Monday 21 Jan 2013
ERTMS train for Hertford National Integration Facility takes shape
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- National
Work on preparing for the latest test facility on the national rail network is progressing well, with the refurbishment of the train at Wembley and training of signallers at King’s Cross.
Due to start work this summer, the Hertford National Integration Facility (HNIF) will see European Train Control System (ETCS) kit from four suppliers put through its paces on a five-mile section of the Hertford loop.
Unit 313121 is being converted into a laboratory train to test ETCS technology prior to the roll-out on the mainline network. Painted in Network Rail yellow and temporarily stripped of its bogies, 313121 will be refurbished and equipped with the latest ETCS equipment, including a technician’s workstation, before taking to the railway again.
Rob McIntosh – Network Rail’s project director for ETCS and traffic management, said: “Our facility at Hertford, and the train that will run on it, are further steps towards improving the railway across the country. Vital lessons have already been learned during our trials on the Cambrian Lines and now we are refining our knowledge in preparation for the future installation cab signalling on Great Western and East Coast main lines.
“This will begin the process to allow us to make better use of capacity, as well as saving money and adding another layer of safety to an already very safe railway.”
The test train will also be utilised to support other projects on Network Rail, including Thameslink. For that reason the 313’s bogies have been sent away for a full C4 overhaul to avoid the need for any heavy overhaul / maintenance during the lifecycle of the testing programme.
Meanwhile the interior of the train has been stripped for refurbishment and the driver’s cab is being re-designed in readiness for ETCS installation, including the Driver Machine Interface (DMI). As part of the ETCS installation on this train, duplicate screens will be set up in the second cab position and passengers in the train will also be able to see the images, plus high-definition views front and back on 42-inch plasma screens.
To allow for the operation of HNIF, bi-directional signalling has been installed on the northern section of the Hertford Loop, to allow the down line between Molewood Tunnel and Langley South junction to become a test facility. During peak hours the section will be part of the normal railway, but when ETCS testing is required the block will be ‘switched out’ – switching control from King’s Cross signal box to a laboratory facility being built at Hitchin.
In preparation, a WestCAD desk has been installed at King’s Cross to signal the loop, with a duplicate signalling simulator to train staff in its operation. The rest of the King’s Cross area is signalled using a traditional panel, with a mix of solid state and relay interlocking.
Notes to editors
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ERTMS is the European Rail Traffic Management System, a signalling and train control system. Its key characteristics are Automatic Train Protection (ATP), ensuring trains operate within safe limits and speeds at all times, and cab signalling, providing safe movement authority directly and continuously to the driver through a cab desk display.
The project is a cross-industry initiative, including the RSSB and ATOC.
ERTMS consists of 4 sub-systems:
- The European Train Control System (ETCS)
- The Global System for Mobile – Railways (GSM-R)
- The European Traffic Management Layer (ETML)
- The European Operational Rules (EOR)
Specifications for (a) and (b) are now adopted across the EU.
ETML(c) is not intended to be adopted at EU level and EOR (d) are still being developed.
European Train Control System (ETCS) is the train-control element of ERTMS and includes Automatic Train Protection (ATP). ETCS works on the principle of providing to the train a maximum distance that it can travel, the speed profile of the track ahead and other track information about the route that has been set. The train then permits the driver to drive the train, but should the distance or speed limit be exceeded, or be in danger of being exceeded, then the ETCS onboard equipment intervenes to control the train, bringing it to stand if necessary
It is planned for installation on the Great Western, to Bristol, and on the southern end of the East Coast main line (as far as Doncaster) in CP5.
Unit 313121 has been leased from Beacon Rail and is being refurbished by Alstom at their Wembley depot.
DMOS A will be fitted with a kitchen and seating for passengers and visitors, and the train will also have a toilet – a first for the class.
The PTSO will be where the ETCS kit is located.
313121 will also be fitted with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) equipment to evaluate its performance, especially when operating with ETCS.
Class 313s were built by BREL in 1976-77 and are fitted with 25kV pantographs and 750V shoes. The shoes will remain on 313121, but out of use.
313121 was previously in Silverlink livery.
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