eurotunnel is switching to digital and remains at the ... · motorola at the beginning of the 1990s...
TRANSCRIPT
On conclusion of these innovations, the
current analogue radio communication systems
in the Channel Tunnel will be replaced by
a digital system, GSM-R (Global System for
Mobile Communications – Railway), a com -
ponent of ERTMS (European Rail Traffic
Management System).
Always at the cutting edge, Eurotunnel is
seeking to provide crews responsible for
maintenance or operations with advanced
technological equipment so that, when needed
for cooperative work, communication can be
rapid and effective. Tunnels with traffic as
intense as the Channel Tunnel are rare – it has a
train pass through every 3 minutes on average.
This high level of daily performance is made
possible precisely because the tunnel is
equipped with a very high performance
communication system.
When the Tunnel was being built,
Eurotunnel chose to rely on technologies which
were already proven at the time. Therefore the
radio communication systems installed by
Motorola at the beginning of the 1990s are
based on analogue radio standards:● A ‘concession radio’ system, a private 3RP
shared resources radio network to standard
MPT1327 ensures radio communication for
general use over the whole Concession.
This limited capacity system covers all
of the three tunnels, through 150km of
radiating cable.● A ‘track-to-train’ system to British Rail
European Railway ReviewVolume 18, Issue 1, 2012
Michel BoudoussierChief Operating Officer, Eurotunnel
Eurotunnel isswitching to digitaland remains at the forefront oftechnology
SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONS SUPPLEMENT22
Eurotunnel has decided to install the latest radio communication technologies inthe Channel Tunnel by the year 2014, to provide total interoperability with thewhole Trans-European railway. It is in this context that greater cooperation hascome about with RFF (Réseau Ferré de France), and a contract amounting toapproximately €11 million to pool equipment (network, fixed terminal servers)and maintenance. This agreement is part of the programme to renew theChannel Tunnel’s communication systems being implemented with Alcatel-Lucent since an initial contract for €21.5 million was signed in December 2009.
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standard (BR 1845) ensures communication
between the rail control centres and the
train drivers travelling in the concession.
This system covers the two running tunnels,
with 100km of dedicated radiating cable.
Eurotunnel shuttles are equipped with cab
radios to ensure communication through the
track-to-train radio and the concession
radio. At the same time, the locomotives on
inter national trains intended to go through
the Channel Tunnel (currently Eurostar
and goods trains) are equipped with so-called
ITR cab radios (‘International Train
Radio’), developed and custom-made so
that trains which have them can communicate
on the UK network (+ Eurotunnel) and on
the continent.
The European Commission issued a
directive defining GSM-R so that all infra -
structure managers can have a single
communication system in Europe that is
compatible between the different railways.
Keen to develop its traffic on a European
scale, Eurotunnel immediately joined this
initiative, taking a technological leap forward
and embracing digital.
The contracts, with Alcatel-Lucent on the
one hand and RFF on the other, are intended
to develop the systems installed at the
beginning of the 1990s in order to overcome
the following difficulties:● As analogue radios are gradually being
replaced by digital systems, it is more and
more difficult to find replacement parts to
repair electronic cards● Some pieces of equipment and software
were developed specifically as part of the
Channel Tunnel project● Radiating cables that were custom-
made to meet the requirements of the
initial project specification have in part
deteriorated in the tunnel environment
causing excessive line losses and radio
communication quality problems.
The partnership with RFF will also facilitate the
installation of an open, interoperable European
network for both freight and high-speed trains;
and it is opening the door to exchanges of
knowledge between the public railways and the
private infrastructure operators.
Eurotunnel has always kept its infrastructure
at the best performance level and thus wishes to
facilitate a real opening up in competition of UK
bound traffic.
Another advantage is the opportunity of
sharing the GSM-R core network with a
neighbouring railway in order to reduce
investment and operating/maintenance costs
and benefiting from the services of a tried and
tested structure. Preliminary studies have also
confirmed the feasibility of connecting the
Tunnels’ own equipment to the central
equipment of the neighbouring railways.
It is therefore on the basis of connecting the
GSM-R infrastructure belonging to Eurotunnel
with the central equipment in the GSM-R
network belonging to RFF that Alcatel-Lucent
has started the design phases relating to the
installation of the GSM-R infrastructure. This
GSM-R infrastructure, operational comm -
issioning of which is planned for the middle of
2014, must also include requirements for future
development, in particular those relating to the
control and command of trains through
ETCS (European Train Control System) Level 2,
which in the future will replace the railway
signalling system.
Radio coverage of the running tunnels is
ensured by sections of radiating cable of
approximately 750m. This radiating cable, the
coating of which is adapted to the tunnel
environment, is installed at a height of
approximately 2m, which optimises signal
coverage on board trains travelling in tunnels.
The deployment of sections of radiating cable in
the running tunnels has already started. New
supports have first been installed over the whole
of the section concerned so that the radiating
cable can be installed and fixed. Specific work
platforms, installed on flat wagons and
integrated in Eurotunnel’s works trains, have
been designed to perform this work in the
running tunnel environment.
The work is scheduled to be performed
during running tunnel maintenance slots which
are over weekend nights, i.e. three nights of
approximately 6 hours work every week.
The radio signal will be carried to the
radiating cable by optical repeaters installed in
the service tunnel technical rooms, but also fibre
optics which will be deployed in the same place.
This architecture will minimise the number of
BTS sites (base stations) in the tunnel.
The GSM-R network architecture will be
completely redundant so that, if there is ever any
disruption or malfunction, another device can
take over. The communication service will
therefore always be available and operational.
Likewise, interconnection with the RFF GSM-R
core network (in the Paris region) will be via two
transmission links with separate physical routes.
On a functional level, a user group has been
created to verify that the requirements of the
various trades (drivers, railway controllers,
maintenance, etc.) who will have to use the
communication services will all be satisfied.
The GSM-R must also be integrated in the
environment of technical systems used by
Eurotunnel (rail traffic management system,
telephone system) so that it will work in
harmony with existing equipment.
Various tests are being performed as the
European Railway Reviewwww.europeanrailwayreview.com Volume 18, Issue 1, 2012
SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONS SUPPLEMENT 23
Eurotunnel GSM-R Network
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deployment progresses in order to ensure that
the equipment installed is reaching the required
performance levels. This phase will be followed
by more extensive tests locally; first of all
propagation in the tunnel will be examined,
then propagation on the terminal, amongst
other things. In a second phase, tests will be
performed on a global level, followed by on
Completion tests when the various elements of
the GSM-R system (infrastructure, RFF core
network, train equipment) will be tested in a real
situation. This phase will have been preceded by
a period of training for future users and
adjustment of the operating procedures.
Commissioning of the GSM-R has to be
prepared for in liaison with the neighbouring
infrastructure managers (RFF and Network
Rail) and the railway operators using the
tunnel (Eurostar, DB, EWS) in order to ensure
continuity of radio communication for the trains
using the tunnel.
On conclusion of this operational comm -
issioning, which is planned for the middle of
2014, Alcatel-Lucent will ensure operation and
maintenance of Eurotunnel’s GSM-R
infrastructure for two years and RFF will provide
the GSM-R core network services.
The GSM-R equipment in Eurotunnel rolling
stock was commissioned to the Siemens UK
Mobility division in March 2010. After the initial
design phases and the surveys performed on
the different types of rolling stock, the detailed
design and installation studies are underway
and will end with a prototype being produced.
With the introduction of digital tech -
nologies and GSM-R (Global System for Mobile
communication for Railways), the railway
network is modernising and moving towards a
communication system that has greater
potential. The Channel Tunnel, a unique
transport system subject to the most intense
traffic in the world (400 trains a day in peak
periods), is constantly inventing new solutions
to increase the quality of service while
facilitating the work of the operational crews.
The choice of the latest telecommunications
technology constitutes a real asset, combining
both progress and competitiveness.
European Railway ReviewVolume 18, Issue 1, 2012
SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONS SUPPLEMENT24
Eurotunnel is the fastest cross-channel operator, with a crossing timeof just 35 minutes with up to four departures an hour at peak times.
Michel Boudoussier is Chief OperatingOfficer of Eurotunnel, in charge of theChannel Tunnel Operations. He studied atthe Ecole Normale Supérieure andbecame an Engineer at the Corps desMines. Following several appointmentsin French Ministries, he spent a large
part of his career with SNCF before joining Eurotunnel.
BIOGRAPHY
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