If there is one thing that defines Ineco, it is the ability to adapt to changes and propose solutions to face future scenarios, a trait embedded in our teams. More than 4,000 professionals bring their solid experience, knowledge and innovative spirit to progress towards models in line with the times, where sustainability and digitalisation are the cornerstones on which our company’s strategy is built on.

As a result, digitalisation and the application of new technologies make it possible to improve the inspection and monitoring processes for infrastructure and bridges, making progress in models for which Ineco has more than three decades of experience. An example is the innovation project developed by the company which makes use of drones and has been successfully tested for the radio aid calibration system.

The extensive experience, as well as the avant-garde and entrepreneurial spirit of the company’s professionals, allow Ineco, together with other companies in our country, to integrate Spanish engineering talent into projects that are revolutionising mobility around the world

The extensive experience, as well as the avant-garde and entrepreneurial spirit of the company’s professionals, allow Ineco, together with other companies in our country, to integrate Spanish engineering talent into projects that are revolutionising mobility around the world. In this edition, we highlight our participation in the execution of the new tunnel under the river Thames in London, in the implementation of the ERTMS system in the Danish railway network, and in the administrative, environmental and legal management of roads upgrading program promoted by Costa Rica. All these actions are aimed at improving sustainability, safety and mobile connectivity, which translates into benefits for citizens. We noted improvements in the user experience, such as that provided by the Automatic Baggage Handling System (SATE), designed by Ineco at airports of Kastelli, in Greece and Schiphol, in Amsterdam.

The company’s Architecture with gender perspective team presents designs that are committed to inclusion. This is a pioneering project in the sector that seeks to integrate this aspect and guarantee full equality in the field of infrastructures and transport. An objective that is part of our 2030 Agenda Plan, that includes the use of engineering to support the most disadvantaged, across projects deployed in Africa, Asia and America which has allowed us to provide basic services and improve the quality of life of more than 44,000 people.

Ineco has expanded the services it currently provides for Network Rail Consulting in Australia as a systems integrator. The contract is part of the Digital Systems Program (DSP), which aims to upgrade signalling to European Train Control Systems (ETCS) Level  2, that is part of the European ERTMS system, for the rail operator and manager, Sydney Trains. 

The new scope focuses on providing assistance in the definition of the ETCS Trackside/On board and TMS/Trackside integration test cases for the project. The main activities to be carried out by Ineco are: definition of the generic test cases list, detailed development of each test case, including traceabilitity to the DSP Requirements.

In addition, Ineco, that has been present in the country for three years, continues working as part of the System Integrator supporting the Program: systems design supervision (trackside and on-board ETCS, traffic management system, cybersecurity and fixed and mobile communications); definition of Signalling Principles and technical consultancy services.

Denmark has been one of the pioneer countries in the renewal of the ERTMS Level 2 signalling system. Six lines, totalling more than 350 kilometres, are already equipped with the system: the EDL (Early Deployment Line) EDL East North, EDL East South and EDL West; and the RO (Roll-out), RO7 East, RO8 West and RO5 West. Ineco has been working with the Danish rail infrastructure manager Banedanmark on the roll-out since 2017, which is expected to be extended to the entire network by 2030.  

ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) is the rail traffic management system that the European Commission is introducing in the nine main corridors of the Union’s territory, where more than 20 different signalling systems operate, which the Commission calls ‘Class B systems’. In practice, this means that whenever a train crosses from one country to another, the locomotive, driver and even the whole train may have to be changed. The solution is a common system, ERTMS, which brings great improvements in railway operation, allowing the internal and cross-border traffic of all trains with greater capacity, more safety and lower costs. 

Denmark, with just under 6 million inhabitants in a territory of about 43,000 km², has the eighth highest per capita income in the world and an extensive and efficient land transport network –urban, road, maritime and rail– which is in the process of expansion and renewal with an ambitious investment programme. As far as railway is concerned, the network’s operation, with more than 2,600 kilometres in standard gauge (1,435 mm), is liberalised and has both public and private operators. 

Copenhagen central station. / PHOTO_MARTA CARNERO

In terms of infrastructure, the Banedanmark, which reports to the Ministry of Transport, is responsible for managing maintenance, the construction of new stretches and the supervision of safety systems. The improvement and modernisation programmes focus mainly on the complete overhaul of electrification and signalling. According to Banedanmark, “the new signalling systems” –(CBTC, Communication Based Train Control, for the Copenhagen commuter and ERTMS for the national network)– “will cause fewer delays, and will allow an increase in speed and number of trains”, with “an 80% decrease in signalling-related delays on main and regional lines, and a 50% decrease on the Copenhagen commuter lines.”

Jens Holst Møller, chief engineer of Signalling Systems Integration at Banedanmark, explains that “following the renewal of the signalling systems, six lines with a total length of 353 kilometres have been put into commercial operation with ERTMS Level 2.” He also adds that “a new 56-km high-speed line has been built with ERTMS Level 2, although it has been temporarily put into service with a Class B signalling overlay due to operation of trains without ERTMS. This line is planned to be put in service with ERTMS end of 2022”.

The performance of the ERTMS L2 based signalling system is very good and end-users are very satisfied. Jens Holst Møller

According to Holst Møller, “the rest of the lines will have its signalling renewed and put into service with ERTMS Level 2 over the next eight years. The conversion of the national rail network to ERTMS Level 2 is expected to be completed in 2027 in the west of Denmark (Jylland) and in 2030 for the east.” 

A complete system change such as this does not come without its complexities and, according to Banedanmark’s top engineering manager, “the main challenges have been the development of the generic ERTMS applications, both on-board and on-track, as well as the industrialisation of the roll-out.”

In particular, he explains that “the installation of the on-board systems has taken much longer than expected due to development time for the generic onboard system, classical challenges with retrofitment of older rolling stock and slow industrialisation of installation processes,” and, in addition, “a major renewal of the Danish fleet is underway; the installation of ERTMS covers all existing passenger trains that are not due for renewal.” The total number of trains yet to be retrofitted is around 300, of which more than half have already been put into service with ERTMS Level 2. All existing trains will be equipped by Alstom under the on-board equipment contract, but new trains are being supplied with the ERTMS system of the operator’s or manufacturer’s choice.”

Comparison of full ERTMS structure and Class B systems. / IMAGE_INECO

All in all, the bottom line is positive, as Holst Møller concludes: “The performance of the ERTMS Level 2 based signalling system is very good following the completion of the initial stabilisation, and end-users are very satisfied.”

Collaboration between Ineco and Banedanmark

In Spain, Ineco has been supporting Adif and Renfe for many years in ERTMS infrastructure and train-track integration tests prior to the commissioning of new lines and trains. Since 2015, the company has also been in charge of the supervision and monitoring of the ERTMS deployment plan in European corridors. The company’s extensive experience was precisely the reason why the Danish rail infrastructure manager Banedanmark entrusted it with the testing strategy for the commissioning of the system on its network. The first step was two pilot lines, called EDL West and EDL East North. Thus, since the beginning of 2017, Ineco has been collaborating with Banedanmark on the signalling renewal project (Signalling Programme), which includes the installation of ERTMS. 

Within the initial contract (in which CEDEX, the Centre for Studies and Experimentation of Public Works, part of the Spanish Ministry of Transport, was also involved), a generic ERTMS Level 2 test specification was developed for the two pilot lines, based on functional requirements and Danish operational rules and scenarios. Ineco also carried out laboratory testing campaigns and an analysis of the results, while also defining a testing strategy to be carried out for the commissioning of future lines. In March 2018, following the conclusion of the first contract, Banedanmark and Ineco signed a framework partnership agreement until January 2022, when the partnership was renewed again until the end of 2025. 

During these four years, the company has participated in the definition, execution, analysis and reporting of campaigns on lines such as: RO1 East (NLCR, Copenhague – Ringsted), RO4 West (Vejle/Skanderborg – Herning – Holstebro), RO5 West (Langå – Struer – Holstebro), RO7 East (Næstved – Rødby), RO8 West (Struer – Thisted), belonging to both the eastern part (Alstom) and the western part (Thales) as well as in the test campaigns for the new data and generic versions of the RBC of the pilot lines (including the southern part of the EDL East between Køge and Næstved).

Maintenance of the generic test specifications has also been carried out, adapting them to the new functionalities deployed on the lines, whilst support has been provided in updating them to the new version of the European ETCS Baseline 3 Release 2 specifications (SRS 3.6.0).

ERTMS DEPLOYMENT IN DENMARK. In order to tender separately for the supply and installation of the ERTMS/ETCS system, the rail network was split into two: the east side, which was awarded to Alstom, and the west side, which was awarded to Thales; while initially the on-board ERTMS systems of the trains were awarded exclusively to Alstom. / MAP_BANEDANMARK

ERTMS at Ineco, in search of continuous improvement through digitalisation

Silvia Domínguez, telecommunications engineer

Control-command and signalling systems consist of all the on-board and infrastructure equipment necessary to ensure the safe operation of vehicles running on the network. They are therefore the key to the operation of a safe, efficient, interoperable, robust and reliable European railway service.

ERTMS is the signalling standard endorsed by the European Commission. This standard defines the automatic train protection system through the exchange of information between the ERTMS systems installed on the rolling stock and those installed on the infrastructure.

The implementation of the ERTMS system allows a series of improvements in railway operation, such as the interoperability of the different types of trains running on different infrastructures, improved safety levels and improved traffic capacity on railway lines.

Ineco has always been involved in the European projects and working groups that have shaped the ERTMS system, working in collaboration with industry, users, regulatory bodies and safety agencies. We currently lead the management of ERTMS implementation in Europe, participating in the working groups in charge of defining the future of control, command and signalling in Europe. Our company relies on in-depth technical knowledge of the ERTMS system and extensive experience gained in large-scale projects to manage the various ERTMS projects.

New technologies are ready for use in the rail sector with enormous potential to improve passenger and freight services. Digitalisation, together with automation, is the most effective way to increase performance and capacity with less investment in new infrastructure. Thanks to the experience gained and the projects in which the company has been involved, we can say that we are able to take full advantage of the digitalisation of the system and even anticipate the needs of the sector. 

The implementation of the ERTMS system allows a series of improvements in railway operation, such as the interoperability of the different types of trains running on different infrastructures, improved safety levels and improved traffic capacity on railway lines. / IMAGE_INECO

Specific examples related to our ERTMS testing work are the virtualisation of ERTMS test campaigns, their parameterisation and automation in the analysis of results. These optimisations are part of the internal processes of innovation and continuous improvement that we apply to the projects in which we are already carrying out ERTMS tests, both in Spain and abroad: Portugal, Israel, Australia and Denmark.

Ineco has developed the necessary methodologies for the virtualisation of ERTMS test campaigns in order to adapt to the health protection measures resulting from the COVID-19 crisis that make it difficult to be physically on-site. This solution has been achieved through improved execution scenarios: the definition of test cases with alternative locations, the analysis of remote records by ERTMS specialists, as well as increased virtual monitoring of tests. In addition, the virtualisation product for a complete validation of the ERTMS system will minimise the physical presence of expert resources, increasing efficiency and reducing the number of personnel on the train. 

We are also working on improvements not only in the execution of tests, but also in their design and analysis. As part of our project, we have searched for parameters and algorithms to improve the design and planning of tests in order to make their execution much more efficient. We have also developed solutions to automate the analysis of results. The use of machine learning tools has made it possible to study a large amount of evidence accumulated throughout the extensive international experience of Ineco’s ERTMS team, leading to a highly satisfactory result that has made it possible to obtain very significant correlations.

Another crucial aspect is interoperability, which is defined as the ability of a railway system to allow the safe and uninterrupted running of trains meeting the required performance. At Ineco, we are currently participating in different ERTMS design and integration projects in Spain, for new deployments, as well as projects in Israel and Australia.

For more than 10 years, Ineco has been carrying out the technical monitoring of all ERTMS projects financed by the European Commission

For more than 20 years, we have been involved in the development of ERTMS interoperability specifications. Not only did we participate in the first lines of the system deployed in Spain that have been in service since 2006, but for more than 10 years we have been carrying out the technical monitoring of all ERTMS projects financed by the European Commission. This has provided us with a unique system vision for its design and interoperable integration that incorporates the technical vision with its operational concept. We have also developed unique solutions based on our experience: for example, the methodology for assessing the impact of ERTMS on railway capacity. In this respect, it is generally accepted that ERTMS operating levels increase capacity; Level 2 more than Level 1 and Level 1 more than a traditional signalling system such as ASFA (national Class B system). However, following the analysis carried out on the network as part of the ERTMS deployment plan in Spain, it has been concluded that the results are not universal and are related to the type of line.

Finally, it should be stressed that ERTMS is the backbone of railway modernisation, an advantage of which is the possibility of evolution and innovation with a limited economic impact because it is a digital system. The opportunity for this evolution lies in incorporating new technologies and gaining a vision with a wider technical scope than is currently the case, in particular in the interoperable aspects of control, command and signalling systems.

This is therefore an excellent opportunity to establish a single European system, with common functional interfaces and operational concepts to build a future single European railway network and make it internationally known and exportable.

This construction of a modern, harmonised, robust, reliable and interoperable European railway system is the main objective of the ERJU (Europe’s Rail Join Undertakin) initiative, the successor to the previous initiative, Shift2Rail, in which Ineco is actively participating and which is in line with the EU’s Sustainable and Intelligent Mobility Strategy. This also aims to respond to customer needs, maintain safety and digital security, improve operational efficiency and performance, reduce costs, support the competitiveness of the European railway industry and increase the speed of adoption of innovative solutions.

Thales Portugal has entrusted Ineco with technical support work for the implementation of ERTMS level 2 at the Elvas pilot station, belonging to the newly-built Évora-Elvas section that is part of the South International Corridor of the National Railway Plan that has launched the Portuguese government. Ineco’s work consists of updating the operational rules to the new ETCS Baseline 3 release 2 version of the European specification, and the definition and preparation of a generic ERTMS test specification valid for the entire Portuguese network. In addition, Ineco will provide support in the ERTMS level 2 tests prior to the commissioning of the pilot station.

Ineco has been commissioned by Alstom to carry out an independent safety assessment (ISA) of the electromechanical system for the airport branch of Line 2 of the Panama Metro. The section runs for approximately two kilometres and connects Line 2 to the Eastern Advanced Technical Institute (ITSE) and Tocumen International Airport. Ineco also carried out the ISAs for Lines 1 and 2 in 2019. ISAs can only be performed by an assessor that, like Ineco, has been accredited by an official body (ENAC, in Spain). They play a vital role in ensuring that any part of a railway system (track, installations, equipment, rolling stock), whether new or modified, is safe and can enter into operation or continue to be used (see IT56 and 67).

Additionally, and also on behalf of Alstom, Ineco is to carry out an ISA of the on-board ERTMS equipment installed on the 30 Prima M4 locomotives that the French manufacturer has begun to deliver to railway operators in Morocco.

On 26 October, the Minister for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda officially opened the high-speed line in Galicia between Zamora and Pedralba de la Pradería, leaving only one leg to complete the line. The new railway, 110 kilometres long and with 14 viaducts and 9 tunnels, is outfitted with level 2 ERTMS and has been built for speeds of 300 km/h.

Ineco has been heavily involved in work on the line. It is currently the works and environmental manager for several sites on the last unfinished section, between Pedralba and Ourense (see IT67). At 101 kilometres long, and with 32 viaducts and 31 tunnels, Transport Minister Abalos declared that “this is one of the most complicated stretches of high-speed railway in Spain and Europe”.

The official opening was also attended by the Minister of Work and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, and the Presidents of Adif and Renfe, Isabel Pardo de Vera and Isaías Táboas, along with other leading figures.

Ineco is a member of the international consortium awarded the RAILGAP (Railway Ground truth and digital MAP) project, part of the Horizon 2020 Programme of the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA). CEDEX (Spanish Centre for Studies and Experimentation of Public Works) and the manager of Spain’s railway infrastructure, Adif, are also members of the consortium, led by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI).

RAILGAP will collect massive quantities of data from commercial trains. Its focus will be to develop innovative high-precision tools to collect basic route data and digital mapping for railway lines with unprecedented accuracy. The project, which started in Autumn 2020, will allow reduced energy consumption by ERTMS and command and control systems, increasing their economic and environmental efficiency.

We end 2020 focused on the two key pillars of our work, now more important than ever with the COVID-19 pandemic: cybersecurity, the key to protecting knowledge; and entrepreneurship, which is essential to make progress and improve the quality of life of the community as a whole.

In helping improve the cybersecurity of organisations, we have had to develop measures and action plans to resolve incidents on rail networks, satellite navigation systems and critical infrastructure. In an increasingly digital world, ensuring security is as crucial as in the physical world: both worlds converge in ground-breaking projects such as ERTMS, the subject of an article focused on our most recent work for the EU with on-board systems for trains and the European Galileo satellite system, where we have now been involved for ten years.

We have come to the end of 2020, a year in which our priority has been to ensure the safety and well-being of every team at Ineco, focused on the two essential pillars of our work: cybersecurity and entrepreneurship

Contributing to improved transport safety has made us resilient entrepreneurs, capable of recognising failure and providing solutions. That has been one of our main aims as the Supervising Agent of the Guadalajara-Colima highway in Mexico, a strategic route on which the latest data show a marked improvement in the accident rate. The inspection and servicing of the former Renfe trains that will provide regional services in Nairobi and the digital systems developed to improve aircraft information at Abu Dhabi airport are further examples of our work to improve safety.

Our entrepreneurial drive and passion make us adaptable and give us the capacity to carry out projects within Spain aimed at creating more sustainable, appealing and efficient transport. Examples include the new La Sagrera station, in Barcelona, a megaproject led by Ineco based on multimodality that will radically change transport in the city; and improvements to stations in Extremadura and in freight access to the port of Castellón.

And to conclude with entrepreneurship, with an eye on sustainability, we now share with our readers an overview and the specific steps taken by the company around Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, one of the foundations of our Strategic Plan and a shared project that has involved every department and every person in our organisation.

Across the Member States of the European Union there are more than 20 national rail signalling and control systems, called ‘Class B systems’ by the Commission.  For long-distance railway transport, this means that whenever a train crosses from one country to another, the locomotive, driver and even the whole train may have to be changed. The solution is a common system that allows trains to operate with the same rail “language” on every network, something called ‘interoperability’. In 1989, this principle led to the birth of ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) with the support of the European Commission for its implementation as the sole system.

On behalf of the European Commission, during the period 2014-2021 Ineco has been coordinating the implementation of the system along nine European rail corridors, totalling 51,000 kilometres. It is a huge and complex industrial project that involves national and European rail regulators, operators, infrastructure managers, manufacturers, stakeholders along the corridors, and others, and requires the monitoring of ground-based and on-board systems.

PRINCIPAL NETWORK OF MAJOR EUROPEAN CORRIDORS. On behalf of the European Commission over the period 2014-2021, Ineco has been coordinating the implementation of the ERTMS system along nine European rail corridors, totalling 51,000 kilometres. / MAP_EUROPEAN COMMISSION

A specific study on on-board systems was carried out by the consulting firm PWC and Ineco and submitted to the European Commission in October by Ineco. The starting point is that widespread implementation of ERTMS is key to achieving the goal of railway interoperability that will make it possible to create a “single European railway area” similar to the “single European sky” for air transport. But adapting the infrastructure is not on its own enough; train fleets also have to be adapted to make the system efficient.

In April 2020, 12% (6,120 km) of European corridors were working with ETCS and 63% with GSM-R. Of the 15,682 kilometres due to come into service in 2023 under the European deployment plan for ERTMS, 5,906 kilometres (38%) have been contracted and 78% of what was planned to have been achieved by the end of 2019 has been completed. Almost all of the high-speed networks in Italy and Spain are monitored and protected by ERTMS. The system allows trains in commercial service to run at speeds of up to 350 km/h. Extensive parts of the networks in the Netherlands, Czechia and Belgium, as well as Switzerland outside the EU, have been outfitted. ETCS is also used to control freight trains arriving at Europe’s biggest port, Rotterdam. Europe’s longest tunnel under the Alps, the St. Gotthard tunnel in Switzerland, 57 kilometres long, has Level 2 ERTMS. The system has also been in service for a number of years in commuter services, such as those in Madrid (see IT46).

ERTMS-equipped trains will be key to the continued operation of international freight routes

The report found that, despite this progress, there is still much work to be done to achieve sufficient implementation of ERTMS to deliver a truly interoperable rail network: implementation continues to be patchy and most Member States have chosen not to do it now, but rather in the long term. And while there are rail companies, operators and manufacturers that have chosen to outfit their fleets with ERTMS, the report notes that, in most cases, this is only done when required due to the characteristics of the network, because of the technical, financial and economic risks that must be assumed. Fewer than 4,000 trains have been equipped with the system in Europe. Over the last five years, approximately 5,000 new vehicles have been acquired in Europe. However, only 900 of those new vehicles are equipped with ERTMS. The lack of equipped vehicles consequently stops rail infrastructure operators from deriving the maximum benefit from the ERTMS system that has already been deployed.

The principal aim of the study is therefore to assess the impact of further trackside deployment of ERTMS on operators, mainly for international freight transport. In particular, the study assesses the efficiency of the installation of ERTMS to significantly expand the routes available to locomotives, and efficiency in terms of the simplification of signalling equipment in vehicles.

To do that, three major European networks with high volumes of international freight traffic and extensive ERTMS installation were selected: Network 1, made up of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, western Germany, eastern France, Switzerland and north-western Italy; Network 2, made up of north-eastern Italy, Austria, western Hungary, Slovenia and southern Germany; and Network 3, which encompasses north-eastern Germany, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria (Vienna node only).

Comparison of full ERTMS structure and Class B systems. / IMAGE_INECO

Principal conclusions

From the point of view of ERTMS implementation, the report confirms that over the next few years, significant use of ERTMS in rail operations will be achieved. In Network 1, the number of kilometres not equipped with ERTMS will fall from 70% in 2020 to just 15% in 2025.

From the point of view of infrastructure managers, the report recommends that national deployment strategies include the considerations that would enable them to prioritise specific sections. That prioritisation would have an enormous impact on European freight operators. For example, in 2025 a locomotive equipped with ERTMS alone will be able to cover the distance between the port of Rotterdam and northern Italy, more than 1,000 kilometres, if ERTMS deployment on just 75 kilometres of the route can be sped up.

Accelerated, coordinated deployment of ERTMS can generate direct benefits on all the networks studied

From the point of view of rail companies, the report confirms that over the next few years, ERTMS could substitute Class B systems in the fleet, rather than being an additional system. In addition, to cover international freight transport, the report concludes that all new locomotives should be equipped with ERTMS and recommends consideration of ERTMS installation in the existing fleet. ERTMS-equipped trains will be key to the continued operation of international freight routes. The issue of connectivity is common to the three networks assessed, albeit to varying degrees. The lack of ERTMS-equipped locomotives would lead to the loss of 100% of the international routes in Network 2 by 2030, 86% on Network 1 and 50% on Network 3.

Although there are good reasons to support strategies for on-board implementation of ERTMS, a transition period with one or two Class B systems alongside ERTMS is inevitable. Based on its analysis of international traffic as well as the deployment and the characteristics of the system, the report concludes that there is no single Class B system that can be considered the most effective one to work alongside ERTMS on the whole European fleet. It is clear that each operator needs its own individual strategy, depending mainly on the country it is based in.

For the purposes of the study, three major European networks with high volumes of international freight traffic and extensive installation of ERTMS were selected. In the images, two maps of Network 2 and 3; this last encompasses north-eastern Germany, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria (Vienna node only). / MAPS_INECO

To implement those strategies, they need to be supported by technical analyses of the principal risks that the deployment of ERTMS poses to the fleet. The report focuses on a review of national technical rules and the interface between ERTMS and Class B.

The main recommendations to mitigate the risks posed by those aspects of the systems to deployment include:

• Encourage the use and stability of existing Class B products when different providers have relevant solutions. This allows effort and resources to be concentrated on the deployment of ERTMS, creating efficiencies across Europe, rather than on further developing Class B. Also, further development of Class B using the standard interface (or STM) does not guarantee ready connectivity with ERTMS systems.
• To grow international traffic, dual-standard solutions should not be allowed for Class B if there is no available alternative.
• Broaden transparency requirements in information concerning national technical rules for all parties involved, including the Member States and infrastructure managers, as well as providers and rail companies. This would enable Europe-wide mechanisms to be updated and improved to avoid the adoption of unexpected national rules that could have significant effects on interoperability in international transport.

The report contains a review of different scenarios for each of the selected networks, to assess the potential financial effects of alternative ERTMS implementation strategies on infrastructure managers and international rail freight businesses. This analysis, comparing cumulative long-term (2020-2055) cash flows in three possible scenarios, confirms that coordinated and accelerated deployment of ERTMS could bring direct benefits –for infrastructure managers and for rail companies– in each of the three networks in the study.

What is a ERTMS?

ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System), and its control and protection subsystem, ETCS (European Train Control System), is an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system that provides a high level of safety.

It consists of the exchange of information between trains and infrastructure and is based on on-board signalling and continuous speed monitoring. It can be deployed on different levels of application, which differ in the way that the information is transmitted: burst transmission from track to train for Level 1 and continuous two-way transmission in Levels 2 and 3.

It is made up of two basic subsystems, one on-board and the other trackside, that are connected via interoperable channels. The on-board ETCS equipment is the European Vital Computer (EVC) and the trackside ETCS equipment is essentially the groups of Eurobalises and LEU (Lineside Electronic Unit), associated with Level 1 communications, and the Radio Block Centre (RBC), associated with Level 2.

ERTMS can also make use of GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications–Railway), which allows data and voice transmission between the driver and control centre.

The implementation of ERTMS brings with it different improvements in railway operations, such as interoperability of different types of train in different infrastructures and increased safety and capacity. This capacity is calculated based on the number of trains with established characteristics that can travel on a railway line or network during a certain period of time. In addition, the benefit of ERTMS in railway digitisation programmes has been demonstrated through its deployment in the modernisation processes of numerous railway networks at international level.

In December 2017, this European project, financed by the GSA (European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency) as part of the H2020 Programme, began with a set duration of 24 months. The 14 European companies from five EU countries that participated in the ERSAT GGC project are RFI (project coordinator), Hitachi STS (formerly Ansaldo, technical coordinator), RINA, Trenitalia, Radiolabs, Italcertified and Bureau Veritas for Italy; Adif, CEDEX and Ineco for Spain; IFSTTAR and SNCF for France and UNIFE for Belgium.

The final objective is to contribute to the standardisation of the certification process for the adoption of satellite navigation systems (GNSS) in the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) standard. The scope of the project was very ambitious, working towards the consolidation of an improved ERTMS functional architecture that includes GNSS, safety studies, definition of a procedure for the classification of railway lines in relation to the ‘virtual balise’, development of a set of tools to assist in this classification, measurement campaigns in three countries (France, Spain and Italy), analysis of the data in the laboratories, evaluation of the architecture, procedure and tools by independent NoBos (Notified Bodies) and, finally, dissemination of the results and activities of the project in different national and international forums.

The ‘virtual balise’ concept has been under development for several years in previous projects launched by GSA, ESA and Shift2Rail, and consists of providing positioning information to the train by means of GNSS signals, instead of the physical balises required by ERTMS.

The ‘virtual balise’ concept has been under development for several years and consists of providing positioning information to the train by means of GNSS signals, instead of physical balises

For this purpose, the onboard equipment will consist of a new module called Virtual Balise Reader (VBR), which will process the GNSS signals and compare the GNSS coordinates with the list of coordinates onboard, reporting the corresponding virtual balise to the Eurocab when the coordinates stored for it are reached. This will make it possible to reduce the number of physical balises installed on the tracks, with the resulting savings for infrastructure managers, (Adif in the case of Spain) in terms of installation tasks, maintenance, theft, etc. This requires adequate reception of the GNSS signal at the points where the physical balises are to be installed, and therefore requires the classification of the railway lines according to the ‘quality’ of the GNSS signal received in each section.

The procedure will identify the sections/points where it is feasible to deploy a virtual balise so that the performance of the GNSS signal in terms of availability and accuracy meets the requirements.

The participation of Spanish companies in ERSAT GGC was distributed in such a way that CEDEX collaborated on the measurement campaign, integrating the tools in its laboratory and analysing the results of the different campaigns, contributing significantly to the customer’s last Demo. For its part, Adif purchased the necessary equipment for the campaign and provided a line and a laboratory train to carry out the measurements to be analysed at a later date.

Lastly, Ineco played a key role by participating in almost all of the work packages, contributing its knowledge in the areas of GNSS and ERTMS given its experience in previous projects such as GRAIL, GRAIL 2, NGTC and STARS. In particular, the company contributed to the consolidation of the functional architecture of ERTMS, the definition of several tools for the toolset, the participation in the Spanish measurement campaign, the analysis of the data from the Italian and Spanish campaigns, and lastly, contributing to the demonstration with the customer and the dissemination activities.

Measurement campaign in Spain

For the test campaign in Spain, Adif selected a line equipped with a Telephone Blocking (TB) system and with low traffic density. Specifically, line No 528 of the Conventional Network between Almorchón (Badajoz)-Mirabueno (Córdoba), which is of type E, with a total length of 130.1 kilometres and which is not electrified, although the runs were made on the section between the Almorchón and La Alhondiguilla stations, which is 94 kilometres long and has a maximum speed of 60 km/h.

Coordination between Adif, Ineco, CEDEX, IFSTTAR and DLR was key to the success of the hours and 20 runs were carried Spanish campaign. A static calibration test lasting 12 hours with 20 runs was carried out over 10 days of the campaign, at different times, in order to cover the various satellite positions of both the GPS and Galileo constellations. With all the data collected (GNSS signals, images and odometry), we moved on to an analysis phase, where the set of tools also developed in the project would make it possible to classify the line regards to the main local hazards to the GNSS signal on railway lines: interference, multipath, NLOS (Non-line-of-sight) and degraded performance.

All measurements were made on a Talgo laboratory train (BT-02), which was equipped with:

• GNSS Antenna: AntCom G8-PN
• GNSS Receiver: Javad Delta3
• GNSS Receiver: Septentrio AsteRx2e
• Splitter
• Laptops
• UPS
• Video camera
• Fisheye system

Main GNSS local feared events on railways. /
SOURCE_ERSAT GGC PROJECT

Tool development (Degraded performance indicator)

Ineco contributed to the development of different tools used to classify the areas of the train lines as green, yellow or red, for the placement of the virtual balise. In particular, two tools were developed to be integrated into the project:

1. SBAS_Health_Monitoring_tool (SHMT): assigns a health status to each GPS satellite by analysing the message received from EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service).
2. GNSS4Rail: a simulation tool that makes it possible to manage a highly accurate 3D model of the railway line environment (both in rural and urban environments) based on a surface model and the ability to launch point or time simulations along the entire line with different GNSS constellations (GPS and/or Galileo) and for any time frame. The inclusion of the Galileo constellation was an added value to the project and enabled multiconstellation simulations (use of several GNSS constellations), following the path traced by safety market applications. Moreover, the prognosis capability provides a clear advantage over other applications that only analyse real, static data from the past.

The GNSS4RAIL tool provides the following advantages in the deployment phase:

• Support for feasibility analysis and planning of the deployment of virtual balises on the line.
• Preliminary identification of feasible sections for deployment.
• Analysis both along the railway line (spatial domain) and for a time interval (time domain).
• Minimises the data acquisition campaigns with an auscultation train mainly thanks to the temporal analysis.

Advantages in the operation phase:

• Support as a performance predictor of deployed virtual balises.
• Provides pre-tactical information to the management of GNSS-based railway operations.

The possible uses of the tool are not limited to the specific application of the virtual balise; it can also be used to determine in advance the ‘coverage’ of the GNSS signal at any point on a line and at any given time, and these results can be used for other applications such as operations planning, fleet control, passenger information, ticketing, maintenance, etc. It can also be applied in other sectors such as road transport, maritime operations in ports and VLL drones/aircraft air operations in U-Space.