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Positive ETCS deployment progress for the Spanish network

Posted: 31 May 2010 | | No comments yet

The aim of this article is to present the current situation of the ETCS deployment on the Spanish network managed by the Spanish Infrastructure Manager (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias – ADIF). It covers the situation in the newly built High-Speed Network (UIC gauge) and the deployment over the existing conventional network (Iberian gauge – 1,638mm). An overview about the commissioning of the ETCS equipment is also presented. Finally, some punctuality figures are provided together with some conclusions about the deployment of ETCS.

The aim of this article is to present the current situation of the ETCS deployment on the Spanish network managed by the Spanish Infrastructure Manager (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias – ADIF). It covers the situation in the newly built High-Speed Network (UIC gauge) and the deployment over the existing conventional network (Iberian gauge – 1,638mm). An overview about the commissioning of the ETCS equipment is also presented. Finally, some punctuality figures are provided together with some conclusions about the deployment of ETCS.

The aim of this article is to present the current situation of the ETCS deployment on the Spanish network managed by the Spanish Infrastructure Manager (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias – ADIF). It covers the situation in the newly built High-Speed Network (UIC gauge) and the deployment over the existing conventional network (Iberian gauge – 1,638mm). An overview about the commissioning of the ETCS equipment is also presented. Finally, some punctuality figures are provided together with some conclusions about the deployment of ETCS.

The ADIF ETCS network

High-Speed Network The deployment of ETCS on the ADIF network can be divided into two big scopes. The first one is the newly built High-Speed Network, which will continue to grow to reach up to 10,000km in 2020.

The first line put into service with ETCS was the Madrid-Zaragoza-Lérida line at 448km-long, which came into service with ETCS Level 1 in 2006. By the end of 2008, three new sections of the High-Speed Network came into commercial operation with ETCS:

  • Lérida–Barcelona – a 174km-long section completing the line from Madrid to Barcelona
  • Córdoba–Málaga – a 155km-long branch from the Madrid–Sevilla line
  • Madrid–Segovia–Valladolid – 180km-long starting the High-Speed deployment toward the northwest of Spain.

The basic reasons to install ETCS in the High-Speed Network are for interoperability, safety and capacity provided by the system. All high-speed lines are equipped with Level 1 and Level 2, with the exception of the branch from Zaragoza–Huesca which is equipped with Level 1. Currently, all the lines in s ervice with ETCS are operating with Level 1, with a commercial speed of 300km/h. The validation process for setting Level 2 into service is being finished, and once Level 2 reaches a high level of reliability, the installation of only Level 2 will be considered in future lines.

By the end of 2010, the new line from Madrid to Valencia at 438km-long, will come into commercial service. This line is also being equipped with ETCS Level 1 and Level 2. Also, the extension of the line from Barcelona to the French border, with the section Barcelona–Figueras (132km-long) is being installed with ETCS.

A new high-speed tunnel, 8km-long, is being constructed to connect the two main high-speed stations in Madrid – Madrid Chamartin and Puerta de Atocha – which will provide a link between all high-speed lines in Spain. The existing lines will also be extended and new lines will be built to reach all the capital cities of each province.

Figure 1 The ADIF ETCS Network

Figure 1 The ADIF ETCS Network

The conventional network

The deployment over the conventional network (Iberian guage – 1,638mm) started with the first pilot installation between Albacete and Villar de Chinchilla in 1998.

The deployment on the conventional network has started by equipping part of the 160km-long Madrid Commuters network with ETCS Level 1, and with Level 1 and Level 2 in the busiest sections to increase capacity.

The section between Barcelona and Portbou is also being equipped with ETCS Level 1. This section is part of freight Corridor D – Valencia–Lyon–Torino–Ljubljana–Budapest.

The basic reasons for deploying ETCS on the conventional network are to increase safety and capacity. Level 1 will be the basic level deployed over the network, including Level 2 in those areas with high density traffic, like commuter networks.

Table 1 summarises the different sections in commercial service or under construction, both for the High-Speed and the Conventional Network, highlighting the length, ETCS suppliers and levels installed.

Table 1 Summary of different sections in commercial service or under construction.1

Section Level Supplier Length
Madrid–Lérida 1+2 Ansaldo 448km
Lérida–Barcelona 1+2 Thales 174km
Barcelona–Figueras1 1+2 Thales 132km
Madrid–Valladolid 1+2 Thales 180km
Córdoba–Málaga 1+2 Dimetronic (Invensys) 155km
Madrid–Cuenca–Valencia–Albacete1 1+2 Dimetronic (Invensys) 438km
La Sagra–Toledo1 1+2 Thales 21km
Zaragoza–Huesca1 1 Alstom 80km
Albacete–Villar de Chinchilla 1 Bombardier 93km
Madrid Commuters1 1+2 Thales/ Dimetronic 160km
Total 1,878km

Commissioning the ETCS

In Spain there is a growing fleet of new highspeed trains, but also commuter units are being retrofitted with the ETCS EVC to operate on the commuter lines in Madrid. ADIF is the owner of the A-330 lab train and the BT Talgo diesel train for testing the ETCS installations.

This is a great way to prove interoperability, because the infrastructure holds all the UNISIG suppliers (except Siemens) and almost all the on-board suppliers on the rolling stock side.

To go through this challenge, ADIF, together with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (Ministerio de Fomento), RENFE, INECO-TIFSA and CEDEX, has developed a testing methodology to increase the amount of testing that can be performed on lab. This new methodology is already being used for the commissioning of the Madrid–Valencia High-Speed Line and in the Madrid Commuter lines project.

All ADIF lines will be upgraded to be compatible with the European interoperable reference version 2.3.0d

All ADIF lines will be upgraded to be compatible with the European interoperable reference version 2.3.0d

Table 2 summarises the different series of trains equipped with ETCS that have been tested on the ADIF network, indicating the number of units, type of trains, EVC suppliers and STMs equipped.

The functionality of the system has been carefully engineered to guarantee the future compatibility of the system, protecting the huge effort made, and to keep the commercial operation without interruptions. All ADIF lines will be upgraded to be compatible with the European interoperable reference version 2.3.0d.

Table 2 Summary of different train series equipped with ETCS2

Series Type ETCS Supplier STM Units
S-100 HS Alstom LZB 18
S-101 HS Alstom LZB 6
S-102 HS Siemens STM_LZB 16
S-103 HS Siemens STM_LZB 26
S-104 Medium Distance Alstom LZB 20
S-1122 HS Siemens STM_LZB 30
S-1142 Medium Distance Alstom LZB, STM_EBICAB 13
S-120 Variable Gauge Ansaldo LZB, STM_EBICAB 12
S-1212 Variable Gauge Ansaldo LZB, STM_EBICAB 45
S-130 Variable Gauge Bombardier STM_LZB, STM_EBICAB 45
S-252 Locomotive Dimetronic (Invensys) LZB 2
Alaris 490 Medium Distance Dimetronic (Invensys) STM_EBICAB 10
Civia2 Commuters Alstom 123
4502 Commuters Dimetronic (Invensys) 20
4462 Commuters Dimetronic (Invensys) 31
4472 Commuters Dimetronic (Invensys) 43
A-330 Test Ansaldo 1 1
BT Test Ansaldo 2 2
Total ETCS 463

The System at work

Since the first ETCS commercial service on the Madrid–Lérida line in 2006, ETCS has been providing excellent results in Spain for highspeed services – the punctuality rate is above 98% for high-speed lines.

The 2009 details for each High-Speed Line equipped with ETCS for High-Speed services are as follows:

  • Madrid to Barcelona – punctuality rate: 98.5%
  • Madrid to Valladolid – punctuality rate: 98.6%.
  • Madrid to Málaga connection (partially on LZB and partially on ETCS) – overall punctuality: 98.8%

Everyday, trains equipped with one on-board ETCS supplier runs over lines equipped with different trackside ETCS suppliers without problems and keeping the high punctuality rate above mentioned.

Conclusions

ADIF has equipped almost 2,000km of double-track with ETCS. More than 1,000km are currently in service, providing a high-quality high-speed commercial service, maintaining high punctuality rates above 98%.

The next challenge is how to improve the commissioning of the system, by reducing the amount of tests performed on-track by increasing the amount of lab tests.

But to be able to continue the deployment rate of ETCS and keep expanding the network, it is necessary that all future baselines will be compatible with the reference version 2.3.0d.

References

1. Lines under construction

2. Series under construction

About the Author

Juan Hernández

Juan Hernández is a Telecommunication Engineer who graduated from Madrid UPM University. He joined ADIF in 2005 as a Signalling Engineer working in the comm – issioning of interlocking, CTCs (Centralised Traffic Control Centres) and ERTMS installations. He currently works in the Network Planning and Functional Coordination Direction planning signalling installations. He is an EIM representative at the ERA ERTMS Control Group and the ADIF representative in the ERTMS User’s Group and in the ETCS Committee of Freight Corridor D – Valencia–Budapest.

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