World-Premiere: Bombardier Introduces First EUROPEAN
STANDARD Train Control System
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--APRIL 29, 2002 - 11:08 EDT
Bombardier Transportation, together with its
customer Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), has today pioneered the
world's first commercial operation of a state-of-the-art European
rail traffic management system (ERTMS) on the railway line Olten -
Luzern, Switzerland. The new standard will considerably boost
efficiency of rail traffic systems leading to higher capacities,
faster traffic and lower operating costs of train systems.
The new standard ERTMS Level 2 revolutionises rail systems
specifically on a European level by easing cross-border traffic. A
great number of different systems for traffic management and
automatic train control are currently in use in Europe. Trains
crossing several countries require a time-consuming change of
locomotive and driver at borders, or the trains have to be
equipped with the systems of several countries.
"This is a historical event in the sense that the SBB project is
the first commercially viable ERTMS Level 2 system in the world to
begin passenger service. Thus we have now taken over the
leadership in ERTMS technology", explains Javier Rion, President,
Rail Control Solutions, Bombardier Transportation.
Pierre-Alain Urech, Chief of the Infrastructure Division at SBB,
acknowledged the good performance of the Bombardier Team:
"Pioneering work is a challenge to all participants. Swiss Federal
Railways are pleased that Bombardier could give the go-ahead to
ERTMS Level 2 in Switzerland."
The equipment for the new system on a 35-kilometre railway line
between Olten and Luzern includes radio block centre, radio
system, on board equipment for 59 locomotives and some 200
positioning balises. The radio transmission system which makes
optical signals obsolete uses GSM-R.
With the ERTMS Level 2 system, radio communication replaces the
traditional trackside signals, which allows considerable savings
in infrastructure and maintenance costs. The system enhances
safety considerably by monitoring train speed and, if necessary,
intervening automatically. This allows higher speeds and shorter
headways and thus increases capacity. The traffic management
system processes and sends information and instructions for the
train driver directly onto a monitor in the drivers cab via radio
communication.
Bombardier Transportation, Rail Control Solutions offers a
complete system portfolio that includes integrated operation
control systems, electronic and relay interlocking, automatic
train protection and operation, radio-based Rail Control and
Signaling systems and wayside equipment. It is currently working
on several other ERTMS projects in Taiwan, the Netherlands,
Germany, Spain and Italy.
Bombardier Transportation is the global leader in the rail
equipment, manufacturing and servicing industry. Its wide range of
products includes passenger rail cars and complete rail
transportation systems. It also manufactures locomotives, freight
cars, propulsion & controls and provides signalling equipment and
systems.
Bombardier Inc., a diversified manufacturing and services company,
is a world leading manufacturer of business jets, regional
aircraft, rail transportation equipment and motorized recreational
products. It also provides financial services and asset management
in business areas aligned with its core expertise. Headquartered
in Montreal, Canada, the Corporation has a workforce of some
80,000 people in 24 countries throughout the Americas, Europe and
Asia-Pacific. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2002
stood at $21.6 billion Cdn. Bombardier trades on the Toronto,
Brussels and Frankfurt stock exchanges (BBD, BOM and BBDd.F).
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