S-Bane Network at Copenhagen Signs Contract with Siemens for Modernisation of Signalling System

Banedanmark, the infrastructure developer and operator for Danish railway systems has entered into a contract with Siemens for modernising the entire signalling system of the Copenhagen commuter rail network (S-Bane).

The contract is one of the biggest that has been signed for rail automation, worth 252 million € The Trainguard MY type train control system, switch machines and Sicas type electronic interlockings will be automated through the contract. A new operation control center will also be installed as part of the contract. The schedule of the contract is that the first six phases would be completed by end of 2014 and the maintenance services are guaranteed for the next 25 years.

The 170 km Copenhagen double track S-Bane network would be upgraded for communication based train control (CBTC). This is an automated radio-based control system. There are totally 135 S-bane systems being used, the maintenance fleet and the associated tracks will also undergo modernisation spanning six phases which will be completed by 2018. After the upgrade, the railway network will be more appealing to the commuters and a considerable reduction in the use of private vehicles is expected. Modernisation is bound to enhance the reliability and reduce the energy consumption of the railway network. The CEO of Siemens commented that via modernisation, Copenhagen is moving closer to its environmental goal of making the city carbon-neutral by 2015.

The CEO of Siemens Rail Automation boasted of a 25 year experience in implementing CBTC solutions. He added that in Copenhagen, the challenge is to carry out upgradation while the rail network is in operation and meet the project deadlines successfully. The plan is to first make the rail network Semi-Automatic, where the trains will run independently on fixed lines at dynamically controlled headways. At this juncture the trains will require driver intervention but the trackside signals will be done away with. The next is the unattended operation mode where the S-bane will be controlled and monitored automatically. The Trainguard MT system from Siemens is fully equipped with features that are required for monitoring, execution and control of the complete S-Bane network. The communication is done via radio-control, the optimum speed and the distance between trains is dynamically calculated and communicated through the radio-system. The modernisation is part of the Government’s railway renewal program which is expected to complete by 2020.