IRSE News 150 Nov 09.pdf
IRSE News 150 Nov 09.pdf
IRSE News 150 Nov 09.pdf
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
AXLE COUNTER SEMINAR<br />
Axle Counter & Technology Seminar<br />
By Walter Peckruhn M<strong>IRSE</strong> - <strong>IRSE</strong> Contact Officer Germany<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
Between 29 September and 2 October<br />
2009, delegates from railways world-wide<br />
were invited by Thales Rail Signalling<br />
Solutions GmbH (Germany) to their<br />
traditional bi-annual Axle Counter &<br />
Technology Seminar at the town of<br />
Konstanz, situated on Lake Constance<br />
which is surrounded by Austria,<br />
Switzerland and Southern Germany.<br />
Renowned for its pretty and culturally<br />
significant location, the Seminar was held<br />
at the INSELHOTEL, a former 13 th century<br />
Benedictine monastery and traditionally a<br />
first class address for such events.<br />
The by now well established Seminar<br />
was attended by delegates from nineteen<br />
countries, ranging from Europe via China<br />
to as far as Australia. As in the previous<br />
years, the Seminar was initiated by<br />
Joachim Janle, Director Turnkey Sales &<br />
Axle Counter Business, chaired by Helmut<br />
Uebel, Past President of <strong>IRSE</strong> and<br />
excellently organised by Charlotte Olsen<br />
and Ramona Diebel. It once more<br />
provided a valuable forum for exchanging<br />
know-how and experience on the<br />
application of Thales axle counter<br />
equipment and systems in a multitude of<br />
operational, local and technical conditions<br />
existing within the various railway<br />
companies represented by the delegates.<br />
As a means of relaxation from the<br />
stringent seminar sessions, an attractive<br />
catering, sightseeing and entertainment<br />
programme was provided, which,<br />
however, could not always stop technical<br />
exchanges to continue. Social highlight<br />
was a dinner on the famous flower island<br />
Mainau where the delegates, arriving by<br />
boat, were greeted by artists resembling<br />
mythical creatures associated with the lake<br />
and its surroundings. The final day was<br />
spent at the Thales premises in Stuttgart,<br />
visiting their impressive showroom as well<br />
as their integration and competence<br />
centre for signalling systems.<br />
SEMINAR TOPICS<br />
The population of axle counters is rapidly<br />
increasing worldwide. Even in countries<br />
with a long history of using track circuits,<br />
like the UK, axle counters nowadays<br />
appear to be preferred. In Taiwan the<br />
largest ever single axle counter project<br />
with over 6000 Thales detection points<br />
has been implemented, covering the<br />
entire TRA mainline network. On<br />
important lines in Switzerland and the<br />
Netherlands, Thales axle counter<br />
equipment is fully duplicated and offers<br />
100% train detection availability. The<br />
success of this equipment is such that<br />
Thales are nowadays providing the vast<br />
majority of their signalling projects<br />
worldwide solely with axle counters. In<br />
fact, track circuits are only integrated into<br />
Thales signalling systems in those<br />
countries where track circuits traditionally<br />
also serve for transmitting ATP<br />
information.<br />
Thales are not only looking back on<br />
over 40 years of axle counter design,<br />
development and manufacturing but have<br />
also gathered extensive experience in the<br />
application and the interface of this<br />
equipment with a vast variety of signalling<br />
systems and communication links.<br />
Nowadays their axle counters systems<br />
include latest state-of-the art technology,<br />
similar to that used on their ESTW<br />
computerised interlockings and ETCS train<br />
control systems. Communication interfaces<br />
are provided for ISDN, Ethernet,<br />
optical cable and GSMR. Meeting the<br />
CENELEC EN 50159 standards, Thales<br />
axle counters are already being operated<br />
over telecommunication networks in<br />
several countries.<br />
An increasing emphasis is placed by<br />
railway companies on reducing life cycle<br />
cost. Thales are therefore continuing their<br />
efforts to improve reliability, robustness<br />
and serviceability. As far as the latter is<br />
concerned, remote diagnostics are extend<br />
-ed for easier first and second line mainten<br />
-ance. Naturally all recent products comply<br />
with the relevant CENELEC specifications<br />
for the highest safety integrity level (SIL 4).<br />
1 2<br />
3 4<br />
5 6<br />
1. H. Uebel chairing the Seminar<br />
2. J.-P. Forestier, MD Thales RSS HQ Paris<br />
3. Opening address by Seminar initiator<br />
Joachim Janle<br />
4. Speaker A. Simmons, Network Rail, U.K.<br />
5. W. Peckruhn with<br />
Thales A/C expert R. Klemm<br />
6. Speaker K. Holter, JBV, Norway<br />
7. INSELHOTEL viewed from the lakeside<br />
Whereas a particular signalling system<br />
may generally work satisfactorily in one or<br />
a few countries, it may sometimes face<br />
unforeseen problems in another. The<br />
Seminar exchanges revealed once more<br />
that the reasons are often unsuitable<br />
installation practices, insufficient training,<br />
7<br />
26<br />
<strong>IRSE</strong> NEWS | ISSUE <strong>150</strong> | NOVEMBER 2009
Change language