Bombardier unveils new signalling solution for cost effective regional rail traffic management

Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation has delivered the world’s first application of a European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) regional solution on the Västerdal line in Sweden. The groundbreaking BOMBARDIER INTERFLO 550 ERTMS regional system reduces operational costs and accommodates increased traffic capacity and automated train control around the clock.

Meeting the new rail control specification of the International Union of Railways (UIC) for less intensively used routes, the system began operation earlier this spring. The newly equipped line is the pilot project under Bombardier’s frame agreement with the Swedish Transport Administration (STA), the country’s national rail operator.

INTERFLO 550 technology has effectively upgraded the line from manual to automatic control, creating a sustainable alternative for lines otherwise burdened with the cost of maintaining manual operation or upgrading to traditional remote-controlled signalling. The new system combines the ERTMS standard for onboard automatic train protection (ATP) with a radio-based wayside system, thereby minimizing trackside equipment.

Bombardier together with the STA will showcase the new technology at the UIC ERTMS World Conference (ertms-conference2012.com) to be held in Stockholm, Sweden from April 24 to 26. As well as a technical demonstration on a section of the Borlänge to Malung line northwest of Stockholm, the event will include a series of seminars.

Peter Cedervall, President, Rail Control Solutions, Bombardier Transportation said: “This is a significant achievement for Bombardier as it is the first line globally to go into operation with ERTMS technology optimised for regional lines, which offers a number of benefits for applications worldwide. Bombardier continues to be a leader in ERTMS technology globally, from its balise technology chosen as the heart of the system, to the highest speed technology running in China and on some of the busiest lines in Europe. This latest innovation is a further important addition to our product and technology portfolio helping to maximize rail traffic flow.”

With a strong involvement in the development of ERTMS/ETCS technology, Bombardier’s solutions are operating or being delivered on more than 2,500 vehicles and 15,000 km of track in 16 countries. The INTERFLO 450 Level 2 solution has been running on the highest speed lines in China since 2009, recently received permission for commercial operation on the Amsterdam-Utrecht line in the Netherlands, one of the busiest mainlines in Europe, and was inaugurated on Sweden’s first high speed ERTMS Level 2 line, the Botnia line, in 2010. Bombardier ERTMS techonology is also installed in Croatia, Germany, Korea, Switzerland, Spain and Taiwan and first-in-market projects are being delivered in Algeria and Poland, as well as extensive framework agreements in Sweden and Norway.

Bombardier Transportation’s Rail Control Solutions portfolio covers the whole range of BOMBARDIER CITYFLO mass transit solutions, from manual to fully automatic, as well as communications-based systems. It also provides INTERFLO mainline solutions, from conventional to European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Level 2 systems. Bombardier provides a complete palette of wayside and onboard signalling products.