Siemens supplying multicompatible vehicle board units for the Swiss rail network

Siemens is equipping 230 traction units belonging to the Schweizerische Bundesbahn (SBB – Swiss Federal railways) with Trainguard-200 On-Board-Units. These mobile on-board computers are compatible both with the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 1 and 2 and the national train protection system ZUB 121. “The on-board unit calculates and monitors the maximum permissible speed for all the systems deployed in Switzerland and initiates automatic braking if the speed limit is exceeded. The multi-compatibility of the units provides Swiss Federal Railways with the flexibility required for the gradual conversion of their lines to the European train protection standard,” said Jürgen Brandes, head of Siemens’ rail automation Business Unit. The vehicles will be equipped by mid-2015. The order value is in the middle double-digit million euro range.

SBB is planning the complete replacement of the existing train protection facilities of the Swiss network with the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 1 by the end of 2017. The longterm aim of the Schweizerische Bundesbahn is to upgrade the entire rail network with ETCS Level 2 from 2025 onwards. Thanks to standardized interfaces the wide-area introduction of the ETCS ensures interoperability between vehicle and route across national boundaries, thus making rail traffic even safer by comparison with the systems currently in service.