Austrian Federal Railways implements ETCS in high-tech collaboration

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The end of May saw the successful completion of a public ETCS Level 2 test run on the Matrei to Fritzens-Wattens route in Austria.

The run was made possible by a close collaboration between five technology companies: Alstom, Frequentis, Kapsch CarrierCom, SIGNON and Thales.

In moving toward implementation of the pan-European ETCS standard (European Train Control System), Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) is making a commitment to hi-tech, safety and reliability.

The implementation of such a hugely complex rail safety system demands close cooperation between various technology companies.

For the Austrian ETCS project, Alstom was charged with equipping the trains, Thales with installing the trackside equipment and Kapsch CarrierCom with supplying the necessary GSM-R technology.

Frequentis and its subsidiary team managed the integration of these individual components within a single system, while SIGNON was responsible for routing system engineering and consulting.

Hannes Bardach, CEO of Frequentis, said:

“New technologies and new operating procedures mean new opportunities. In taking this important step, the European rail sector has set a new standard both for itself and for the rest of the world. ”

Thales are currently installing the trackside infrastructure needed on over 200km of test routes in Unterinntal and along the western rail link between Vienna and St.Polten.

The company is using its state-of-the-art components and solutions for the trackside changes needed to implement ETCS/ERTMS.

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