Cross-border train control systems – optimisation of train movements

Urs Nietlispach

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Summary

The SBB operates a dense network of train control and monitoring systems in Switzerland. This network ensures a high degree of safety as technical problems in vehicles and their loads can be identified early on. The train control and monitoring systems are all linked up to a central alert system allowing optimum responses to defective trains in terms of safety, their movements and the availability of train paths.

Further optimisation of train movements is ensured by an exchange of alert messages and data of the SBB’s and BLS’s train control and monitoring systems. This exchange between the two infrastructure managers applies throughout Switzerland. The next optimisation step involves the integration of data of train control and monitoring systems close to the national border. A pilot project in cooperation with ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG has been in operation since May 2013. The SBB is in discussion with infrastructure managers of neighbouring railways or operates its own systems.

The SBB manages 145 productive train control and monitoring systems of various kinds:

• 88 hot-box and blocked brake detection systems (HFO)
• 24 wheel-load checkpoints (RLC)
• 15 fire and chemicals detection systems (BCO)
• 6 profile and antenna detection systems (PAO)
• 9 natural hazards alarm systems (NGA)
• 1 lift measuring point (AHM), 1 visual pantomonitoring system (OPM), 1 interference field measuring system (STÖ)
• 1 dragging equipment detection (DED) pilot system and 1 train shunt measurement system (ANM).

Cross-infrastructure integration of the alerts and data communicated by all BLS train control and monitoring systems ensures that uniform alarms are generated by all train control and monitoring systems in the Swiss standard gauge network. Alert messages relate to the location and direction of traffic within the railway organisation’s own infrastructure or the infrastructure of the neighbouring infrastructure manager. This results in an integrated approach to all data of train movements within Switzerland. Alert management is supported by a national intervention centre throughout Switzerland. This ensures great safety and optimum availability of alert management.

Further optimisation of international train movements requires the integration of train control and monitoring systems of neighbouring countries. Cross-border integration enables staff, if warned of impending problems, to examine potentially defective trains at the border station, i.e. these trains need not be stopped for safety reasons at sub-optimal places inside the country. Moreover, this will optimise the use of the high-performance resources usually available at border stations, such as human resources, shunting options, loading cranes and replacement trains.

In view of the currently increasing traffic densities, the smooth flow of rail traffic – in particular of freight traffic – thus provided is of key significance to the major transit networks both along the north-south axes and the west-east axes.

The technical solutions have already been tested in operation. Their depth of integration may vary as required. Cross-infrastructure alert messages have been communicated by BLS systems since 2011. They are supplemented, as of May 2013, by a pilot system of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG in Nenzing/Austria, which reports on all trains running from Vorarlberg to Switzerland. The system includes a wheel load checkpoint and a hot-box/blocked brake detection system, SBB monitoring systems close to the border with Austria, in turn, communicate with ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG. This exchange is restricted to measurement data. Each of the infrastructure managers remains responsible for the safety and thus for the stopping of trains moving on its infrastructure and exceeding certain intervention levels.

In the south, the SBB is responsible for safe train service as far as Domodossola and operates a hot-box/blocked brake detection system as well as a profile detection system on the RFI’s infrastructure. Other cooperation projects between SBB AG and neighbouring infrastructure managers are under discussion.