Time & Frequency Solutions

Time & Frequency Solutions (TFS) is the established brand leader in the provision of time synchronisation, distribution and monitoring equipment for all rail operations. TFS understands the individual requirements of the rail industry, enabling us to provide accurate advice for all railway timing applications.

Our highly versatile products offer a cost-effective means of providing accurate time to a rail network system. Due to our innovative inbuilt product flexibility, we can provide solutions, whatever your requirement, at an affordable price.

As a measure of the quality of our products and solutions for rail applications, TFS holds a Network Rail Certificate of Acceptance for several related products, enabling us to offer a complete Network Rail-certified turnkey system.

Rail applications for time and frequency

TFS’s timing solutions synchronise precise and accurate time between rail applications, such as railway network timing, railway signalling systems, track to train radio systems, station clocks and passenger information and CCTV.

The M210 modular timing system is Network Rail certified and forms the basis of a turnkey timing solution for rail applications.

The M211 high-capacity modular timing system.

The M350 LED console display provides exceptional time readablility in control rooms and operational centres.

The M355 LED interior time display is perfect for concourses and waiting rooms.

The M373 LED exterior time display is robust and bright enough for all weather conditions.

The network management system (NMS) allows you to remotely configure and monitor device performance over a network.

TFS can deliver solutions for all types of rail applications – overground, metro, mass and rapid transit, etc.

Accurate and reliable timing is essential to enable event time stamping, such as when a train passes a signal. This provides an historical chronological audit trail, which may be vital for safety information records and incident investigation.

Track-to-train communications can also benefit from precise time; message transmission and reception must be precisely synchronised or the result will be unintelligible.

Our master clocks also distribute precise time-to-station clock systems, ensuring interior rail terminal passenger information displays and exterior platform clocks are providing accurate, synchronised time.

Station management systems also require an accurate and reliable time source, such as CCTV, computer networks, pre-set announcements and even auto-control of heating and air conditioning systems.

Time and frequency systems in rail infrastructure

TFS has many years of experience working with all the main players in the global rail industry. Our expertise spans overground, underground, mass transit and rapid rail systems. We have enjoyed successful business relationships with Network Rail, Invensys (formerly Westinghouse), Delta Rail, Atkins, Transmitton, Siemens Transportation, Amey, Marconi Transport Systems and Telent.

We have worked on some prestige projects in rail transportation, including:

• Grand Central Station, NY – Dual redundant timing system with digital and analogue clock displays, plus interface with heritage clocks – Mercury Clock (façade) and four-faced Tiffany Clock
• London Underground – Timing systems for Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, plus digital time displays, network synchronisation and signalling, update of Baker Street Station
• Hong Kong MTRC and KCRC – Network time synchronisation system including station clocks and signalling systems
• Los Angeles Metro – Centralised master clock timing system
• SMRT (Singapore rapid transit) – Master clock systems and displays

Network Rail-certified timing systems

Our master clocks and time and frequency standards are highly accurate time sources, which synchronise information networks and distribute precision timing to all network devices.

Time & Frequency Solutions holds a Network Rail Certificate of Acceptance for several products that are especially relevant in the rail transportation industry. Together, these products form a complete Network Rail-certified turnkey solution suitable for most rail transportation applications:

• M210 modular timing system – 1U high timing system with three module slots
• PS active antenna
• GPS EMP / lightning filter
• GPS receiver module (fits into one module slot of the M210 chassis)
• Disciplined oscillator
• Ethernet module (fits into one module slot of the M210 chassis)
• Combined serial / analogue / timecode output module (fits into one module slot of the M210 chassis)

Rail industry time and frequency products

• M211 modular timing system – high capacity system with nine module slots
• Dual redundant system – can be M210 or M211 based.; provides continuous output supply if a fault develops
• M355 LED digital time display – interior applications, such as. rail concourse, ticket area, waiting rooms, etc.
• M373 LED digital time display – exterior applications such as platforms
• M385 analogue clock time display – traditional clock format, many styles and options available
• Network management system (NMS) – remotely monitor all clock devices on your network

Modular time and frequency systems

The M210 modular time and frequency system from Time & Frequency Solutions is a highly flexible timing system designed for use in any applications where reliable time information is required. The M210 modular time and frequency system allows you to build your own system – select from a wide range of options to fill the three module slots.

Key features of the M210 modular time and frequency system are:

• Network Rail-certified
• Three-slot module output capacity
• Choice of clock synchronisation options
• Choice of master clock accuracy
• Large range of output options
• 1 U high standard 19in rack mount
• Five segment front panel button for equipment configuration and control
• Large alphanumeric display of time, date and status
• Equipment configuration stored in non-volatile memory