Advanced signalling and automation system (X2RAIL-4) (RV45)

Project Coordinator - Alstom Transport

Project Leader at KTH - Mats Berg (Rail Vehicles Part)

Scientists at KTH - Sebastian Stichel, Zhendong Liu

Other Scientists - From 20 European Partners

Sources of Funding - Trafikverket and European Commission (Horizon 2020)

Railway signalling safety systems are important but of often costly and complex. The present work aims at reducing the costs by developing and implementing smart systems for controlling wayside objects like switches and level crossings. In particular, the costs for extensive cabling work can be reduced by providing local energy sources like solar and wind power. Added values are also foreseen in terms of less energy usage as well as increased safety, capacity and reliability. The work is carried out in close collaboration with Trafikverket and Alstom Transport (Sweden).

The work is split in two topics: LCC respectively Energy. For LCC, a traditional signalling system is compared with the foreseen smart system to investigate the potential of a sound business case. For energy, possible local energy supplies and storages are analysed along with energy usage and management. As a first step of the work, two MSc theses have been completed on these two topics as referred to below. Senior work is now taking over for in-depth studies, but also including a physical demonstrator being established in Sweden.

F. Zarov: Life Cycle Cost of Smart Wayside Object Controller, MSc thesis, Report TRITA-SCI-GRU 2021:241, KTH, 2021.

A. Jerresand and M. Diamant: Energy Usage of Smart Wayside Object Controller, MSc thesis, Report TRITA-ITM-EX 2021:272, KTH, 2021.