The São Paulo Metropolitan Railway Company CPTM, a company linked to the Secretariat of Metropolitan Transport of the State of São Paulo (STM), is continuing with its project to expand the city’s Line 13, known as Jade, a 12.2-kilometre route that will connect the city centre with Guarulhos International Airport and is expected to carry 130,000 passengers every weekday. The Chinese-Brazilian consortium Temoinsa-Sifang is manufacturing eight new trains for this line which are specially designed with extra space for transporting the luggage of future users. The manufacture in China and the delivery and assembly of the trains is being carried out under the supervision of the CS8T Spanish-Brazilian consortium made up of Ineco, Ineco do Brasil, EBEI and MetroEng.

The rolling stock, which is being manufactured at CRRC Sifang’s facilities, was purchased by the State Government of São Paulo in September 2017 for 316.7 million reales with 85 million euros of financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB). With each train equipped with eight carriages, this fleet will provide shuttle services between São Paulo’s International Airport, the largest in Latin America, and the city of São Paulo.

In January 2019, a team of Ineco technicians travelled to the facilities of CRRC Sifang –a public railway manufacturer based in Qingdao, China– to oversee the delivery of the first train in the 2500 series. The rolling stock is very much in line with the latest acquisitions of STM/CPTM, which feature distributed traction and steel boxes, and complementing the recent deliveries of 30 Hyundai trains and 35 trains from the Spanish company CAF, both also financed by the EIB. This will give CPTM a more modern and versatile fleet, which will be put into service over the next two years. After disembarking at the Port of Santos, the new rolling stock is transported by road to CPTM’s facilities for dynamic track testing.

The assembly of the eight trains in CRRC Sifang’s factory is slated for completion in the first months of 2020, and CPTM will then continue with the acceptance and commissioning of the vehicles, which must be completed by the beginning of 2022.

The work of the CS8T Consortium includes reviewing the vehicle design and supervising static and dynamic testing, which will be ongoing both at the factory and on the track until the trains are put into service. To this end, Ineco technicians are carrying out manufacturing inspection activities at CRRC Sifang’s facilities and static and dynamic testing both at the factory in Qingdao and at CPTM’s facilities in Presidente Altino, São Paulo. A team of technicians from Ineco has also carried out a design review from its offices in Spain.

The supervisors have to make sure from the outset that the assembled rolling stock meets the technical specifications and needs of CPTM. They also need to have a detailed knowledge of international and Brazilian railway regulations, as well as the regulations that apply to each of the main and auxiliary elements of the structure –boxes, axles, wheels, etc.– equipment and systems: traction, braking, train safety, passenger information, driving, emergency, etc. The supervision process must guarantee reliability and the technical compatibility of all elements.

Ineco has extensive expertise in this field, as well as professionals with specific knowledge of each of the components that make it possible for a train to operate safely and comfortably for users. This experience extends to all varieties of rolling stock from all suppliers: Alstom, Bombardier, CAF, Siemens, etc.

How can we ensure that a taximeter is reliable or that a nuclear facility is safe, that a bulletproof vest is really bulletproof or that the MOT that reviews a vehicle does not act arbitrarily? In Spain, more than 1,600 entities ensure that many products, procedures and services available in the market comply with the regulations of their respective sector. A Spanish government body, the National Accreditation Entity (ENAC), is responsible for authorising who guarantees the safety of consumers and end users. Entities must renew their accreditation every year, demonstrating that they comply with the strict requirements of independence, rigour and transparency that are required for this work.

Rail lines

The wide range of products and services subject to receiving a certification endorsed by an ENAC entity covers any type of production and different types of entities, such as testing or calibration laboratories, inspectors, or certifiers and environmental verifiers from practically any sector: industry, energy, environment, health, agriculture and food, research, development and innovation, telecommunications, tourism, services, construction, transport, etc.

The inspection activity of Ineco falls within the latter, specifically within railway, and in 2009 it obtained its first ENAC accreditation as an ‘independent safety assessor’ with the number 76/EI058. In 2015, it was renewed and extended to the fields of rolling stock, energy, infrastructure, maintenance and exploitation and traffic management. The company has a multidisciplinary team consisting of professionals accredited by ENAC. The work of the entities certified by ENAC, moreover, is not only valid in Spain, but also in the over 70 countries with which it has mutual recognition agreements, including the European Union, United States, Canada, China, Japan, Australia, Brazil, India, United Arab Emirates and Mexico, amongst others.

Why an independent safety assessment?

In addition to rolling stock, since the beginning of rail at the end of the 19th century, the main rail elements related to safety have been signalling systems, in order to avoid the greatest risk of all: collisions between trains. From manual signals to lights, to digital systems and radio without physical signals on the tracks –as is the case for ERTMS level 2–, the different control, command and signalling systems (ASFA, LZB, ERTMS, etc.) have evolved to become more complex and sophisticated, always with the objective of guaranteeing the safe circulation of trains.

The current rail lines –conventional and high speed–, are very complex infrastructure that consist of a large number of elements and undergo very extensive legal and technical regulation that requires a high degree of specialisation by the inspectors. From the time they are planned until they are commissioned, European and international regulations require verification that each and every one of the elements and subsystems work correctly, from the simplest, such as the ventilation of a tunnel, to the most complex, such as software.

For this purpose, two types of safety study are carried out. On one hand, risk analyses, in which threats are identified that could bring the system to a potentially dangerous situation and work is being carried out on mitigation measures or barriers to avoid them. They can be carried out in any stage of the project and seek to detect the weak points of the system. Moreover, and on a higher level, there is the type of study known as ISA (Independent Safety Assessment). Unlike risk analyses, ISA can only be carried out by an accredited entity. They are essential to guarantee for a third party –the operator or rail authority– that a new line or modification of an existing line is safe and can begin or continue to be used.

The performance of a rail line may deteriorate for various external reasons that result in the slowing down, or, on occasion, the stoppage of trains. Therefore, in order for trains to circulate in optimum conditions of safety and comfort, it is necessary to implement complex detection systems that provide an alert for each event in real time.

The reliability and safety of the detectors is fundamental since they avoid external circumstances such as the fall of an object or the detachment of a slope putting rail traffic in danger. In short, these indicators at all times supervise the conditions of the alignment and infrastructure, the environmental conditions and the state of trains, and they also inform the control centre so that the appropriate measures are taken in the operation of the train.

The commissioning in Spain of around 3,000 kilometres of high-speed rail –the second in the world in terms of length after China- has made Spain a leader in the use of detection systems and technologies. Since the 1980s Ineco has been carrying out risk analyses, planning the installation of working equipment and applying regulations. Furthermore, Ineco collaborates with technologists, clients and suppliers in the development and analysis of systems to be installed in each line, as well as supervising them.

The aim of the installation of these systems is to adapt train traffic to the conditions of the environment, protect the alignment from damage and correct tendencies that affect the quality of the service through dynamic preventive maintenance.

The commissioning in Spain of around 3,000 kilometres of High-Speed rail has made Spain a leader in the use of detection systems and technologies

In Spain they are patented products that are normally approved by the Government. As such, Adif has approved products and patents of some subsystems such as field elements of falling object detectors (patent no. 200402885 and no. 200500650), and crosswind detectors (patent no. 200800322).

In addition to the auxiliary detection systems themselves, there is other equipment that is in charge of assembling all of the information supplied by each track detector. This assembling equipment is normally installed in the technical buildings associated with signalling control points and its function consists of receiving, assembling, processing and sending the information of each detector to Control and Regulation Centres (CRC) and to the Traffic Control Centre (TTC) to be monitored.

Main auxiliary detection systems

Vehicle Fall Detector (VFD)

Its main function is to detect when an object falls onto the track. It is installed on overpasses and tunnel exits; if something is detected, it automatically notifies the signalling system to order the immediate detection of the train. Furthermore, the detector notifies the Control and Regulation Centre (CRC) and the Traffic Control Centre (TTC).

Fire Detection System (FD)

It is installed in long tunnels and its function is to monitor the temperature at each point of the tunnel, detect sources of heat and even fires. Currently, gas detectors are installed both to detect a hypothetical fire and high levels of CO and NOx (generated by diesel trains) that could affect the health of the tunnel maintenance staff.

Crosswind Detector (CWD)

It is installed in strategic points of the line; its main function is to monitor the speed and direction of the wind in each zone so the speed of trains can be adjusted to the prevailing wind conditions at any given moment.

Snow Detection System (SD)

It is installed close to the track, normally at high altitudes and it monitors snow cover, automatically notifying agents of the control centre in cases in which snow cover may affect the speed of trains.

Dragging Equipment Detector (DED)

It is installed in strategic points of the track and its main function is to monitor that trains that circulate on the line do not carry any hanging elements that may affect the infrastructure (normally elements that can hit sleepers or other elements on the track). In this case the system automatically informs traffic agents in order to immediately detect the train.

Flat Wheel Detection System (FWD)

It has a series of sensors that detect both the state of the wheels and the weight of each train axle, informing the traffic agent of any anomaly.

Hot Axle Box and Hot Wheel Detector (HABD/HWD)

HABD/HWD system consists of a series of sensors installed on the track that supervise the temperature of the train’s axles and brakes and detect the possible seizing up of brakes. If the threshold temperature is exceeded, the system sends a signal that orders a reduction in the speed of the train or even its immediate stoppage in the event of extreme temperatures. In Talgo trains with bogies, track detection is not valid and it is necessary to use on-board detection systems.

Pantograph Monitoring System (PMS)

It consists of a series of sensors that at all times monitor the behaviour of the pantograph with the contact wire of the catenary when a train passes. Specifically, it monitors the pantograph-catenary interaction by detecting the elevation of the contact wire. The aim is to detect possible anomalies in
the train pantograph that may cause irreversible damage
to the catenary. In the case of an out-of-range measurement, the PMS system sends an alarm signal so that the appropriate measures can be taken, even stopping the train.

To what extent does improved transport infrastructure influence tourism demand?

Infrastructure not only related to transport, but also to electricity and water, amongst others, have a vital relationship with the quality of tourism of a country. The extent thereof is linked to access to the country and to the services that tourists who visit it can enjoy. As such, both investment in the development of new infrastructure and the maintenance of already existing infrastructure is a strong determinant of the competiveness of the tourism sector.

In Spain, 80% of international tourists travel by airplane. Does AVE have any opportunity to gain prominence?

Not only AVE, but also the whole Spanish rail network, which is of a high quality. This is particularly evident in terms of the diversification of demand throughout Spain and the promotion of segments such as sports and ski tourism or cultural and gastronomic tourism.

What is Spanish tourism’s strength?

It is difficult to highlight just one strength when there are so many that deserve to be mentioned. I think that the first point is the training and professionalism of the individuals and institutions within it. In Spain, these individuals and institutions are responsible for a tourist who visits Spain for the first time coming back again and again in the future. This is an achievement that few countries have managed. The work carried out in recent years to diversify traditional beach tourism in other segments such as rural or cultural tourism is also a milestone that deserves to be recognised.

What do you think we should invest in?

There is always room for improvement. In this regard, continuing to work on developing segments such as gastronomy or maintenance and integration of infrastructure to make the experience of tourists more comfortable are areas that deserve continuous attention.

Spanish tourism is strong thanks to the professionalism of individuals and institutions

Will we lose tourism when stability is recovered in the north of Africa and the Middle East?

It is very unfair to think that the development that Spanish tourism has experienced has anything to do with the potential crises that other destinations are experiencing. Spain has devoted itself to tourism, it has done its work well for various decades and, as such, it has obtained these notable results that improve every year. The recovery of the area would be good news for all and would not harm anyone in any way. The slogan of the tourism sector is: “what is good for my neighbour is good for me”.

Do you see Spain as an upmarket and even a luxury destination?

I see Spain as a top destination in many segments that are consolidated, such as luxury tourism, but also in more recently appearing segments such as shopping tourism.

Do you think it is feasible to put limits on mass tourism in order to avoid the degradation of destinations?

There is nothing that we could call mass tourism, only the arrival of many tourists and the inability to manage it. We must develop appropriate strategic tools that help to avoid decongestion in accordance with which areas and, of course, measures guarantee the protection and sustainability of the natural and cultural heritage, as well as making the sector profitable for the local populations.

Which new areas in the world do you think will gain outgoing as well as incoming tourism?

According to our Barometer, Europe continues to be the most visited region with a 5% increase. Asia and the countries of the Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East are growing at a rate of 4%. This reflects the fact that emerging countries have significant expectations to consider for the future. In fact, China is now the first country in terms of outbound tourists.