European Train Control System

We have to talk about obsolescence, safety, and safe systems.

Within this section, I've been asked a lot of questions around having analyzed the sequence of events, what's my view on failings in the safety systems that led to the tragedy? How does LZB system, that signaling system, work in practice? What are the procedures if that system fails? How does that system differ from modern ETCS, European Train Control System? What are the main technical differences in speed monitoring, braking supervision, operational safety? How does LZB compare with other train protections in signaling systems used across Europe? And how do I view the fact that the LZB system has crashed 170 times this year? These are some of the questions I've been thrown, and then I'm gonna pick off a few elements of that.

as we push forwards.

So there is a big difference.

that you can do that, you can make that movement.

So it gives you a position basically, a block, if you like, within which that train can sit.

This is basically similar to ETCS, right? The difference really between LZB and ETCS is that The communication with LZB is done through line side cabling, primarily, whereas, and also that the calculations are done at the control center with the system, you know, the track information, the vehicle performance, the timetable, all these things, junction positions, all programmed in to the control center.

Whereas with ETCS, a lot of the calculations are done within the trains onboard computer and the communication is done via GSMR.

for Hamburg.

This has been fitted with Grade 2 automatic train operation, so Grade 2 ATO over ETCS, which means that the train itself has more automated operations than just a standard train fitted with ETCS.

This train is fitted with Grade 2 or GOA 2 ATO automatic train operation over ETCS level 2.

Now that's a semi-automatic train operation standard where the train accelerates, coasts and brakes automatically.

whilst the driver remains in the cab for supervision and intervention if required.

So that's a great example of what we can do with existing stock and really making it look and feel brand new.

We have also obviously deployed and tested our ETCS solution on Thameslink, running through the core, really being able on running on the same infrastructure, more trains just with digital signalling solutions.

So I believe there's one point of getting more new rolling stock into the system and into the market, which is extremely important.

But there's many other points of things we can do and technology we can offer to do more with what we already have.

There's a preliminary examination that the Rail Action Investigation Branch have picked up from the Rail Industry because they see it as important.

There has been an ETCS wrong side failure in Wales.

That means a failure that could result, you know, that is not, you know, the signal is broken and it goes to green or it goes off, which is assumed as red.

Sorry, signal's broken, it goes to red as a right-side failure, or it goes off and you assume it's red.

No, that's something saying green when it should be red, or the ETCS equivalent on the driver's VDU, visual display unit.

And that's what happened.

The train was beckoned forwards beyond its actual safe position of operation.

Basically, a series of different systems, all with conflicting information about precisely where the train was.

200 milliseconds is a minor, completely unnoticeable lag on a Zoom call or, you know, loading a cloud application.

But in the European train control system...

In ETCS, timing is literally life or death.

The system relies on continuous real-time communication between the train and the radio block center.

Ah, I see.

If that new inline firewall delays an ETCS packet by 200 milliseconds, the train's onboard computer registers a loss of continuous communication with the track.

And let me guess, the train doesn't just buffer and wait for the connection to reestablish.

No.

Anybody who thinks that outcome-based procurement means you can have a three-page spec, not a 50-page spec, has never bought anything, right? So it is, it is quite a complex thing.

Uh, it talks about ETCS.

Everything's gonna come ETCS around, ready.

Well, which baseline? I, I, I'm not sure what baseline we're on now, and every time we ...

a new baseline comes out, there's massive retro costs to the stuff that's already fitted to get it up to the new baseline.