Trains in the Czech Republic can be stopped remotely
TTC Marconi and the Railway Infrastructure Administration have successfully demonstrated a new feature of the KONOS dispatch terminal and GSM-R communication network: remote train stopping – so-called General STOP. The result has been an improvement in safety on over 1600 km of rail tracks in the Czech Republic.
“In a very short time, we managed to integrate a number of disparate technologies along the route from the dispatch terminal to the trains’ brakes. I am very glad that we have done something to enhance railway safety again. I am confident that this new feature will help prevent future accidents,” explains Richard Hartmann, TTC Marconi's Executive Director.
So far, the General STOP feature has only been used on tracks equipped with the analogue Track Radio System (TRS). In case of danger, this feature allows the station dispatcher or control operator to stop all the trains within the range of the given base radio station.
This practical tool has already helped save a number of human lives and prevented enormous material damages. This is why RIA, as the administrator of the railway infrastructure, examined the possibilities of implementing the General STOP feature into the digital radio system GSM-R as well. This system is derived from the mobile system used in public networks; it has been specifically modified for the railway environment and now is being implemented on important rail tracks across the Czech Republic.
This has resulted in a special feature called GSM-R STOP, which enhances the flexibility of employees ensuring the organization and management of railway traffic in the given section. These operators can, in case of an emergency on the track (e.g. an object on the track, fallen tree), respond by pressing a button on the control terminal, thus stopping all trains connected to the GSM-R radio system within the selected section. All the trains in this area (including those not equipped with the GSM-R STOP feature) will receive a voice memo on the emergency situation in their vicinity through the automatic reporting system.
An important step in the implementation of this plan took place last September upon the initiation of the construction project called Implementation of the STOP Feature in the GSM-R Radio Network. It is being carried out both in the control halls of the central dispatch stations in Prague and Přerov and in the traffic offices and process facilities. The project spans approximately 200 locations across the Czech Republic. The project, which will cost CZK 25 million, is being funded from national resources. RIA acts as the investor, while TTC Marconi is the general contractor. The planned date of completion is in September.
“Along the way to the present success, there were many technical and legislative glitches to resolve. As a result, the General STOP feature has become a basic feature of the GSM-R system. If European institutions agree and the mentioned feature is incorporated into the EIRENE standards, it will be possible to use it across a large part of Europe,” explains Pavel Surý, RIA's Managing Director.
