Siemens Supplies Signalling and Communication Systems for the Saudi Arabian Railway Network
19 December 2005 10:26
A consortium composed of Siemens and the Nour Communications Company of Saudi Arabia has received an order from the Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO) to upgrade the infrastructure of the Saudi Arabian railway network. Siemens will equip the line between Dammam and Riyadh with signalling and safety equipment, a GSM railway network and a video monitoring system for railway crossings. The total track length is about 1,000km. The order is worth €91 million, with Siemens share of the contract being €59 million.
The heart of the signalling and safety equipment is a Simis electronic interlocking. Trainguard 100 for ETCS Level 1 will be used as the train protection system for the first time outside Europe and the operations control centre will be equipped with a Vicos-type workstation. In addition, Siemens is supplying Simis LC railway crossings which are each equipped with a video monitoring system (CCTV). The modern technology to be installed will increase safety, enable greater route utilisation and will also make train operations more economically efficient and flexible. The systems have a modular design and can be adapted to the operator's special requirements and the conditions of the route. Siemens will also be responsible for the maintenance of the signalling equipment.
In future, train drivers, conductors and station masters will also be able to communicate with each other in the whole network of routes via GSM Railway (GSM R), the new mobile system from Siemens Communications. In contrast to the walkie-talkie system currently in use, GSM R supports conference calls between multiple people and assures a stable connection regardless of weather conditions. Moreover, the train driver does not have to dial a number to contact the control centre of the nearest station, he only has to press a single button on his GSM R cell phone. Siemens is supplying all the components needed for setting up and operating the GSM R network such as switches, base stations and service and administration platforms. Apart from installation and commissioning, Siemens will also provide services such as personnel training and system maintenance over the next five years. For the Siemens Communications Group, the world's leading supplier of mobile solutions for rail communication, this order means a breakthrough for GSM R in the Arabian area.
The Saudi Arabian railway network consists of two lines, which connect the port of Dammam with Riyadh, the capital in the centre of the country. A 556km route for freight transportation was built in the 1950s and a 449km route for passenger services was built in the 1980s. SRO carries around 850,000 passengers per year and transports cargo amounting to approximately 850 million tonnes. At the moment, there are plans to expand the railway network; the Saudi Landbridge project involves construction of a 115km-long connection between Dammam and Jubail and an extension of the Dammam-Riyadh route by 950km as far as the port city of Jeddah. This would create a direct railway link right across Saudi Arabia, from the Arabian Gulf to the Red Sea.
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Siemens Transportation Systems - Signalling and Control Systems
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