ETCS freight fitment

[djp852795]

Looking for some decent background info on key design and installation issues faced fitting ETCS to freight. Any recommendations?

 

[cj_1985]

Afraid I can't provide any guidance. But if you look about online you'll find pictures showing the kit fitted to euro 66s in (I think Netherlands/Belgium) in place of the analogue guages

 

[soccermad]

Yes the Belgium based Class 66's are ETCS fitted

 

[Nym]

Siemens awarded multi-million pound ETCS signalling contract

www.railtechnologymagazine.com

Was awarded to Siemens in 2018 to supply and fit all UK freight locomotives and DVTs.

 

[Roast Veg]

Wasn't an issue for freight that every sixth wagon had to have a device fitted for train length purposes?

 

[furnessvale]

Wasn't an issue for freight that every sixth wagon had to have a device fitted for train length purposes?

With no knowledge of the subject, wouldn't an "end of train device" incorporated in the tail light be more reliable and a whole lot cheaper?

 

[edwin_m]

I think that's only an issue for a future Level 3 system where the train itself is responsible for knowing whether it's complete and where it is. Level 3 doesn't exist yet and Level 2 retains the track circuits or axle counters which would detect if a train left a portion behind.

 

[squizzler]

One European open access operator was so frustrated by the difficulty and cost that mainstream brand ETCS equipment would incur that they partnered with a rail technology startup to develop their own using modular, off-the-shelf components. It all sounds very positive!

Freight: Lineas targets cost-effective ETCS

Europe’s largest independent freight operator Lineas has decided to equip its diesel locomotives with a new generation of software-based ETCS onboard equipment being developed by The Signalling Company.

Earlier this year, a Class 77 diesel locomotive belonging to Belgian freight operator Lineas returned to regular operation on the national network sporting a new cabinet of electronic equipment ahead of its cab. Retrofitted with a range of off-the-shelf components, it is acting as a guinea-pig for the development of a new generation of software-enabled ETCS equipment.

Article continues, create free user-id to continue reading.

 

[furnessvale]

Wasn't an issue for freight that every sixth wagon had to have a device fitted for train length purposes?

Has this not been discussed at length in this thread? Or are my wires crossed.

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/should-focs-be-required-to-fit-electronically-controlled-pneumatic-ecp-brakes.205992/

 

[squizzler]

This system might be for an open access freight operator, but perhaps it could be useful for retrofitting older multiple units? Even those that were sold as few years ago as ETCS ready, the ETCS hardware they were intended to accommodate might no longer be available or superseded.

 

[James James]

This system might be for an open access freight operator, but perhaps it could be useful for retrofitting older multiple units? Even those that were sold as few years ago as ETCS ready, the ETCS hardware they were intended to accommodate might no longer be available or superseded.

There already must be lots of such systems available, after all the SBB managed to retrofit ETCS to a bunch of older locos (e.g. Re 4/4, Re 6/6, and the NPZ - and the BLS also upgraded some of their Re 425 which are similar age). The SBB have sourced the hardware from all of Bombardier, Alstom and Siemens - it's hard to imagine that it's going to be a complete ripoff with the existing competition.

Equally, not hard to see how the equipment is likely to be expensive, but I suspect that's more due to regulatory compliance costs during development as opposed to the hardware itself being particularly expensive. It's all good and well for a startup to try and reduce costs via hardware, but I wonder if they're being naively optimistic. (After all, Bombardier are having quite the saga trying to get ETCS in some of their locos approved for just 2 countries that they already have experience with, Siemens had delays delivering their systems to customers recently, etc. And those are companies that have delivered in the past, not inexperienced startups.)