Neopul in high-speed rail – the 350km/h journey

Neopul, in conjunction with two Spanish companies, has won the contract for the project to build a new high-speed railway line in Spain between Barcelona and the French border. To this end, a joint venture has been formed in which Neopul has a 38.25% stake.

The project consists of the execution of the construction design as well as maintenance of the OHLE (Overheard Line Equipment) infrastructure and associated systems on the Barcelona-Figueras section of the high-speed line that runs from Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona-French border.

It includes the following:

• OHLE
• Tunnel lighting
• Point heaters

Technical data on the infrastructure includes:

• Maximum operating speed: 350km/h
• Number of tunnels: 28
• Length of tunnels: 31.6km
• Number of viaducts: 59
• Length of viaducts: 10.45km

Neopul has currently assigned various senior technical staff to this project, namely the Production Manager and the Environment and Quality System Manager, together with other technical staff, such as team leaders and OHLE installation specialists.

OHLE design and build

The OHLE works to be designed and installed begin at Sants station (in central Barcelona) and end at the existing overlap with the international section (the Spain to France border) at the exit of the tunnel at Bosc del Rei. They also include all the following plain track, stations, passing and parking loops and crossovers:

• Sants station
• Saguera station
• Montmeló crossover
• Llinars crossover
• Riells passing loop
• Vilobi d’Onyar passing loop
• Girona underground station
• Vilademuls crossover
• Figueras passing loop

The key features of the OHLE that is being installed are as follows:

• Simple polygonal OHLE system fixed on all masts, vertical, with Y droppers, with no sag on the contact wire and consisting of a messenger wire, a contact wire and equipotential droppers, mechanically compensated and suitable for trains travelling at 350km/h. It meets all the requirements of the regulations for lines of this type and in particular the TSI for the electrical subsystem and European standard EN – 50119 for a 350km/h speed of travel.
• OHLE feeder system: 2 x 25 kV AC / 50 Hz
• Return Traction current system with return cable

For reasons of limited clearance in the passenger platform zone and on lines 1 and 2 of the Sants-Sagrera tunnel, a PAC-110 type rigid contact system will be installed. This consists of an aluminium profile with a copper-equivalent cross-section of 1,400mm2 with insertion of a 150mm2 oval contact wire.

Significant quantities:

• 5,000 cylindrical-type foundations with diameters ranging between 750mm and 1,000mm and a depth ranging between 2.10m and 3.30m; approximately 2,250 foundations have been executed at present
• 4,000 OHLE masts; 1,332 masts are already erected
• 372 kilometres of OHLE (CW 150mm2 and MW 95mm2)
• 105 line side switch units
• 48 section isolator units
• 269 kilometres of aerial earth wire, 180mm2 aluminium/steel cable; 60 kilometres are already installed
• 236 kilometres of negative feeder cable, 280mm2 aluminium/steel cable; approximately 60 kilometres are already installed
• 252 kilometres of positive feeder cable, 180mm2 aluminium/steel cable; approximately 60 kilometres are already installed
• 7,000 cantilever units
• 70 rigid portal units
• 781 auto-tensioned anchor units
• 1.2 kilometres of rigid OHLE (aluminium profile)

Points heating system (turnouts)

A switch rail heating system will be installed to ensure that turnouts work properly in adverse weather conditions.

This system basically consists of a set of heating resistances with a system for detecting snow or ice, a control and analysis unit for automatic operation that allows disruptions to be eliminated and a supply unit for the system as a whole. In simple terms, it operates as follows: a series of sensors detect the presence, or the possibility, of ice or snow forming, information on these phenomena is sent to a central unit which results in the resistances coupled to the moving parts of the turnouts being connected, or not, to eliminate climate-based problems caused by the formation of ice and snow.

This project foresees a total of 19 turnouts, of the following types:

• Travel through the diverging route at 220km/h. Eight motors on each switch rail and four motors on each common crossing nose
• Travel through the diverging route at 160km/h. Six motors on each switch rail and three motors on each common crossing nose
• Travel through the diverging route at 100km/h. Four motors on each switch rail and two motors on each common crossing nose
• Travel through the diverging route at 100km/h. Four motors on each switch rail and fixed common crossing nose
• Travel through the diverging route at 80km/h. Three motors on each switch rail and fixed common crossing nose
• Travel through the diverging route at 50km/h. One motor on each switch rail and fixed common crossing nose

All switch rails, common crossing noses and hollow sleepers will be heated. The heating systems are fed by transformers connected to the OHLE – 25 kV. 50 Hz.

Tunnel lighting system

The lighting system for the tunnels is a combination of a permanent lighting system and a secondary system with three hours autonomy. The layout in the tunnel will be criss-cross and the lighting fixtures will be one or two-lamp units set in alternation with the autonomous lighting.

This combination means that if the two network supplies fail the tunnel will remain illuminated for a minimum of three hours by means of the batteries of the autonomous lighting fixtures.

The tunnels will have emergency buttons at both entrances and on both sides of the line, as well as at every 200 metres along their length.

The tunnel lighting will be controlled by way of a PLC which will be installed on the lighting board.

Each tunnel lighting system comprises:

• Lamps
• Power distribution network
• Control system

Significant quantities:

• 1,250 lamps
• 282 kilometres of cable
• 2500 junction boxes
• 135 emergency buttons

Power supply lines

Lines will be installed to supply power to the following systems:

• Points heaters
• Technical buildings
• Signalling
• Communications
• Tunnel lighting

The power required to supply the above systems will be taken from the OHLE. The voltage of + 25 kV will be stepped to the different supply voltages of each system using appropriate power transformers.

Given its length of approximately 6km, three exclusive supply lines are exceptionally planned for the connecting tunnel between Sants and Sagrera, in addition to the supplies described above.

As well as design development and construction, Neopul’s contract also includes keeping the systems and equipment that make up the OHLE and its associated systems in perfect repair and working order for a period of three years after the construction phase.

Other major high-speed railway projects in which Neopul is involved

Neopul, in conjunction with its shareholder Sacyr, has been awarded the contract for the project to build the Madrid-Alcázar de San Juan-Jaén high-speed line, section: Alcázar de San Juan-Manzanares.

The goal of this project is to adapt a 46km stretch of double-track railway for speeds of 250km/h, by carrying out a complete overhaul of track infrastructure and OHLE. To implement this project, train travel on one of the tracks is being suspended between stations, while the other track is kept in operation. In order to do this, it was necessary to equip each section of the corresponding electrical signalling system to allow travel in both directions, resulting in an eight phase work plan. Work is currently at phase 3 and it is expected that the project will be completed in the first quarter of 2011.