EKE-Electronic Awarded €15 Million Contract by Downer EDI Rail

The contract includes an electronic train information system (eTIS) for the 78 eight car sets, which are to be built by a joint venture of Downer EDI Rail Pty Ltd and Hitachi Australia Ltd. The customer for the train delivery project is Reliance Rail, in which Downer EDI Rail’s parent company, Downer EDI Limited, has a 49% equity investment. Reliance Rail was awarded a public-private partnership contract to provide trains for the RailCorp-operated services in the Sydney metropolitan area. The project has already started and the first of the trains are due to be in service from 2010.

EKE-Electronics scope of supply includes train computers, IP-based communication gateways, driver interface displays and train management system functionality. The core of the delivered EKE-Trainnet system is the new 1Gb Optical Ethernet Switch Unit (ESU), that makes it possible to operate all non-safety critical data traffic on a train using standard IP-protocols. The EKE-Trainnet system also controls passenger information system, GPS functionality and train-to-wayside radio communication. Two identical Event Recorders with Rugged Memory Modules protect the logged train data in the event of any imaginable incident.

Mr Pekka Kuusela, Chief Executive Officer of EKE-Electronics Ltd commented: “We are very happy to work on this project with Downer EDI Rail, a company widely known for their world class project delivery capability and technological edge. This project will produce one of the finest suburban train fleets anywhere in the world. EKE-Electronics is 100% committed to supporting Downer EDI Rail to make this project a success.”