Article: ETCS - European Train Control System
The ETCS rollout is in the start-up phase and should be completed by 2035. Railway undertakings with older existing vehicles face the challenge of no longer being able to operate on important routes in the future. In order to ensure their competitiveness, existing vehicles must be retrofitted to ETCS in a timely manner. Together, we can ensure the future operation of your rail vehicles. Let's get it started!
What is ETCS?
ETCS stands for European Train Control System and is part of the future uniform European railway traffic control system. In the long term, ETCS will replace the more than 20 different train control systems in Europe. ETCS increases safety and efficiency in rail transport and ensures interoperability between the different railway systems.
In Europe, ETCS is being used in more and more countries and on more and more lines. In order to ensure vehicle operation, the timely upgrading of vehicles to ETCS is necessary.
We, DB Systemtechnik, offer you our support: In addition to ETCS consulting, we have overall responsibility for carrying out ETCS conversions of all vehicle series up to the approval and operating authorization of the vehicles.
Our Services:
- ETCS complete package: From feasibility studies to retrofitting, carrying out ETCS acceptance runs and registering your vehicles
- Consulting taking into account all requirements, adapted to the operational-technical and also economic framework conditions of our customers.
- Upgrading of existing vehicles in cooperation with an ETCS system supplier.
Your advantages:
- Minimal interface effort due to optimal processes for ETCS project handling
- Economical and competitive setup
- Punctual operational capability of your existing vehicles on the ETCS routes (also across countries) and problem-free continued operation even after the ETCS rollout .
- You benefit from our extensive experience as the largest European competence centre for railway technology:
- Comprehensive vehicle knowledge of multiple units, locomotives and track and rail vehicles
- Planning security and more than twenty years of experience in handling installation projects
- Over fifteen years of close cooperation with major OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), such as Alstom, Hitachi Rail (formerly Ansaldo), Stadler, Siemens and Thales.
References
ETCS for the series Re474 and Re484 of SBB Cargo
The project goal was the upgrading of the series Re474 and Re484 of SBB Cargo with ETCS Level 2 Baseline 2.3.0d and approval for Switzerland and Italy.
The project services at a glance:
- Project management, contract design, equipment up to operating permit
- Feasibility studies and cost estimates
- Preparation of the vehicle side and cooperation with leading ETCS system suppliers for the on-board equipment
- Planning, implementation and monitoring of the conversion and factory acceptance of the vehicles
- Planning and implementation of the vehicle and track tests as well as commissioning
- Safety verification for RUs, approval processing and ensuring the necessary verification for CH and I
- System monitoring of ETCS tracks incl. Gotthard Base Tunnel, ensuring maintenance support, training of LF and maintenance staff
- Maintenance of ETCS in accordance with Ril 900.0064, further development of (manufacturer) maintenance regulations
Upgrading a DB Cargo hump locomotive to ETCS
The project goal was to build a demonstrator of a fully automatic hump locomotive (VAL) from DB Cargo for the automation of formation yards incl. upgrading to ETCS. For this purpose, a locomotive was equipped with the necessary technology as a demonstrator (sensors for environment detection, automatic speed control/brake control, interface to the vehicle control system) and various application scenarios and sensor types were tested.
The project services at a glance:
- Providing of specifications
- Implementation of new components
- Hazard analysis
- Subproject manager for vehicle conversion
Upgrading the BR 474.2 multiple units of S-Bahn Hamburg with ETCS and ATO
The project goal was to equip the multiple units of the BR 474.2 of the S-Bahn Hamburg with ETCS and automatic train operation (ATO) within the framework of Digital Rail for Germany and thus prepare them for automatic operation.
The project services at a glance:
- Equipping the infrastructure with ETCS (signal boxes, train radio incl. 5G technology)
- Engineering services for vehicle conversion (brake, driver's cab and installation of train protection system)
- Safety management: implementation of risk management procedures and safety verification
- Approval management
Get in touch with us!
Steve Goebel
Director of Sales Europe
E-Mail 
+49 89 1308 5847
DB Systemtechnik GmbH
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