (Wolverhampton) and Longsight (Manchester)
and will be performed over a period of eight months. The interior modernisation will enhance the comfort of around
20 million passengers travelling each year on lines from London to Birmingham or to Glasgow.
www.alstom.com
12m Alstom overhaul
of Virgin Pendolinos
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STRAIL prides itself on creating solutions
alongside high levels of service and their customers
are testament to this with their satisfaction of the
many STRAIL products that have been installed on
level crossings worldwide.
In a digital-download of European Railway
Reviews Level Crossing Safety Supplement from
Issue 4 2013, an incorrect link was used to direct
viewers to STRAILs website. The correct website
address is: www.strail.de.
Rubber level
crossings:
STRAIL is the
world leader
The Swedish cities of Stockholm and Gothenburg will
soon be connected by a new open access express train
service operated by the MTR Corporation. MTR,
which also runs the large Stockholm Metro system,
will provide 110 weekly services in brand new trains
on the 455km-long route between Stockholm and
Gothenburg. The service is the latest development in
MTRs growth across Europe which has already seen
it expand London Overground under the LOROL
joint venture, which now runs 1,200 services a day
up from 400 when LOROL took over in 2007. MTR
is also shortlisted for four upcoming franchises and
concessions in the UK namely, Thameslink, Essex
Thameside, Crossrail and ScotRail.
MTR will invest over 66 million to purchase
six all-new train sets to operate on the Swedish route.
The trains will be designed and built to provide high-
quality, reliable services in Nordic weather
conditions. As part of the contract, the rolling stock
manufacturer, Stadler Rail AG, will provide
maintenance services for the new fleet.
Our strategy is to bring a fast, new premium-
quality service to Swedish intercity passengers.
We believe this will not only be attractive to existing
rail passengers, but will also draw other business
and leisure travellers to choose rail over other
modes of transport to commute between Swedens
East and West coasts, said Jay Walder, CEO of
MTR Corporation.
Jeremy Long, CEO of MTR Europe comm -
ented: We are excited to be providing this new
service to our passengers in Sweden. Introducing
new trains to an existing route, in harsh weather
conditions can be a challenge. We will draw on our
local Swedish management and our experience in
this area from our operations around the world,
including London Overground and Hong Kong.
MTR Express will be operated by MTR Nordic,
a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTR Corporation.
Delivery of the new train sets is scheduled for
Autumn 2014, and the MTR Express service will be
launched following testing and commissioning of
the new trains.
www.mtr.com.hk
MTR to launch open access
train service in Sweden
Balfour Beatty has been awarded a 64 million
Crossrail contract by Network Rail for the
electrification of a 12.5-mile section of the Great
Western Main Line in the UK. The contract covers the
installation of new overhead line electrification
equipment on all lines between Stockley Junction and
Maidenhead on the Crossrail West Outer section. It also
includes supporting ancillary civils and power works.
For this contract, Balfour Beatty will use its new and
enhanced plant solutions including the new High
Output Wiring Train which offers safer and more
efficient installation of overhead lines.
www.balfourbeatty.com
64m Crossrail
electrification contract
to Balfour Beatty
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Before I took up the role, looking at the scale
and complexity of the Northern network, the
natural assumption was that it shouldnt really
work, but it does, comments Alex. The size
of the network, the complex fleet with 13 differ -
ent classes of train, and interfaces with over
10 different train and freight operators, all
present their own challenges but the team
has worked hard to develop and maintain a
service that meets customer, stakeholder and
client needs.
Operating in five Passenger Transport
Executive (PTEs) areas, all of which (Merseytravel,
Transport for Greater Manchester, Metro West
Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Nexus Tyne
and Wear) are co signatories to the franchise
along with the DfT, Northern is a heavily
subsidised TOC.
The team has had much to prove; not only
to our industry partners but also to our
customers, explains Alex. They are very aware
that as a heavily subsidised TOC delivering good
value for money is something on the tip of
everyones tongue.
Alex continues: Independent research
estimates that each year our services generate at
least 690 million of economic and other benefits
for the UK economy, providing a 2:1 return to the
north of England on the subsidy we receive.
Its good but we know that we need to work hard
to find new and innovative ways of delivering
better value and improved services and facilities
at lower cost. Partnerships are essential to
helping us achieve this. With Network Rail we are
focusing on how we can work together to deliver
a better railway, looking at processes and
systems to ensure we get the best value for
money and reduce waste. A great example of this
is the depot at Allerton which reopened on
Merseyside in 2011. From an initial estimate of
three years construction, it went from derelict
site to fully-operational in six months and it was a
collaborative effort. People were willing to take a
fresh look at how we do things and come up with
new streamlined safe ways of working it was a
real will and desire to deliver.
Allerton is just one example of where
Northerns partnership with Network Rail has
resulted in value for money and efficiency
improvement and is a text book case for the
argument that shows TOCs could have a stronger
role to play in developing and implementing
major projects.
And its not just a good working relationship
with Network Rail, as Alex explains: Northerns
relationship with its stakeholders and the
engagement and investment that delivers was
one of the things that really attracted me to this
role. I was really struck by the level of support
stakeholders showed for Northern, its employees
and customers they really fight in our corner.
In my first month I attended some of our annual
stakeholder thank you events. It was a real
European Railway Review
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013 12
Operating 2,500 services every day, Northern Rail serves an area stretching from the Scottish Borders down to
Nottingham and Stoke and from Southport and Sellafield in the West to Whitby and Hull in the East. Its a wide
ranging landscape of rural communities, market towns and bustling urban centres where rail services are at the
heart of economic regeneration. The franchise was let in 2004 and originally set to run until September 2011
with no forecast of significant growth in passenger numbers. Fast forward nine years and customer journeys
have increased by an impressive 42% with journeys on target to total 96 million by the end of the year. After an
automatic extension for meeting performance targets, and a seven period continuation enacted by the
Department for Transport (DfT), the latest review of the franchising programme means the team at Northern is
now talking to the DfT about potentially operating for a further 22 months until February 2016. Enter new
Managing Director Alex Hynes. Previously Commercial Director at London Midland and most recently MD Rail
Development for Go-Ahead, Alex joined Northern in August and in an exclusive interview with European Railway
Reviewdiscusses the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
A clear vision
for rail in the North
UK & IRELAND PROFILE
NORTHERN RAIL
privilege to meet station adopters, friends of
groups and community rail partnerships who
give their time and effort to help make their local
stations and services more welcoming places
for their community. Whether its those that
volunteer their time, campaign for improve -
ments or corporate partners such as local
authorities and the PTEs their commitment and
determination to deliver a better railway for the
north of England is clear. These relationships
have realised over 100 million of investment
into services and facilities, which is great news for
our customers. Our stakeholders arent afraid
to challenge us either when they believe we can
do better.
A prime example of this is the recent
consultation Northern held for its May 2014
timetable change proposals. The introduction of
a fifth transpennine path between Manchester
and Leeds means that the local service patterns
need to be recast.
Alex continues: As a result of our consul -
tation some of our stakeholders challenged us to
do more for our customers on the Calder Valley as
we had removed some stops at some smaller
stations. With their local expertise we were able
to revisit the plans, and while we know we wont
please everyone the overall service pattern is
better as a result.
Its this understanding of rail as a driver of
economic regeneration, and a commitment to
deliver a better deal for customers across the
north of England that has meant stakeholders
and Northern have been part of a formidable
force that campaigned for the Northern Hub and
other infrastructure enhancements.
Its such an exciting time to be joining a
business like Northern, says Alex. The rail
network in the north of England is benefitting
from the biggest levels of investment since the
Victorian era.
He continues: The Northern Hub will deliver
significant capacity enhancements. Allowing an
extra 700 trains every day it will enable better
journey times, frequency and connectivity.
Coupled with 300km of track between Liverpool,
Manchester, Preston, Blackpool and Leeds
being electrified, its clear to see the progress
well underway. The first phase of electrification
is already complete with new electric trains
being introduced in the North West by the end
of the year.
These are just some of the schemes deliver -
ing capacity enhancements to cater for an
expected 23% national growth in passenger and
freight demand over the next five years. And its
not all about track enhancements. The roof has
quite literally been raised at Manchester Victoria,
which is benefitting from a 44 million invest -
ment to restore its position as one of the jewels in
the UK rail crown.
All these enhancement projects are vital to
increase capacity on our network but it is
important that we have the right quantity and
quality of trains to support this, says Alex.
Passenger journeys on our services have grown
by 42% since the start of the franchise but our
fleet has only grown by 19% and it is well
documented that our trains are some of the
oldest in the UK. Our engineering teams do a
fantastic job day-in day-out of maintaining our
fleet theyve used lean thinking to help to
reduce the time taken on exams and enhance
processes to drive real improvements in miles per
casualty and availability of units. Its essential as
even with every available carriage out on the
network, there are still times when we are leaving
customers standing on the platform and that is
just not good enough.
Alex continues: Yes I want new trains for our
customers but that is not something we will
achieve in the short-term. Electrification
will allow faster more reliable and sustainable
journeys but it could also, in the short and
medium-term, enable a cascade of vehicles to
help provide much needed capacity else-
where. I want to work with our stakeholders to
campaign for and secure the volume and quality
of trains our customers need and deserve. This
work needs to start now, and must tackle the
critical question of funding. Fare box income
alone has not yet proven itself capable of
supporting increased rolling stock procure-
ment, and it is clear that affordable finance in a
competitive market is key to easing these
capacity constraints.
Northern has a vision for rail in the North,
its one shaped by our customers, one that
supports our communities. We need to work
together; to deliver a strategic plan that converts
the challenges of capacity into a blueprint
leveraging the opportunities in growth.
With the future of Northerns operation not
yet confirmed by the Department, some might
want to take a cautious approach. On the
contrary, says Alex: We have to look to and plan
for the future for the good of our customers
and the economies of the north of England.
We need to act and make decisions now or the
momentum created by infrastructure invest-
ment will be lost.
European Railway Review
www.europeanrailwayreview.com 13 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013
UK & IRELAND PROFILE
NORTHERN RAIL
Alex Hynes joined Northern Rail
as Managing Director in August
2013. Having spent his early
career as a consultant for
Halcrow Fox, Alex worked with
the Office of Rail Regulation
before joining the Go-Ahead
Group in 2005 as Strategic Planning Manager and,
in 2007, as Commercial Director at London
Midland, and finally, as Managing Director Rail
Development. Here Alex sat on the Executive
Committee and led the development and
delivery of Go-Aheads rail strategy including all
franchise bidding activity. As Managing Director
for Northern, Alexs industry experience positions
him well to implement the next programme of
improvements that will drive excellence and
deliver greater satisfaction for customers
and stakeholders across the Northern network.
Passenger journeys on Northern services have
grown by 42% since the start of the franchise
Network Rail Project Director Chris Montgomery
said: The New Street revamp is one of the most
complex construction projects in Europe, as not
only are we redeveloping a 1967 structure, we
are also undertaking major construction and
demolition over a live operating railway,
without impacting any rail services or disrupting
passengers as a result of our works.
And in April 2013, passengers saw the first
major change to the stations operations, as the
old concourse was shut and half of the planned
new concourse area was brought into use.
For those who are unacquainted with
New Streets charms, the 1960s building,
designed by British Rails in-house architect,
hid the 12 platforms under a concrete raft
and put the Pallasades shopping centre and
car park on top. Hence, unusually for a large
station, the platforms are considered to be
under ground and are subject to underground
fire and safety regulations.
The nature of the raft meant that a straight
demolition and rebuild was not possible. In fact
the pressure on the station is so great that
only one platform can be taken out of use at a
time without causing the railway to grind to
a halt, with a train arriving or departing every
37 seconds. So a design was created that would
see a hole punched in the centre of the building,
letting natural light down into a new concourse
to be 3.5 times the size of the old station and
created partly on the bones of the old and partly
in the former NCP car park.
April 2013 saw the former car park space
opened as a concourse, following the removal of
7,500 tonnes of concrete from within the
European Railway Review
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013 14
When the last round of redevelopment work began at Birmingham New Street in the 1960s, England were on the
verge of winning the World Cup and rail travel was forecast to decline. Since then rail travel has enjoyed rather
more success than the England football team and the station handles double the number of passengers it was
designed for 140,000 per day at the last count. Such was the overcrowding that four years ago Network Rail
and its delivery partner Mace began to rebuild
1
the station into a proper gateway for the City of Birmingham.
Rebuilding for a
proper gateway
UK & IRELAND PROFILE
NETWORK RAIL
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The New Street revamp is one of the
most complex construction projects in Europe,
as not only are we redeveloping a 1967
structure, we are also undertaking major
construction and demolition over a live
operating railway, without impacting
any rail services or disrupting passengers
as a result of our works
structure. This was achieved by Mace con -
structing a track and hoyer system, where crane
rails were run the length of the building to act as
the track, and a gantry crane brought in to act
as the hoyer. The concrete was cut up and taken
away in 10 tonne chunks, largely recycled on
other construction projects in the region.
However, as if that wasnt enough, a solution
had to be found for moving the stations service
spine, which ran along the wall of the old
concourse. A modular solution was chosen,
which saw the new spine built in sections off-site
and bolted together inside New Street and
hidden in the roof space of the new concourse.
Once that was done, the original unloved
concourse could be closed and passengers
moved into part one of the new station. Despite
effectively only being half-time in the project, the
temporary concourse is still one and a half times
bigger than the old and offers passengers a more
modern, brighter environment with better ticket
office facilities and access to platforms.
Work is now underway on the old concourse
area, to create a large, inviting space, flooded
with natural light from an ETFE (Ethylene Tetra
Fluoro Ethylene) roof (the same material as used
in the Eden Project biomes) and the atrium the
height of eight double-decker buses. The 1967
structure was built as nine rectangular concrete
sections and the hole is being created by
removing the middle one, allowing the rest of the
structure to continue to support itself.
Natural light will also then permeate the
station and a new shopping centre, called
Grand Central, which will wrap around the open
area. Such has been the enthusiasm for the
project that more than 80% of Grand Centrals
200,000 sq ft floor space has already been let,
and it wont even open until 2015.
The project also received a major boost in
2011, when John Lewis announced it was joining
the scheme. Their 250,000 sq ft store the firms
biggest outside London is taking shape on the
site of a former housing tower block (Stephenson
Tower) which was demolished earlier in the
project. This and a new entrance will finally
link the north and south of the city centre for the
first time.
The transformation on this side of the
station will be vast, opening up this area of
the city for the first time since the arrival of the
railways in the 19th century, demonstrating how
prohibitive the previous station has been for city
connectivity, explained Chris. Were working
with Birmingham City Council on collaborative
employment initiatives for local people
throughout the life of the project.
Similarly, the 12 platforms and the con -
course will be linked by 30 escalators and
15 lifts, which will massively improve the
accessibility of the station and the throughput of
passengers. One platform at a time is being taken
out of use and refurbished, working across the
station in order, with materials brought in by
train. That same train is used to remove waste
and runs from the station twice a week, to a base
on sidings out at Bordesley. The nature of the city
centre site means lorry movements have to be
kept to a minimum.
But it has not all been plain sailing.
Originally, the car park atop the 1967
structure was going to be refurbished. However,
once work began it was discovered that salt from
the underside of cars parked there had mixed
with rainwater and found its way into cracks in
the concrete. This in turn cased the reinforcing
bars to corrode within the concrete and
consequently the building had to be demolished
and is now being re-built to serve Grand Central.
Similar problems were also encountered else -
where in the structure, requiring expert attention.
Meanwhile, with more than 80 contractors
working on the project, a small number have
fallen into administration as the work has gone
on, meaning new specialist workers had to be
appointed and a 24/7 shift pattern introduced
to hit deadlines.
But work continues at a great pace and more
than 1,000 construction staff are working
towards the 2015-opening of what is intended to
be a massive spur to regeneration.
As well as John Lewis, the Grand Central
shopping centre will bring more than 40 new
shops and 20 restaurants to the site, creating
more than 1,000 new jobs. When finished,
a polished stainless-steel casing will be fixed to
the exterior of the building (currently grey
concrete), to reflect the sky and the City of
Birmingham growing around it.
Reference
1. The Birmingham New Street redevelopment project is
funded by Birmingham City Council, the Department for
Transport, Centro, the European Union and the
Department of Business Innovation and Skills and is being
delivered by Network Rail and Mace.
European Railway Review
www.europeanrailwayreview.com 15 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013
UK & IRELAND PROFILE
NETWORK RAIL
An artists impression of the Western view
of Birmingham New Street station
Work continues at a great pace and more
than 1,000 construction staff are working
towards the 2015-opening of what is intended
to be a massive spur to regeneration
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Passenger demand in Britain has increased
by 50% over the last decade and this growth
is forecast to continue. By 2020 another
400 million journeys are forecast every year.
This growth in demand is hugely positive, but
the truth is our Victorian railway was never built
for this number of trains. We run more on our
network each day than Spain, Switzerland, the
Netherlands, Portugal and Norway combined
and as a result the busiest parts of the network
are full at the busiest times of day. Just like a
busy motorway, even the smallest of delays
can have a big knock-on impact. Performance
is at an all-time high but we cant just keep
adding more trains without significantly
compromising punctuality.
Nowhere is that trade-off currently more
evident than on the West Coast Main Line (WCML)
Britains most economically vital rail corridor.
It is the busiest mixed-traffic railway in Europe,
carrying a quarter of all Britains rail freight and
hundreds of millions of passengers each year.
Twelve operators use the line, with different
trains stopping at different stations, at different
frequencies and other lines joining it at regular
intervals. Train paths are as precious as airport
take-off or landing slots and its terminus, London
Euston, handles more passengers every day
than Gatwick.
As the route gets more congested it gets
harder to recover from delays. Something as
simple as a blown fuse bears comparison to a
breakdown on the motorway it might be
fixed quickly but there are tailbacks for the rest
of the morning. We have invested heavily,
lengthening platforms to enable longer
trains to operate and will deliver further
upgrades to untangle bottlenecks and improve
performance. But in the longer term, demand
will still outstrip supply. We know that. Even
now, at the busiest times of day, there is no
more space to run additional services into
London Euston without causing knock-on
delays to others on the route and the
trains that do run see significant levels
of overcrowding.
We predict the number of commuters
arriving at Euston will grow by 26% between 2011
and 2023, but we cannot create enough train
paths to run the extra services required. By the
mid-2020s, both the trains and the line will be full.
The effects will be felt at the southern end first,
with many commuters unable to board their
trains at the busiest times, before similar
problems start to affect longer-distance
passengers. Although capacity is most
con strained at the southern end of the line,
long distance trains are often overcrowded,
usually outside of the London commuter peaks.
Between 2011 and 2023, we expect demand to
grow between London and Manchester by up
to 46% and even the most pessimistic scenario
predicts that London to Birmingham passenger
numbers will grow by a third within 30 years.
So what can we do to create the capacity we
need for the future? Our 2009 New Lines study
European Railway Review
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013 16
Britains railways are booming. Last year, more than 1.5 billion journeys were made by train and the network
moved around 100 million tonnes of goods. But railways do much more than just move people and freight; they
connect homes and workplaces, businesses with markets, they create jobs, stimulate trade and support the
growth of a balanced economy.
Making the capacity
case for HS2
UK & IRELAND PROFILE
NETWORK RAIL
Rupert Walker
Head of High-Speed Rail Development,
Network Rail
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examined the capacity challenge on the
West Coast Main Line in detail. It concluded
that the gap between available capacity and
future demand was so great that upgrades
alone would not be enough. Only new running
lines could meet long-term demand and high-
speed lines would provide better value for
money. The government subsequently created a
company, HS2 Ltd, to bring forward proposals for
a new line.
HS2 is one of the few issues which enjoys a
broad political consensus among our three major
political parties and the current government
has worked hard to advance legislation which
lays the groundwork for construction to start
within the next few years. For many of us, HS2 is a
no-brainer the only practical answer to a very
real capacity crisis which would, left unchecked,
stifle economic growth and hurt communities the
length of Britain.
But we must also accept that there are
many people in this country including
members of parliament, council leaders,
business people and various media comm -
entators who believe that HS2 is an
unnecessary extravagance. Some have called
it a political vanity project. They say that the
necessary capacity can be provided by
lengthening trains and upgrading the existing
infrastructure. It cant.
In 2011, we were asked by the Department
for Transport (Dft) to review specific proposals
which sought to demonstrate that upgrades
alone could meet demand Atkins Rail Package
2 and the Optimised Alternative created by 51M,
a coalition of local authorities opposed to the
construction of a new line.
The 51M proposal suggests declassifying first
class carriages, lengthening trains and upgrading
infrastructure on the WCML in a number of areas.
Our report found that whilst the proposals do
have the potential to increase capacity (albeit at
greater cost and with more disruption than had
been assumed) they would only deliver a short-
term benefit. Even if all the upgrades could be
delivered, by the mid-2030s load factors on
commuter services would be back at 122% and
you would still need to build a new line. In
contrast to continued piecemeal upgrades, High
Speed 2 will provide a step-change in capacity on
the WCML.
Phase 1 between London and Birmingham,
which it is hoped will be operational by 2026, will
create the extra train paths we need to run more
commuter services as well as provide more space
for freight. An initial study carried out by Network
Rail into how these train paths might be used
showed that fast-growing commuter towns at
the southern end of the route could get more
trains an hour at peak times and a much better
chance of a seat for commuters. Other places
could see quicker journeys and new direct
services. Milton Keynes, for example which has
seen a 26% increase in passenger numbers in the
last five years alone will be a major beneficiary,
with up to 12 trains an hour to London Euston
(currently six) and a journey time reduction of up
to a third, as well as better connections to the
West Midlands and neighbouring towns.
Crucially, all passengers would have a reasonable
expectation of a seat, even at the busiest
times of day.
Phase 2, which will connect Birmingham
with Manchester and Leeds, will not only relieve
capacity constraints further north, it could
also see the rail network reshaped to deliver
a step-change in connectivity, bringing key
towns and cities closer together to help drive
economic growth.
A further initial study into how you might use
the capacity freed up by the completion of the
second phase of HS2 highlighted three possible
approaches to its integration. The first was a do
minimum approach, which would keep train
European Railway Review
www.europeanrailwayreview.com 17 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013
Furrer Fr ey
O v e r h e a d c o n t a c t l i n e s
Furrer+Frey AG
Overhead contact line engineering
Design, manufacturing, installation
Thunstrasse 35, P.O. Box 182
CH-3000 Berne 6, Switzerland
Telephone + 41 31 357 61 11
Fax + 41 31 357 61 00
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Understanding the effects of ice and snow
on railway networks will help to combat
challenges that cold weather brings
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www.systra.com
systra, the leader in public transport infrastructure engineering,
is now a major player in a new form of mobility, that is more
generalised, more sustainable and better delivered.
systra creates the confidence that is essential for world progress.
confidence
moves the world
metro high speed rail tramway conventional rail freight other modes
SYSTRA has established itself as a
leading partner for many worldwide
high-speed rail projects. How is your role
in these projects different from SYSTRAs
work in the urban transport market?
SYSTRAs worldwide high-speed rail project
portfolio includes HS1 in the UK, South
Korea, Taiwan, Morocco and the Kuala Lumpa
Singapore HSR. We continue to advise the
Chinese Government on high-speed, and we have
worked on every high-speed project in France.
We are currently working on the South-
Europe Atlantic high-speed line from Tours to
Bordeaux where we are in charge of engineering
and taking part in the delivery of signalling
work and the future maintenance activities which
will be part of the final Concession. We are
also involved in another concession scheme
for the NimesMontpellier high-speed rail in
southern France. In these projects SYSTRA is also
involved in the manage ment of construction and
main tenance risks. We will certainly consider
looking to use similar business models for other
major rail infra structure projects, including major
metro projects.
How does SYSTRA contribute to the
environmental studies of high-speed
rail projects?
I believe that working in the rail sector means
that SYSTRA is very much part of the environ -
mental movement. We are encouraging the
shift from fossil fuel-based transport to more
efficient and less damaging means of travel.
For the rail industry, massive technological
improve ments are made each year and we see it
as part of our mission to help bring the benefits
of these technologies to the fore.
We have been advising Greengauge 21
(the UKs HSR lobby group) for over five years.
One recent study looked at the environmental
impact of the new HS2 line and we provided
evidence of measures that will improve its
environmental impact.
SYSTRA is at the forefront of developing
new ideas that will make environmental gains
for future generations to come, with a team
dedicated to innovation and developing state-of-
the art solutions to the worlds most complex
transport projects.
What was SYSTRAs role on the UKs HS1
project, and can you explain the work
you did on HS2s operational concept?
SYSTRA was a member of the HS1 project
management team Rail Link Engineering
which worked for the concessionaire London &
Continental Railways. The role of the RLE team
was to carry out the entire project reference
design, manage the selection of construction
contractors and to supervise their work up to
and including the railway approval and
handover to the operator Eurostar. Using a best
person for the job approach, we overcame
many considerable challenges.
For HS2, we advised that given the right
investment in engineering and rail systems the
line could run up to 18 trains per hour.
SYSTRAs main shareholders are the rail
operators SNCF and RATP, so we are focused
upon passengers in all our designs and advice,
making us unique in our ability to think through
a problem from a 360 perspective.
Tell us about SYSTRAs work in the UKs
Crossrail project how are things going?
Since 2001, SYSTRA has been part of the
Crossrail delivery team, working together with
Bechtel and CH2MHill to assist in project
management, design and construction super -
vision. With over 50% of the tunnelling works
complete, we are on target for opening
in 2018.
SYSTRA has around 50 staff working on
Crossrail in a variety of roles, helping the Crossrail
management team define the track, power and
signalling system requirements.
Now that the contractors are on board, we
are working together to ensure that the detailed
design and construction can proceed in
accordance with the project programme and
stringent specifications.
What are the core long-term
goals of SYSTRA?
We are already a world-leader in trans port
infrastructure engineering and we aim to stay
at the top.
In 2012 we reported revenues of 406 million,
of which over 50% came from international
projects and the other 50% from France. Our goal
is to double the turnover of the company by 2018.
The UK is a strategic market for us. We want
to build on our HS1 and Crossrail experience,
promoting our mainline and urban rail expertise
to Network Rail, HS2 and London Underground.
The launch of such a vast railway modernisa -
tion programme in the UK has given us the
opportunity to invest in the development of a
local engineering capability. For example, we
now have a UK-based electrification capability
with particular expertise in 2 x 25k V systems.
Pascal is based in SYSTRAs London office
please contact him at pmercier@systra.com.
European Railway Review
www.europeanrailwayreview.com 35 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013
www.systra.com
In an interview for European Railway Review,
Pascal Mercier, Senior Vice President for Northern
Europe at SYSTRA, discusses the companys position
in the high-speed marketplace, their UK presence,
and their focused-goal to double turnover by 2018.
Pascal Mercier
INTERVIEW
New approach to network maintenance
and modernisation key principles
Ambitions for the French rail network over the
next 10 years are running high, with the dual
target being to put the network back on track on
a sound and lasting basis, both financially and
technically, and to rise to a multiplicity of
overarching challenges (safety, traffic regularity
and growth, simplifying train usage, shift
towards renewable energies, etc.). To cater to
these challenges, a new approach to network
maintenance and modernisation is a must.
An end to piecemeal renewals
Underinvestment in the existing network,
combined with some of the unfortunate effects
of the administrative and budgetary demarca -
tion between renewal and maintenance, have
spawned a surfeit of small scattered main -
tenance or renewal operations, at inevitably
high unit costs. The upshot is a network with a
wide variety of different components and, by
extension, in less than optimum condition.
To modernise the network, it is therefore
necessary to begin by eliminating these
differences through thrusting renewal policies
geared towards re-establishing common
infrastructure standards and bringing network
condition back under control. Through a burst of
concentrated effort, it should be possible to catch
up with the maintenance backlog before
resuming a normal working rhythm, while
continuing to give renewal operations pride of
place. The creation of a fully-fledged infra -
structure manager will simplify this process.
A move towards bespoke maintenance
Parts of the network are already managed
differently high-speed lines, for example, are
not treated in the same way as conventional
lines. But current practices make insufficient
allowance for the particular features of the
various different types of line with the result
that maintenance is less than optimal. Some
little-used lines are maintained to a relatively
over-high standard while there are a number
of unacceptable defects on certain heavily-
trafficked lines. Ideally, each line and each
site should be considered individually with
regard to:
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European Railway Review
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013 40
The best and the most
economical solution
The strategy envisages an investment of
2.5 billion and includes a total replacement
meaning that all existing equipment is to
be replaced regardless of age or level
of technology.
The programme represents a major change in
technology intended to maximise the possibilities
and benefits of re-signalling the Danish railway
network. In the rail sector, it is unique in its
approach of focusing on the economies of scale
and creating a competitive market solution to
ensure optimised price and quality. This approach
has resulted in a 0.6 billion saving compared to
the 2008 benchmark.
Customer benefits
All Fjernbane lines in Denmark will be equipped
with ERTMS level 2 baseline 3 which secures
interoperability. Across the network, pass -
engers can expect better punctuality, increased
line speed with higher capacity on selected lines
and shorter journey times on some routes.
Nationwide there will be a higher and more
homogenous level of safety. Future maintenance
will be more economical and the system will
provide an unprecedented foundation for better
centralised traffic control, energy optimisation,
and on-time passenger information.
All this is a major step in the implementation
of the political vision to double the number of
passengers by 2030.
In 2009, a broad political majority decided to fund a total replacement of the entire signalling system on the
Danish national network with ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) and all the signalling on
the Copenhagen S-bane with a CBTC system (Communication Based Train Control). So far, progress is on time
and on budget and with this, Denmark will be the first country to carry out a nationwide implementation of
ERTMS level 2 baseline 3 the newest European standard.
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SIGNALLING &
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
Total renewal in
Denmark is on time
and on budget
Henrik Holtermann
Head of Secretariat in the Signalling
Programme, Banedanmark
Major projects status at
September 2013
S-bane
In August 2011, Banedanmark signed the
contract for the CBTC system with Siemens for
the supply and installation of the fully
automatic Siemens Trainguard TM train control
system, Sicas type electronic interlocking and
switch machines.
Siemens is to equip 170km of Copenhagen
double-track S-bane for CBTC with an automatic,
radio-based train control system and fitment
of the 135 S-bane trains with the CBTC on-
board equipment.
The equipment also includes a new opera -
tions control centre and a Wi-Fi radio
transmission network along the network as the
primary communication channel between train
and infrastructure. Finally the contract includes
maintenance services for 25 years.
Instalment on the early deployment line is
on-going. Serial installation of on-board
equipment has started and the first seven trains
are installed and back in service. The aim is to
have 61 S-trains from a total of 135 fitted with the
CBTC on-board system before the end of 2014.
SIGNALLING &
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
The S-bane roll-out map
CLEAR SIGNALS
TO EUROPE
Punctuality, capacity and safety are at the heart of the Danish signalling
programme. With a total renewal of the signalling systems on more than
3,000 km of tracks by 2021, the programme will make Denmark the only
country in Europe to have carried out a total migration to
the new signalling technologies.
Fjernbane East and West
The Fjernbane consists of a West and an East
project covering 1,200km and 800km of line
respectively. In January 2012, the contracts
were signed with the Thales and Balfour Beatty
Rail consortium (West) and Alstom (East).
The contracts encompass the full design,
manufacture and supply of a ERTMS Level 2
baseline 3 signalling solution but also inter -
locking combined with rail field equipment
(e.g. train detection and point machines) and a
traffic management system with two new control
centres. The contract also includes maintenance
services for 25 years.
The two projects are to have completed their
preliminary design phase in November 2013 then
shifting to the final design phase parallel with
preparing the early deployment.
On-board equipment
In March 2012, Alstom and Banedanmark
signed the contract to deliver on-board
equipment to 41 railway operators in Denmark
and install its Atlas ERTMS on-board equipment
system on more than 700 trains, including
passenger train sets, locomotives and relevant
maintenance vehicles.
The project is responsible for ensuring that
the new train control system fulfils the
requirements to ERTMS standard for ETCS
on-board equipment. The on-board project
coordinates the contact to all train operation
companies and contractors who will implement
the new train control system on their vehicles.
The current preliminary design stage
is planned to end late-November 2013 and
the detailed surveys of all types of train have
now begun.
Training
The project will provide education and training
of between 5,000 and 6,000 employees, most of
whom are drivers and traffic management staff,
so that they are able to operate under the new
signalling equipment and operate within the
new operational rules.
For the S-bane, the safety documents
as well as the training specifications for
safety critical and safety related roles have
been forwarded to the National Safety Agency
(NSA) for acceptance. Furthermore, the develop -
ment of course modules and materials
for a number of training pilots are almost
complete. With respect to Fjernbane, the
operators have received a presentation
of the training concept, method ology, and
duration etc.
Traffic Control Centres
The Signalling Programme includes two new
buildings needed for the new Traffic Manage -
ment Systems for both Fjernbane and S-bane.
These Traffic Control Centres (TCCs) will replace
the existing 15 TCCs across the country.
The TCC buildings will have a modern and
intelligent design with high architectural
standards, a high security level and future proof
levels of sustainability. The buildings will not only
house the control rooms but also the workplaces
for relevant support functions, training facilities,
a number of auxiliary facilities and technical
equipment rooms.
The first TCC is under construction in
Copenhagen and construction of the second TCC
will start in late-2013.
GSM-R voice and data infrastructure
Denmark is one of the last European countries
to change from a national proprietary radio
system to the ERTMS standard GSM-R.
The implementation is carried out in
two phases:
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The European rail
industrys commitment to
ERTMS implementation
ONE PLATFORM is all your
telecommunication needs!
for mission-critical telecommunications networks
simple
rugged
long-living
the rail supply industry fully support the
initiative by delivering technical expertise to
advise and guide the European Railway Agency.
The introduction of Baselines 3 provides
stability and increased confidence to a system
that encourages future ERTMS deployment.
One of the industry commitments included
in the ERTMS MoU has been recently achieved by
UNISIG members. UNISIG is an Associated
Member of UNIFE and was created to develop
the ERTMS/ETCS technical specifications. The
European ETCS suppliers have signed a frame -
work agreement to enhance the collaboration
of the industry to carry out interoperability
tests for interested third parties, typically rail-
way operators, infrastructure managers,
national authorities or public institutions.
This agreement strengthens the cooperation
among the industry members to create a strong
case for interoperability.
As planned in the ERTMS MoU, the first
maintenance release of the Baseline 3 specifica -
tions is under preparation by the European
Railway Agency with the strong support of
UNISIG. Some important additional specifica -
tions have been delivered by UNISIG to the
Agency, among others the Train Interface and
the RBC-RBC Interface specifications (RBC
Radio Based Communication).
ERTMS as a global standard
Even though ERTMS was originally designed to
be the unique but ubiquitous signalling system
for Europe and support full interoperability
across the EU, the worlds increasing demands
for advanced, sustainable and safe railway
transport offered a further opportunity to
provide a modern, standardised and multi-
supplier sourced system for signalling.
ERTMS/ETCS was perfectly positioned to
address this fundamental requirement and it is
now regarded as the single, global, and the most
advanced railway signalling, automatic train
control and protection system for high-speed,
freight, urban and mixed traffic conditions.
ERTMS is indeed being implemented in a
growing number of countries worldwide. The
UNIFE figures also indicate that ERTMS is being
used in 37 countries and the number of track
kilometres equipped with ETCS outside Europe
exceeds 29,000km.
The conclusion is that non-European
customers have been just as committed, or in
some cases more committed, to adopting
ERTMS. The committed mileages nearly reach
the European levels. However, in 2012, a slight
slowdown was detected outside Europe, possibly
SIGNALLING &
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
Figure 1 ERTMS investments worldwide by geographical area, trackside (km) Sept 2013 Source: UNIFE
reflecting the world economic slowdown and
funding availability. Fortunately, China has taken
a clear lead in adopting ERTMS on its new high-
speed lines and appears to be intending to
deploy their system on all future high-speed lines
in a huge national build plan.
SHIFT2RAIL
The first European rail joint technology initiative
promoted and driven by the railway industry
has a strong focus on control-command and
signalling systems. SHIFT2RAIL seeks focused
research and innovation (R&I) and market-
driven solutions by accelerating the integration
of new and advanced technologies into
innovative rail product solutions and will
promote the competitiveness of the European
Rail Industry. This large-scale multi-annual
research programme will be under Horizon
2020, the EUs multi-annual R&I programme.
Among the five Innovative Programmes (IPs)
in SHIFT2RAIL, IP2 deals with advanced traffic
management system and control systems.
The objective of this pillar is to extend synergies
and interoperability with the urban and mass
transit railway sectors while maintaining the
dominance of ERTMS as a solution for railway
signalling and control systems across the world.
The technology demonstrators will support the
overall goal of developing a new generation of
signalling and control systems in order to enable
intelligent traffic management with auto -
matically driven trains. This new system
evolution will aim at optimising capacity and
reliability while minimising Life Cycle Costs.
The technology innovations in SHIFT2RAIL
will also enhance the signalling system by taking
into consideration worldwide requirements and
focusing on advanced future solutions such as
satellite positioning, Automatic Train Operation
and future communication systems that will
replace GSM-R.
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)
UNIFE strongly believes that EU funding has a
critical role to play in ensuring the deployment
of ERTMS technology along the European
railway network. As the full benefits of
ERTMS are realised only when a significant
number of neighbouring countries have made
the necessary investments to upgrade their
network, EU funding is pivotal in increasing the
pace of ERTMS deployment along the European
railway network.
The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), a
multi-annual financial framework will kick off on
1 January 2014. ERTMS is considered as one of
the main priorities to be tackled within the CEF.
For the 7-year period, an expected budget
between 700 million and 1.1 billion could
be allocated for financing ERTMS deployment.
The available planned budget is twice as high
as the current ERTMS budget in TEN-T and
three times higher than the budget spent
on ERTMS deployment during the last multi-
annual financial period.
Conclusion
UNIFE fully supports and promotes the
deployment of ERTMS which will bring signifi -
cant benefits in terms of interoperability, safety
and performance, thus contributing to the
objective of a single European railway area.
The European Commissions provision for
manda tory ERTMS implementation on the total
European rail network is therefore an essential
step in the right direction. In this respect, the
fast migration towards ERTMS will provide
considerable benefits not only for rail transport,
but also the environment and quality of life for
all Europeans.
The European railway industry is committed
and provides its full support to make ERTMS a
success and the role of the industry is to deliver
a stable system which is Baseline 3.
ERTMS is now a globally accepted train
control solution and is clearly becoming
the system of choice. Moreover, SHIFT2RAIL
will further reinforce this position by bracing
technical solutions to enhance the system to
encompass the worldwide needs. There should
be every confidence that ERTMS is THE solution
for a global signalling system.
European Railway Review
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013 46
SIGNALLING &
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
Philippe Citron joined UNIFE
in June 2011. He began his
career as a Transport Advisor at
the French Permanent Repre -
sentation to the EU in 1986 and
then became Member of the
Cabinet of the French Transport
Minister in 1990. In 1993, Philippe became
Manager and Chief of Staff at RATP Paris, and then
joined the SNCF as Strategy Director in 1999. Prior
to assuming his position at UNIFE, Philippe
served for eight years as CEO of Systra one of the
worlds leading public transport engineering
companies. Philippe is a graduate of Paris II
University in Public Law, holds a Diploma from
the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences
Po) and also studied at the Ecole Nationale
d'Administration (ENA), where he also lectured
about rail and urban transport.
Michel Van Liefferinge has a
background in telecommuni -
cation engineering. During
20 years, he has built a solid
experience in the signalling
division of Alstom where he has
occupied several managerial
positions including VP Railways, VP Technical, VP
ERTMS and Managing Director of Alstom Belgium
Charleroi, the Alstom development centre of
ERTMS solution and projects. Since April 2011,
Michel has been working as a consultant and
is currently acting as UNISIG General Manager
for UNIFE.
Figure 2 Figure 2: ERTMS investments in Europe, trackside (km) Source: UNIFE
European Railway Review
www.europeanrailwayreview.com 47 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013
All products and solutions follow the EU
standards and regulations related to the SIL
and RAMS norms. The advantage with the
WaveTrain Systems Level Crossing Warning
System is that all components are installed in
the vicinity of the level crossing normally
within 15m. The solution from WaveTrain
Systems does not require long distance cabling
between the level crossing and the sensors, as
the prevalent conventional solutions do.
WaveTrain Systems has installations on
various continents, such as Europe, Africa and
Australia. Our biggest and most important client
at present is Network Rail in the UK. WaveTrain
Systems has currently installed more than
40 miniature level crossing systems, and a
recent statement from Network Rail said:
The traditional way to install a miniature level
crossing warning system is to hard-wire it into the
signalling system. That takes about two years
and would likely involve a 29-hour blockade
to install. The WaveTrain Systems solution
provides all the same benefits and can be up and
running within hours, and can be installed next
day when required. The system is really helping
us reduce the risk at level crossings.
During the whole process from initial
conversations through to todays status
Network Rail has been very helpful and supp -
ortive knowing this is new territory and
equipment for the Railway Authorities.
The eager support from Network Rails
Anglia Route (from the Managing Director and
the Route Infrastructure Maintenance Director)
to key resources out in the field has been amaz -
ing, says Richard Aaroe, CEO of WaveTrain
Systems. A process involving new tech-
nology, which normally takes between four
and six years, has now been completed by us
in 18 months. This is extraordinarily quick,
says Richard.
Following Network Rail, railway authorities
in both Africa and Australia have been following
the process and progress with the Anglia Route
in the UK and WaveTrain Systems are now also
running trial projects in these countries.
We like to see ourselves as the Game
Changer in the rail industry a name, in fact,
that our clients have given us, says Richard.
A Game Changer since we are changing
both the current suppliers costs and approach
regard ing protection at level crossings, but also
the fact that there will be a change in user
behaviour from pedestrians and road traffic.
The old phone process will now be secondary for
getting access to cross an unprotected crossing
in the future.
Apart from the Anglia Route, several of
the other routes in the UK are also now asking
when can we get hold of the solution from
WaveTrain Systems.
WaveTrain Systems is a company dedicated to railway safety, and in particular safety at level cross-
ings. WaveTrain Systems has developed a robust and reliable warning and safety solution for level crossings
based on innovational technology. The solution provides substantial savings to our clients, compared to current
systems, without compromising on quality. WaveTrain Systems helps railroad authorities meet their strategic
target of zero tolerance in the field of safety and accidents at level crossings.
WaveTrain Systems AS
the Game Changer in
the railway industry
ADVERTORIAL
SIGNALLING &
TELECOMMUNICAITONS
SUPPLEMENT
www.wavetrain.no
Solutions from WaveTrain Systems AS
are present in Europe, Africa and Australia
Richard Aaroe is CEO of
WaveTrain Systems AS.
He received his education from
the Norwegian Military Academy
(the National Centre of
Excellence for Leadership), the
Norwegian Business School of
Administration as well as from George
Washington University in the United States
specialising in leadership, management and
administration. Richard has 26 years of experience
in project management and chief of operation in
various companies, and has held several positions
as Board Member. Prior to WaveTrain, Richard
held senior management positions in national
and international companies.
European Railway Review
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013 48
In Europe, industry-contribution to signalling is
especially useful to achieve the goal of technical
interoperability through the implementation
of a common European system, compared to
the 20 systems that exist today. In this way, the
current operational barriers along different
corridors could be completely eliminated.
These developments play a key role to allow
railways to compete more successfully against
other means of transport. In the last decade, the
growing use of modern high-speed lines in
many European countries has been made
possible by the techniques used among
these we must highlight the mobile radio
system GSM-R as a communications support for
voice and data to the European signalling
system ERTMS.
On 19 May 2006 a milestone date in Spain
the first circulations took place between the cities
of Madrid and Lerida with series 102 trains
running at 250km/h operating ETCS level 1.
Since then, the high degree of progress made in
this area, and specifically the ERTMS system
in this country, is having an exponent of first
orders that makes its rail network a true example
of interoperability.
At present, Spain has 1,974km of track
equipped with ERTMS in service, of which
656km are also equipped with Level 2 and it is the
system that is implemented in new lines.
Apart from the great achievements in high-
speed, networks such as the Madrid commuter
line is also a pioneer at European level with the
implementation of an ERTMS signalling system
a facility which results in improved safety.
We must highlight that the operation of
systems such as ERTMS/ETCS offer a number
of advantages based on its versatility, allowing
operation in the same line with different levels,
with different scenarios of occupation and the
ability to adapt to each case. Nevertheless, its
implementation is a delicate process that
Signalling and telecommunications systems represent key technological support for rail operations in a number
of ways including both the management and control of traffic signals and remote controls. Technological
developments in these fields contribute in an essential way to the advancement of modern railway lines,
especially in high-speed operations.
SIGNALLING &
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
The signalling sector
opens the door to the
Spanish industry
Pedro Fortea
Director, MAFEX the Spanish
Railway Association
requires special planning and the intervention of
highly specialised companies.
Indeed, the adaptation and coexistence of
the signalling and communication systems that
are registered in Spain has provided the industry
with a unique experience that is now exported
to Europe and those emerging markets where
there exists a commitment to rail as a means of
territorial and interurban mobility. Bulgaria,
Romania, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey,
Morocco and Algeria are just some of the
countries that have taken this great know-how to
improve traffic management and traffic safety.
Spanish advances in worldwide
railway signalling projects
The engineering sector has created specialised
teams that have allowed them to work in the
most important high-speed lines developed in
Spain and around the world, with an intense
activity on railway systems, primarily focused
on the management, supervision and monitor -
ing of GSM-R projects, as well as signalling and
train protection projects.
Getinsa Ingeniera, after providing its
experience in numerous high-speed sections in
Spain, is at present active in international
projects such as on lines 1 and 2 from the branch
Dammam-Hofuf-Riyadh/Dammam-Hofuf-Al
Kharj-Riyadh in Saudi Arabia the first network
of its kind in the area.
Ardanuy Ingeniera has also made its way
internationally. Among the most prominent
works, this Spanish company is responsible for
the study report of the high-speed railway line
project between Qued Tlelat and the Moroccan
border on the branch Tlemcen-Akkid Abbas a
report which includes signalling through ERTMS
systems, levels 1 and 2.
The high specialisation in the field of
signalling and telecommunications has also
opened the door to Spanish renowned groups
such as Idom ingeniera y consultora and TYPSA.
After their leading roles in the national network
such as the high-speed MadridBarcelona line or
the MadridGalicia line, they also carry out works
abroad of special magnitude in terms of technical
assistance, planning and coordination of
facilities, etc.
With them, companies like Invensys Rail
Dimetronic have contributed to the imple -
mentation of signage solutions in many
countries. Invensys Rail Dimetronic has co -
ordinated associated signalling systems of the
new high-speed railway line between Ankara and
Konya (Turkey), equipped with ERTMS Level 1.
It is also present in the Spanish consortium in
charge of the high-speed network between
Mecca and Medina (Saudi Arabia), which includes
the implementation of ERTMS Level 2 in track
to the 34 trains on the line, the Traffic Control
Centre, electronic interlocks and LED signals.
Beyond high-speed, awards have been made
for relevant projects such as the signalling of the
metropolitan area of Auckland (New Zealand),
with the installation of ERTMS.
Another technological exponent is CAF
Signalling who has carried out works in this
field for the upgrade of signalling with ERTMS
Level 1 for the new rail corridor between Bulgaria
and Romania, as well as the section around the
city of Pehlivankoy within the by-pass linking
several lines between Turkey and Greece.
Thales Spain has also managed to
strengthen their presence worldwide with
numerous contracts for instance winning a
recent award for the signalling modernisation of
the railway line between Cairo and Alexandria. In
this area of activity the company is already
present in Turkey, Algeria, Slovenia, Morocco
and Malaysia.
Bombardier Spain and SEMI provide other
examples of technological strength in railway
signalling and communications that join this
long list. Along with on-going projects, we
must highlight the role of Public-Private Partner -
ship in R & D. The company Indra have signed
agreements with the Railway Infrastructure
Administrator (ADIF) to create specialised GSM-R
laboratories for the communications technology
RBC-Train and the development of engineering
data for ERTMS, among others.
MAFEX
The greatest technological bet of the rail
industry to become a leader in the fields of
signalling and communications is supported
by the intense international outreach of the
Spanish Railway Association MAFEX. In its
programme of activities, the most important are
the trade delegations and visits to the main
forums for industry professionals to publicise
the contributions of member companies in
this field, as well as the range of services
and products with which these companies
have contributed to the development of rail in
recent years.
European Railway Review
www.europeanrailwayreview.com 49 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013
SIGNALLING &
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
A CAF Signalling CTC system
After spending some years as the
Assistant Manager at Fundigex
the Castings Exporters Associ -
a tion of Spain Pedro Fortea
became the Director of MAFEX in
2004 and has helped to develop
its professional activity. Pedro
has studied at ESADE Business School, Escuela
Universitaria (Cmara de Comercio de Bilbao)
and Deusto University.
About MAFEX:
The objective of the Spanish Railway Association
(MAFEX) is to carry out promotional activities in
other countries, as well as to defend their general
interests. Created in 2004, MAFEX currently has
71 members representing more than 85% of Spanish
rail industrys exports, according to official figures in
2012. Known as the official collaborating organisa -
tion of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and
Competitiveness through its Subsecretariat of Trade,
the Association is supported by GRUPO AGEX, to
which it belongs, and by different national and
international organisations and institutions.
www.mafex.es
As part of its general rail network upgrading
programme, RFF therefore began to explore a
number of avenues to make the French network
more intelligent by adopting information and
communications technologies conducive to
greater safety, punctuality and also capacity.
It was decided that infrastructure would
be replaced using technologies available
on the market in other words the IP protocol
(the international Internet standard), optical
fibre cables (now used by telecom networks
throughout the world), and the latest generation
railway wireless communication standard
(GSM-Rail) as the main features of the modernisa -
tion process.
The idea is to develop a backbone that can
then be fleshed out with the various dedicated
applications ensuring the different rail system
and control/command functions. This backbone
will also be used by RFF to develop a number of
added-value functionalities.
Optical fibre cables
RFF is responsible for developing and main -
taining a physical transmission network
dedicated to railway equipment and applica -
tions for example signalling, operations and
power supplies. The network originally
consisted of copper cables but these are now
coming to the end of their useful life, to say
nothing of the problems of theft so regularly
besetting the network. Copper cables are
therefore being replaced by optical fibre cables
which have the dual advantage of being more
reliable and better-suited to the latest systems.
Replacement operations are being conducted
as line upgrading and new line construction
programmes progress.
RFFs fibre plan is designed to give greater
definition and scope to the current roll-out
programme. Approximately 4,500km of optical
fibre cables are scheduled for installation
between 2012 and 2015 as a matter of priority
basically to cater to the GSM-R telephone
network and to first operations under the
European Railway Review
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013 50
Over the years, telecommunications systems have become a vital factor in rail network reliability. A mere boon
in the past, they are now essential to railway operating safety and network coordination. Modern telecoms
systems have to combine ever higher throughput with exemplary reliability and with that other key factor:
mobility. Although there are technologies on the market capable of meeting these needs, modernising a huge
network in constant operation represents a major challenge. In 2009, recognising the importance of telecoms in
the railway system, Rseau Ferr de France (RFF) joined forces with SNCF to draw-up an overall inventory of all
railway telecom equipment and came to the conclusion that looming obsolescence called for urgent action.
Telecommunications:
ringing in the new
SIGNALLING &
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
ric Le Moal
Head of ERTMS and
Telecom Services, RFF
C
r
e
d
it
:
D
R
centralised network control project (grouping
together the 1,500 most important signal boxes
to form 16 regional traffic control centres).
A further 12,000km will then be installed to cover
all main rail network needs, also putting RFF in a
position to market optical fibres to telecom
operators. Whereas in the past some 100-200km
of cables were installed each year, it is now
necessary to up the pace to over 1,000km. The
whole process from organisation to industrial
roll-out has had to be completely re-thought.
InfraNet network
Performance achieved with optical fibre cables
is such that several separate transmission
networks can be accommodated at the same
time: Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH);
Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM);
Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing
(DWDM); and the InfraNet network.
With a backbone comprising 90 routers and a
target service network of some 1,000 routers,
InfraNet provides the different applications with
more reliable data communications. It is based
on the Internet Protocol (IP) which is a stable and
lasting standard, and on Multi Protocol Label
Switching (MPLS). The performance offered by
these protocols is streets ahead of anything that
could be achieved with the old point-to-point
networks now on their way out.
Since continuous transmission is vital,
InfraNet offers fail-safe guarantees thanks to its
fault-tolerant network architecture. In addition,
the whole network and its equipment are
centrally monitored and controlled from Paris.
InfraNet is already used for railway operating
applications linked to the new generation of
computer-controlled signal boxes (crucial to
centralised network/traffic control) and for
infrastructure component monitoring applica -
tions. Very shortly, new generation railway
telephone equipment will be added to this list.
New generation railway
telephone equipment
Railway telephone equipment encompasses
all the telecom facilities used by operators
working trains on the rail network, dispatchers,
traffic controllers and drivers (via the ground-to-
train radio transmission system). Terminal
equipment in other words the different task-
specific control panels is linked to dedicated
switches processing railway-specific command
interfaces. There are some 4,000 operator
workstations for the national network.
RFF is planning to use InfraNet infrastructure
as a means of modernising this equipment.
IP switches are well on their way to becoming
the new standard. This new approach of blanket
connection to the InfraNet network will make it
easier to migrate towards standard products
with IP interfaces, foster an architecture that
separates call processing from fixed terminal
functions and make it simpler to combine data
and voice communications services. Not only are
IP solutions synonymous with technological
progress, their general use should also sub -
stantially drive down Life-Cycle Costs.
GSM-R the new ground-to-train
radio transmission system
As the communications systems used between
train operators and train drivers, ground-to-
train radio has long been a key factor in ensuring
safe and efficient train operations. The Global
System for Mobile communication for Railways
(GSM-R) is gradually being introduced to replace
the old analogue ground-to-train radio trans -
mission system fast coming to the end of its
useful life. The new digital communications
technology will enable the system to offer a
combination of voice and data transmission via
a single platform and will boost rail system
reliability and responsiveness. Another benefit
is that most of Europes railways have decided
to forge ahead with the introduction of the new
system for reasons of uniformity. Train radio will
be able to operate across borders as easily as
GSM mobile phone systems today. Last but not
least, GSM-Rail is needed to support the
European Rail Traffic Management System
(ERTMS) for, without it, equipping high-speed
lines in France with ERTMS Level 2 would
be impossible.
Since 2003, 3,000km of main lines have been
equipped with GSM-R. In 2010, in order to speed-
up roll-out through to 2015, RFF signed a PPP
agreement with SYNERAIL a company owned
by VINCI (30%), SFR (30%), AXA (30%) and TDF
(10%) for the installation of the GSM-Rail
network on 14,500km of track and its operation
over 15 years.
This last example of telecom system
modernisation is illustrative of the significance
and complexity of the programme in-hand.
Optical fibre cables, InfraNet, new generation
railway telephone equipment and the new
ground-to-train radio system all have the same
target namely that of making communications
better and more reliable, given their vital
importance for the safety and successful
management of the rail network as a whole.
Changes have been prompted by numerous
outside agents and the operations involved are
huge. Todays efforts to upgrade network
technology herald the entry of railway communi -
cations into the digital era.
European Railway Review
www.europeanrailwayreview.com 51 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013
SIGNALLING &
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
ric Le Moal is Head of RFFs
ERTMS and Telecom Services
Department, responsible for out -
sourcing and managing telecom
infrastructure projects for the
whole of the railway network,
with the assistance of SNCF for
operation and maintenance.
Driver using GSM-R
C
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e
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it
:
D
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Todays efforts to upgrade network
technology herald the entry of railway
communi cations into the digital era
Developing Sustainable & Innovative
Urban Transport Networks
LEAD PARTNER
DEBATE
Norways investment plans
Jernbaneverkets plans for reducing travelling time,
with more trains and fewer delays, including plans for
a European Rail Trafc Management System in Norway
and multiple major projects.
DISCOVER
The Scandinavian 8 Million City
Hear how by connecting Oslo and Copenhagen with
high-speed trains via Gothenburg and Malm, an extensive,
strong and coherent labour market area can be formed.
This will allow Scandinavia to successfully compete with
the major European and global metropolises.
DISCUSS
Scandinavian Rail Projects
Banedanmarks rail projects including
Copenhagen to Ringsted and Ringsted-Fehmarn
Trakverkets largest investments in rail infrastructure
How the European Corridor will drastically reduce
travel times by expanding two major rail routes
CONFERENCE 2014
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Oslo
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Organised by
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The FLEXXCompact platform is characterised by
a modular approach for maximum design
flexibility. The FLEXX Compact bogie family is
versatile in its range of features and perform -
ance due to wide use of adaptable modules and
proven standardised components. This gives
the advantages of a flexible bogie concept
that can be cost-effectively adapted to meet
specific operational requirements. FLEXX
Compact bogies offer high quality running
performance and are easy to maintain with low
maintenance costs.
Bogies of the FLEXXCompact family are light-
weight and have a torsionally elastic frame for
optimal safety against derailment. The bogies are
compact and therefore highly suitable for low-
floor vehicles where space for under-floor
equipment is limited or for double-deck vehicles
European Railway Review
www.europeanrailwayreview.com 53 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013
BOMBARDIER
1
FLEXX
1
Compact is now a well-established name in the world
of bogies for railway vehicles. There are currently more than 7,000 FLEXX
Compact bogies in service or on order worldwide. Recently, the production
of the 1,000th FLEXX Compact bogie for SNCFs commuter train
BOMBARDIER
1
SPACIUM
1
was celebrated at Bombardiers site in Crespin, France. Simultaneously, the 1,400th
FLEXX Compact bogie for BOMBARDIER
1
TALENT
1
2 trains for Deutsche Bahn left Bombardiers factory in Siegen,
Germany. The latest version of this type of bogie takes advantage of Bombardiers extensive experience in this
segment, with roots dating back to the 1990s with the bogies developed for BOMBARDIER
1
TALENT
1
vehicles.
FLEXXCompact the
most successful bogie
platform for regional
and commuter trains
BOGIES
Frederik Allert
Product Engineer,
Bombardier Transport France S.A.S.
FLEXX Compact motor bogie for TALENT 2
where reduced height of the side beam is
required to accommodate the compact bogie to
carbody interface.
A wide and coherent family of bogies
FLEXX Compact is a family of bogies including
Jakobs and conventional bogies, which are
developed on a common base. Currently,
both types of bogies are available as trailer
and motor versions which optimise the use of
common elements and provides advantages in
terms of ease of maintenance.
Modular approach for maximum
design flexibility
As mentioned , the Jakobs and conventional
bogie are designed taking into account the
same design principle and maximise the use of
shared components, but this also applies to the
complete FLEXX Compact family as a large
percentage of the components can be used for
different applications. This also means that the
supply chain for subcomponents can be
extended and assured.
An enduring success story:
From single-deck DMU to double-deck EMU,
and from regional to commuter trains,
from coaches to tilting articulated vehicles
Initially the FLEXX Compact bogies were mainly
used as a set of bogies with conventional bogies
used as front or end bogies and Jakobs
bogies as the intermediate bogie of articulated
trains. These bogies were used in DMU and EMU
TALENT trains (for Deutsche Bahn and BB) and
in the widest fleet of EMUs ordered by SNCF
and currently in revenue service: AGC (Autorail
Grande Capacit).
In a similar way, it was feasible to share a
common design when developing the running
gear for the TALENT 2 EMU used for regional
application in Germany and the BOMBARDIER
1
SPACIUM
1
articulated train for commuter
applica tions in the Parisian region. Naturally,
specific requirements of the final customer and
train characteristics were taken into account but
the common base design enabled shared
practices, such as validation planning, tooling
etc. It also permitted sharing of experience
and the ability to apply a proactive product
introduction plan.
One of the main evolutions between the
FLEXX Compact motor bogie generation used in
the AGC and the most recent generation is the use
of the semi-suspended gearbox coupled with a
fully-suspended motor.
It should be mentioned that FLEXX
Compact bogies are also used for coach
applications. For example, JUMBO coaches
of BLS, INOVA
1
coaches for the DOMINO
2
trains in Switzerland and coaches for LVS
Marschbahn in Germany are equipped with
FLEXX Compact Bogies.
The TALENT tilting trains delivered to NSB
(Norwegian State Railways) are equipped with
FLEXX Compact bogies adapted to the higher
axle loads, higher speed and to the harsh
Scandinavian winter conditions. These specific
FLEXX Compact bogies are equipped with
the unique ContRoll type of tilting system: no
swinging bolster is required between the bogie
and the car body, but hydraulic cylinders, fitted
between the anti roll bar system and the carbody,
directly actuate the tilting.
BOGIES
FLEXX Compact Heavy Do 2010
FLEXX Compact front motor bogie for Regio2N
European Railway Review
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013 54
From asynchronous to permanent
magnet motors, and from wheel-mounted
discs to tread brakes
Our FLEXX Compact bogies are also fitted to the
Regio2N train BOMBARDIER
1
OMNEO
1
the latest
vehicle developed by Bombardier for SNCF which
is very innovative from a design per spective
being an articulated train set mixing single-deck
and double-deck sections. One of the challenges
of this application was to be able to offer a
platform of bogies that were compatible, yet
operating under a very large number of train set
variants (including regional and commuter
application with axle loads up to 20,5 T and
performance requirements of 160km/h with
option up to 200km/h). For this application, the
motor bogie integrates a compact BOMBARDIER
1
MITRAC
1
TM 1510PS self-ventilated permanent
magnet motor with reliable electro-dynamic
braking allowing the use of tread brakes (and
also in this case the integration of a cast iron
tread brake for shunting purposes as required by
the final customer).
Latest developments
More recently, the architecture for mass-
optimised design was used in order to develop
the FLEXXCompact Heavy (FCH) bogie which will
equip the TWINDEXX
1
Vario Double Deck
Powerhead produced for the DO2010 contract
with Deutsche Bahn, Germany. This bogie allows
the integration of the powerful MITRAC TM
1800AF forced ventilated asynchroneous motor
and is able to bear up to 21T/ axle with a bogie
mass lower than 10T (interface bolster and
motorisation included). In contrast to the
original FLEXX Compact family which uses a
wheel diameter smaller than 840mm, in this
instance a wheel diameter of 920mm was
used in order to cope with the high traction
force, loads and the Life-Cycle Cost require -
ments. In this case, the interface with the
carbody was standardised with another
Bombardier bogie family: the FLEXX Load GIX
Bogie (Trailer Bogie) used for double-deck coach
application in Germany.
Another variant of the FLEXX Compact
family is the mechatronic bogie developed
for TWINDEXX Express double-deck trains for
SBB, Switzerland and integrating the FLEXX
Tronic WAKO active suspension (roll compensa-
tion device).
Perspective
Today, the FLEXX Compact family is firmly
established in the major segments of regional
and commuter applications. We are expecting
to further develop the platform in order to cover
additional needs, such as:
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DI RECTORY
Vi si t www. europeanrai l wayrevi ew. com/di rectory
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Noise & Vibrations
European Railway Review
www.europeanrailwayreview.com 57 Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013
SUPPLEMENT
SPONSORED BY:
58
62
65
Reducing vibrations
near railway lines
ways for finding
effective measures
Wolfgang Behr and
Isabelle De Keyzer, UIC
Industry cooperation
needed for a less
noisy railway
Siv Leth and Nicolas Furio,
UNIFE Noise Mirror Group
Speech intelligibility
in trains
Jess Otero Yugat and
Igor Alonso Portillo, CETEST
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Transport policy of the European Union
Since future transport requires a system that is
able to move a lot more passengers and
freight than it is today, a high-capacity, efficient,
cost-effective and environmentally-friendly
transport system is necessary across Europe.
The Strategic Rail Research Agenda 2020
2
of the
European Rail Research Advisory Council
(ERRAC) expects rail transport to double.
However, an increasing number of people living
near railway lines are annoyed by noise and
vibrations as side-effects of rail transport and it
is therefore necessary to find ways to reduce
those effects.
Finding mitigation measures to reduce
vibrations near railway lines
The two main causes of annoyance induced by
railway traffic are noise and vibration. While
noise is an issue for nearly all kinds of transport
by car, train and plane, vibrations are relevant
especially to rail transport. Therefore during the
last three years, the RIVAS project tackled
the challenge of developing and analysing
vibration mitigation measures under the
European Railway Review
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013 58
Launched in 2011, RIVAS
1
is a collaborative rail research project co-funded by the European Commission
comprised of 27 partners from all over Europe and is aimed at finding Railway Induced Vibration Abatement
Solutions. The research leading to the results of the project has received funding from the European Union
Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement 26574.
NOISE & VIBRATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
Reducing vibrations
near railway lines
ways for finding
effective measures
Wolfgang Behr
RIVAS Coordinator, UIC
Isabelle De Keyzer
Dissemination of EU Co-Funded
R&D Projects, UIC
Figure 2 Some examples of real measured types of wheel out-of-roundness
Figure 1 The source of vibrations induced in the vicinity of a railway track is the interaction force
created at the wheel-rail contact point when a train passes on the track
CITIES IN
MOTION
S|ngle resonance |rack|orm
Zero cross|ng a| very low |requency
H|n|m|zed sens|||v||y |o bog|e |ype
|mproved RAHS
Rock0el|a inorganic resilient
technologies are Common Sense
A member of the ROCKWOOL Group www.rockdelta.com
ency
ype
patronage of the European Commission (FP 7).
The 27 partners, led by the International Union
of Railways (UIC), represent end-users
(infrastructure managers and train operating
companies ADIF, DB, RATP SBB, SNCF and
Trafikverket), associations, manufactures
and suppliers (Alstom, Bombardier, EiffageRail,
Keller, Lucchini, Pandrol, RailOne, Sateba),
universities and research institutes (BAM,
CEDEX, Chalmers University, CSTB, ISVR, KU
Leuven) as well as consultants and associations
(D2S, Satis, TV Rheinland, Vibratec, Prose).
The source of vibration the backbone
of individual work packages of the
RIVAS project
The source of vibrations induced in the vicinity
of a railway track is the interaction force created
at the wheel-rail contact point when a train
passes on the track (see Figure 1, page 58).
This force is strongly influenced by the wheel
and rail irregularities. Irregularities resulting
from track evenness can be isolated defects,
insulated joints, corrugation of the rail, and
hanging sleepers etc. Irregularities of the wheel
can be flats or different types of out-of-round -
ness. Figure 2 (page 58) shows some examples
of real measured types of wheel out-of-
roundness. A classification of the wheel and
track defects with respect to vibration emission
was discussed during the project through
numerical simulations and measurements.
The generation of vibration and its influence
on the interaction force can by simulated using
experienced calculation tools based on spring
and damping models (see Figure 3).
The vibration which citizens feel in their
houses depends not only on the resulting
interaction force due to the wheel-rail contact
and the properties of the track, but also on
the propagation path (see Figure 4, page 60)
which can be simulated by mathematical
methods. Figure 5 (page 60) shows the effect
of a barrier in the propagation path for a
frequency of 30 Hz. But such calculations require
knowledge on the soil conditions which are
often poorly known.
As shown in Figure 4 (page 60) even the type
of building and its construction plays a role in
how the vibration will induce noise in it.
Therefore different types of houses and also
different types of soil conditions have been
investigated within the work of RIVAS (see
Figure 6, page 60).
NOISE & VIBRATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
Figure 3 The generation of vibration and its influence on the interaction force can by simulated using
experienced calculation tools based on spring and damping models
Based on the factors that are influencing
vibrations induced by rail traffic, the project has
been divided into the following five scientific
work packages (see Figure 7, page 61):
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NOISE & VIBRATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
Industry cooperation
needed for a less
noisy railway
Siv Leth
Chairwoman, UNIFE Noise Mirror Group
Nicolas Furio
Coordinator, UNIFE Noise Mirror Group
Figure 1 Noise sources and separation of noise sources through the use of beamforming techniques
MODELING VIBRATION
NUISANCE
Explore us at www.cowi.com
We have developed a new approach for modeling
vibration nuisance and structural noise in buildings
exposed to railway trafc.
This new emperical model is based upon a probabilistic
approach towards summating frequency response
functions obtained by thousands of measurements
at various locations passed by the most common train
types; all calibrated towards typical ground conditions.
The model works seamless with GIS software and can
provide results with uncertainties less than 3 dB.
Test the demo version of the model set up for a Danish
environment: webgis.gis-hotel.dk:8080/UI_Main_v2.1.html
further progress. The definition of the reference
track as set out in ISO 3095:2013 is a spectral
definition of an envelope curve, setting maxi -
mum rail roughness limits and minimum
track decay rate limits. Any track with a lower
roughness and/or a higher decay rate than the
limit curve is accepted as reference track. With
the current reference track definition, reductions
of Noise TSI limits for pass-by will have small or
no impact on noise exposure of people.
One option would be to reduce the track
noise by tightening the reference track definition.
However, this option is not acceptable as it would
lead to even lower accessibility to test tracks and
increases the complexity and cost of today, whilst
already today, time and cost for certifying rolling
stock according to Noise TSI is a big issue for the
sector as a whole.
Another option would be to develop a
vehicle-track separation technique. It is import -
ant to have a consensus among railway
stakeholders around such a method. Taking
into account the cost aspect, this separation
tech nique must be simple to not lead to a
more complicated procedure than exists today.
As this method is not yet standardised, it would
be interesting to start a European research
project, dedicated to the definition of such a
method, with the objective to standardise it
in the future.
Step-change in European
railway research
There are two aspects of noise; exterior and
interior. For the exterior noise, the disturbance
to nearby residents should be minimised.
On some lines, the capacity is restricted
because of noise regulations for noise
reception. In such cases there is a tangible
economic drive to reduce the noise emission of
the passing trains to allow more of them to pass.
Exterior noise has been the focus of previous
public funded research.
For interior noise, the comfort and attractive -
ness for passengers and working conditions for
on-board staff is a complex challenge. It will be
crucial to offer an attractive product, in which the
noise and vibration performance is one
important feature, to revitalise the railway sector
and drastically increase the market share
compared to other transport modes. In par -
ticular, the introduction of light-weight material
and new design concepts to reduce energy
consumption and wear, will call for increased
attention to be paid to the acoustic design of a
rail vehicle. Also, the rapid development in IT and
infotainment systems should be utilised in future
generation passenger trains.
The competitiveness in the rail industry
becomes stronger with the presence of more and
more global players. In particular, the immense
expansion of Asian markets has led to a rapid
development of the Asian railway industry.
The European industry must speed up the
efforts to stay in front of the global competition.
It is important to combine high efficiency and
noise comfort through innovative and tech -
nological state-of-the-art products. The impact
on future railway systems will be important, since
a system approach considering the combination
of low noise rolling stock and low noise infra -
structure will assure the competiveness for a
green high capacity European railway system.
Therefore, the European rail sector is ready
to commit to major step changes in order to fight
noise issues in Europe and achieve the objectives
set out in the Transport White Paper and in the
Europe 2020 strategy. In order to make this
reality, railway stakeholders, including suppliers,
operators, infrastructure managers, rail clusters
and academia and research institutes are
teaming up in the SHIFT2RAIL proposal for a
flagship Joint Technology Initiative under
Horizon 2020. SHIFT2RAIL is one coherent and
NOISE & VIBRATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
flexible research instrument managed in a Joint
Undertaking within Horizon 2020. A dedicated
overall budget is estimated at around 1 billion
over a six to seven year period co-financed by
the private sector and the European Comm -
ission. The Rail Joint Technological Initiative
called SHIFT2RAIL is a sector-wide initiative to
develop European rail innovation and com -
petitiveness on a large scale and thereby
strengthen the position of the European industry
in the global competition. The CEOs of the largest
rail suppliers in Europe committed to this, until
now unprecedented initiative, to step up
common rail research and develop the rail
systems of the future. In particular, the focus will
be on improving capacity to absorb a bigger
share of traffic, increasing efficiency and
sustainability, and developing the most
customer-friendly, safe vehicles.
SHIFT2RAIL will develop and implement a
new way of addressing the challenges for
innovation in railway technology. Two key
objectives have been identified by the initiative;
the first one is increasing capacity so as to enable
rail to absorb a greater share of traffic growth;
and the second is to attract business and improve
the efficiency of the rail transportation mode as a
whole. The initiative will contribute to an
increase in the overall efficiency of the rail
transport system, satisfy transport users needs,
and at the same time help to foster the
competitiveness of the European manufacturing
industry, through the implementation of
technological innovation.
Conclusion
The future of railways in Europe and the
competitiveness of the European railway
industry are strongly linked to the acoustic
performance of the railway system. UNIFE
members through the UNIFE Noise Mirror
Group will dedicate their efforts in stand -
ardisation of separation techniques for vehicle
versus infrastructure noise together with a
strong and transversal participation in the
future SHIFT2RAIL Joint Technology Initiative.
The challenge is important but the cooperation
will lead to a less noisy and sustainable railway.
European Railway Review
Volume 19, Issue 6, 2013 64
NOISE & VIBRATIONS
SUPPLEMENT
Siv Leth is Director for the
Global Centre of Competence
Acoustics and Vibration at
Bombardier Transportation and
certified Bombardier Fellow
Expert. She has industrial experi -
ence of vehicle noise control
from the aerospace, naval, mining, automotive
and railway industry for over 30 years.
Siv is Chairwoman of the UNIFE Noise Mirror
Group, plus Adjunct Professor at the Royal
Institute of Technology (KTH) Stockholm, Marcus
Wallenberg Laboratory for Sound and Vibration
Research. Siv is the author of numerous papers
published in international journals and
conferences on acoustics of trains and aircraft
and is holder of patents in the area of active
noise control.
Nicolas Furio is a Civil Works
Engineer and has been the
Infrastructure Manager at UNIFE
since 2010. Nicolas is respons -
ible for UNIFEs technical
activities in the field of rail
infrastructure, energy and noise
and is also in charge of current and future
infrastructure, energy and noise research
projects. Before joining UNIFE, Nicolas was Project
Manager for Egis Rail. Nicolas holds a Civil Works
Engineering degree from the Engineering School
INSA in Lyon and a Masters degree in Industrial
Marketing and International Strategy from the EM
Lyon Business School.
RockDelta and RAIL.ONE launch the RHEDA RX metro track system
RockDelta, a company in the Rockwool Group,
together with RAIL.ONE has developed the
RHEDA RX solution for metro track systems
which assures effective attenuation of vibrations
produced by passing trains.
The solution was developed on the basis of
the proven RHEDA family of ballastless track
systems. These systems are chiefly characterised by
an in-situ concrete slab with integrated bi-block
sleepers. Since its initial application in 1972 at the
German train station Rheda, the namesake of
the system, this solution has been systematically
further developed by RAIL.ONE GmbH and adapted
to changing requirements.
Within the track system, RockXolid
stone wool
mats perform a dual function. Firstly, they represent
total decoupling of the track superstructure from the
tunnel, thereby providing the desired isolation level.
Secondly, they assure the likewise-desired elasticity
of the overall system. The required mat thickness is
selected in accordance with the design of the mass-
spring system and with the resulting relationship
between the required mass and spring. Available mats
include: RockXolid
80-80mm.
RockXolid
Complete re-usability
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Speech intelligibility
in trains
validating the tested trains from the point-of-
view of intelligibility, measurements of this index
can be used in order to improve the speech
intelligibility in new rail vehicle designs.
Testing on track is performed according to
the international standard IEC 60268-16.
Previous versions of this standard allowed
determining the Room Acoustics Speech
Transmission Index (RASTI) which focused on
direct communication between people without
making use of a communication system. The last
revision of this standard included a more
comprehensive methodology for evaluating
speech. Also, track tests are carried out in order to
obtain Speech Transmission Index for Public
Address systems (STIPA). Results of the tests
are summarised with a numeric index which
classifies the intelligibility (see Figure 1).
Figure 1 describes the quantification of the
deterioration of the speech intelligibility
produced by the transmission path. The STI
method applies a specific test signal to the
transmission path and by analysing the received
test signal, the STI index is determined and
expressed in a value between 0 and 1. Using this
value the speech intelligibility is modeled.
Test procedure
The test set-up needed for the evaluation of
speech intelligibility includes the instrumenta -
tion of the train by means of loud speakers and
sound metres, which represent respectively the
talker and the listener (see Figure 2).
There are two factors that determine the
speech intelligibility which are considered during
track tests. The first is the background noise,
or rather the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). The
second is the acoustics of the passengers room,
which are related with the sound reflections and
the reverberation time in the room.
Several locations of each tested vehicle
are considered, with the purpose of charact -
erising the acoustic comfort. CETEST typically
evaluates the following motion and station-
ary conditions:
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