Capacity increase and railway safety largely depend on the modern traffic dispatching systems which infrastructure managers have implemented on a large scale in recent years. What do these services entail and why are they more than necessary for railway companies? Two of the largest players on the railway market, Thales and Alstom, have tried to provide a clear image on this segment.
“The modern Thales dispatching systems provide real-time traffic management and monitoring, allowing an overall control on the entire network, facilitating the detection and resolution of potential conflicts. The benefits brought by these solutions are reflected in operational costs”, explained Claudiu Seicean, Marketing Director at Thales RSS Romania. In order to provide more details, he underlined the fact that the NetTrac systems, which have been implemented in Spain, Germany, Portugal, Turkey and Mexico, allow a real-time evaluation of the system’s level of performance and provide solutions for traffic improvement. “Infrastructure managers and transport operators today face a series of challenges, such as satisfying the need for increased freight/passenger mobility, improving the use of the existing rail infrastructure, as well as the increased demand for new transport services that can eventually lead to lower operational costs”, added Seicean.
Thales, between investments and research
A pioneer in the introduction of computer solutions in key segments of the railway sector, Thales is recognized as one of the leaders for systems such as ETCS, Interlocking and CBTC (Communication-based train control), with solutions that increase railway performance and capacity, reducing maintenance costs and infrastructure investments. Among the projects for CBTC implementation in the urban sector, Claudiu Seicean brought into discussion the extension of Lines 1 and 5 Santiago Metro – Chile and the Mekkah – Saudi Arabia line (phase 1), which has been successfully put into service. “We are focusing on the projects for railway rehabilitation, as well as the rehabilitation/retechnologization of European corridors”, added Seicean. One of the major investments made by Thales is the largest research-development centre for railway automation systems in South-East Europe, in Romania, where Thales signed a partnership with CFR, the Romanian state-owned railway company. “We will bring here the latest ETCS systems, continuing the success recorded in Europe, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Algeria and Turkey. We will also meet the expectations of the European Commission in eliminating the barriers imposed by the national train control systems and ensuring interoperability”, added Seicean.
Ultramodern systems
Alstom Transport has also developed in time “ultramodern dispatching systems” in several European countries and not only. “These systems not only ensure railway traffic dispatching, but they also provide an interface with other joint services, such as the fire brigade, ambulance”, said Gabriel Stanciu, General Manager Alstom Transport Romania and Bulgaria. Companies in this sector develop special systems that lead to the immediate identification and signalling of a train going off-course, possible accidents or malfunctions. In other words, there are special maps which clearly indicate the functional spaces within a city, such as railway terminals or depots, with the help of which the dispatcher can monitor certain routes in optimum conditions. At the same time, he can access information in order to identify the last messages sent, such as the train’s position compared to the timetable or the hour of departure. Therefore, it is obvious that railway traffic cannot evolve safely without the implementation of these systems and infrastructure managers should be up to date with the tendencies and innovations on the railway market so as not to be caught off guard.
[ by Ionela Micu ]Share on:
