According to world’s leading experts, the XXII Winter Olympic Games and the XI Paralympic Games in Sochi were admittedly the best winter games in history. That involves not only the unprecedented team score of the Russian athletes, but also the outstanding sports and transportation infrastructure created within the shortest possible period of time. A significant contribution was brought by the Russian Railways (JSC RZD), one of the general partners of the Games. Over the preparation period, JSC RZD built one of the most advanced transportation infrastructure systems with a great number of innovative elements including the traffic management and train protection solutions. Given the special conditions of train operations during the Olympic Games, the requirement of scheduling involving groups of trains meeting at double-track sections of the Adler – Krasnaya Poliana line, as well as in order to implement an intense Olympic traffic with guaranteed safety, a traffic management system was developed.
The Sochi 2014 train schedule fully satisfied the requirements of passenger traffic and ensured reliable passenger and commuter traffic throughout the Olympic Games.
In order to complete such challenging tasks, the experts involved in the Olympic project made appropriate modifications to the design of the rolling stock to be operated on the Tuapse – Adler – Alpika Service Ski Resort line. Siemens that supplied Desiro Rus rolling stock for the line provided the automatic train operation solution, while the train control system ensuring safety of operation was supplied by Russian companies. Those include the BLOK system that integrates the Onboard Train Control and Separation System (KLUB) and the Automatic Brake Control System (SAUT). Such measures were taken as a response to a fundamental requirement of the Russian Railways. The development of intelligent safety systems is based on multilevel multifunctional train separation solutions, associated automatic train running and diagnostics systems that directly interact with trackside and station-based automation and remote control systems, as well as information management systems. In Russia, single-level systems were never used. Historically, all systems followed the multi-level protection principle (Level 1 – onboard overspeed protection using electronic map data, Level 2 – overspeed protection based on multi-aspect automatic signalling, Level 3 – centralized traffic control with remote emergency stop).
A significant role in improving traffic safety is given to man-machine interaction that is ensured by information display and control devices. The purpose of the man-machine interface is to display information as efficiently as possible for human perception and present it in such a way as to attract the attention to the most important features. This functionality was fully implemented in the display unit of the train equipped with advanced train protection and automatic train operation devices.
The BLOK system has open interfaces with automatic operation and diagnostics subsystems that are deployed only on new trainsets. For the first time, the system design implements the principle of integration of functional elements with concentration of intelligent computer components within a single chassis. As a result, the final design is quite compact and serviceable.
During the design stage a great deal of attention was given to perfecting the intelligent aspects of system operation algorithms ensuring safe train running. The system features a number of artificial intelligence elements and the development team is working on expanding its functionality by introducing more complex mathematical algorithms that significantly expand the number of automatically controlled parameters.
The innovative component of the system is the ACS and discrete block devices communication unit with an integrated mission data memory.
The interaction between the onboard equipment and the automatic block system devices enables multi-aspect cab signalling thus allowing reducing the overlap down to the length of the braking distance. In cases of loss of connection between the onboard and the trackside devices the system provides for a special algorithm of transition from shortened to standard overlap.
The use of radio communication channel standard to onboard safety systems provides for an adaptive length of level crossing warning distance depending on the speed and type of approaching trains. The algorithm of warning distance calculation takes into consideration possible train accelerations between communication sessions. If communication is lost for a period longer than a defined limit, the warning is transmitted to the level crossing using the standard procedure.
In order to ensure train operation over a single or a series of faulty track circuits, an algorithm has been developed to enable logical reconfiguration of open line track circuits. Based on the developed procedures of ACS clear signal generation ensuring technical and organizational support of traffic safety, train movement over the affected line section is carried out at reduced speed, but without stops.
State-of-the-art hardware components and microprocessor-based interfaces with external systems, as well as inbuilt lightning and switching surge protection elements will ensure future migration from legacy relay and hybrid relay/processor automatic block systems.
No further development of train separation systems is possible without digital data radio. Moreover, the used standard of digital radio (GSM-R, TETRA, DMR, etc.) does not substantially affect the safety system configuration and traffic management process. What matters is the radio communication network organization and coverage.
In 2010, JSC RZD initiated the process of harmonization of the Russian infrastructure management regulatory framework with the European standards EN 50126 and IEC 62278 based on the RAMS methodology widely used by the EU and US railway companies.
RAMS is a methodology designed to ensure Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety of railway transportation. It uses the ALARP principle to ensure safety and dependability at all lifecycle stages of a railway facility. Its purpose is to achieve a level of residual risk as low as reasonably possible, particularly in terms of economic considerations. However, it does not fully solve the problem of dependability, safety and resources management, as well as does not cover the longevity factor as required by Russian standards. Furthermore, RAMS practically does not address the human factor and the problems related to infrastructure maintenance and modernization costs management throughout the lifecycle stages.
Thus, the RAMS methodology was to be transformed in the system for management of resources, risks and dependability of railway facilities at lifecycle stages, or URRAN.
It should be noted that in such complex systems as the railway transportation the manifestations of most undesired events are not confined to a single type of risk. The same events may entail any combination of individual, social, environmental, technical and economic risks. Thus, a train accident may affect personnel (individual risk), population (social risk), rolling stock and infrastructure (technical risk), company or third party property (economic risk), as well as cause environmental contamination and forest fires (environmental risk).
The development of the risk management system starts with the identification of all possible hazards, normally by means of expert methods. After that, the risks list is generated specifying their acceptable levels based on current regulatory requirements or statistical information on the frequency of hazardous events and damage caused over the preceding period. At this point expert methods can also be used.
The fulfillment of two conditions, the probability of undesirable event and susceptibility of a facility to its effect, is sufficient to recognize the presence of risk. The risk represents the combination of probability of an undesirable event and its possible consequences.
Uncontrollable risks may entail unplanned operational costs, harm to people, environment, property and other negative consequences. URRAN ensures railway transportation risk management. It aims to attain such a state of railway transportation system when the risks of harm to people and environment, economic losses, damage to infrastructure and rolling stock are reduced to an acceptable level. Reduced, not eliminated, as complete elimination of risk is impossible.
The risk management process involves the identification of hazards, frequency and consequences of hazardous events, estimation of risk, its treatment and monitoring.
The identification of the frequency of an event occurring within a railway transportation system is performed by means of:
• evaluation of the frequency of a particular event in the past based on statistical data (information collected over a certain period of operation regarding an infrastructure facility or rolling stock and saved in automated control systems of individual railway services or the Automated Traffic Safety Management System (AS RB) and forecasting potential future frequency of the event;
• evaluation of the frequency of a particular event based on data regarding technical failures (information saved in the Integrated Automated System of Technical Failures Tracking, Investigation and Analysis (KAS ANT) that occurred over a certain period of time within an operational activity unit for each railway service;
• forecasting of frequency of events by means of analysis of eventual failure chart of an infrastructure facility or rolling stock (fault tree analysis, FTA) and analysis of possible effects chart of a particular failure (event tree analysis, ETA);
• evaluation based on operational reliability and functional safety indicators for railway infrastructure and rolling stock of passenger and freight traffic at speeds up to 160 km/h and for high-speed traffic;
• evaluation based on expert opinions. Expert evaluation should take into consideration all available information on infrastructure facilities and rolling stock: statistical, experimental, design, etc.
The impact analysis involves the evaluation of the effects of an undesirable event on people, property and environment. Using the statistical data on hazardous events affecting infrastructure facilities and rolling stock received from the KAS ANT and AS RB systems, URRAN evaluates the respective risks. The risk is evaluated as the combination of two components, frequency and effects, and compared to the acceptable level for its type. The results are delivered in the form of risk matrices. Then an executive decision is required in order to treat the risk depending on its significance and define the funding method and organization of risk treatment measures.
When comparing risks related to various undesirable events, generating rational protection measures, calculating harm prevented as a result of taken measures and evaluating the economic efficiency of risk mitigation measures, all components of harm should be evaluated using the same value units (losses).
The most widely used risk treatment methods are prevention, transfer, reduction and acceptance. The first three methods are the most relevant in terms of minimization of risk. The primary and most widely used method of risk treatment for infrastructure facilities is the reduction. Dangerous failures and other undesirable events supervision facilities help reduce their frequency and magnitude of possible effects, thus minimizing the controlled risk.
For example, a train braking system failure may entail numerous deaths, as well as significant harm to the environment and property. It is practically impossible to reduce the effects of such dangerous failure. Yet efficient technical monitoring equipment enables significantly lower hazard frequency and, consecutively, minimized risk.
Infrastructure-related risks are defined by components introduced at various stages of facilities’ lifecycle. For example, the risk of traffic safety incident due to an automation and remote control (ARC) system failure depends on three primary components of technology failure rate: allowable, designed and actual. The allowable failure rate is defined in accordance with traffic requirements in terms of train traffic safety, the designed failure rate characterizes a system being created at such stages of lifecycle as design, development and manufacturing, while the actual failure rate corresponds to the respective failure indicators of ARC operation.
The risk management process is directly related to the infrastructure maintenance cost management. Service life extension of complex engineering systems depends on the results of instrumental diagnostics of current facility condition. The final service life extension decision is taken based on the analysis of the dependence of the engineering system dependability index from the operation time or performed work expressed in physical values.
Therefore, the risk management system under development as part of the URRAN project will enable not only acceptable risk levels and operational costs optimization, but also rational distribution of investment into infrastructure facilities.
Efficient risk management requires a specialized regulatory and procedural framework that takes into consideration both risk assessment and financial facilities enabling risk reduction measures in accordance with investment priorities. Given the limited managerial and financial resources, the priority should be given to reducing the highest and most significant risks.
As part of the URRAN project JSC NIIAS has thoroughly analyzed the requirements of international (ISO 31000:2009, IEC/ISO 31010:2009, EN 50126, etc.) and national (GOST R 51897 2011, GOST R 51901.1 2002, etc.) standards of risk management and identified their applicability to the Russian railway industry. As a result, a number of corporate standards have been developed to support the establishment of the JSC RZD risk management system.
Those standards stipulate a body of requirements and methods enabling a fully functional and efficient risk management system. They are harmonized with international and European safety and risk management standards and coordinated with existing standards of the railway industry.
URRAN is designed to manage resources, risks and dependability of railway facilities. Its functionality includes:
• automation of initial processing of statistical data of railway infrastructure and rolling stock equipment failures;
• identification of quantitative values of operational dependability and safety indicators of infrastructure facilities;
• quantitative evaluation of infrastructure and rolling stock services activity subject to failures and organization of maintenance and operation of infrastructure facilities.
The system also provides for supervision, comparison and motivation of the activities of individual units of a service based on the indicators of operational dependability and safety, compliance verification of actual operational dependability and safety with stipulated norms, preparation of input data for drawing-up of recommendations for risk reduction. Based on the risk assessment performed using URRAN, vulnerable facilities are identified, draft work plans for infrastructure and rolling stock maintenance generated.
The use of risk management techniques as part of the comprehensive URRAN methodology allows controlling and progressively minimizing risks according to their significance. The risk management system is a powerful tool that helps improve operational performance of railway transportation. The experience of the URRAN system deployment demonstrates the applicability of the developed criteria in order to ensure reliable operation of infrastructure, extension of expected life of facilities before overhaul and calculation of the infrastructure-related component of the railway fare.
Efim Rozenberg, First Deputy Director General, JSC NIIAS, Doctor of Engineering, Professor
Igor Shubinsky, JSC NIIAS, Doctor of Engineering, Professor ]
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