Belgian railway infrastructure operator Infrabel has awarded a €510m contract to a consortium comprising Siemens and an infrastructure development firm Cofely-Fabricom, to modernise large sections of its railway network.
Under the deal, Siemens will install more than 2,200km track of the railway network with the European train control system (ETCS) Level 2.
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The ETCS constitutes an essential component for the merging of European railway traffic and is designed to replace the more than 20 national automatic train protection (ATP) systems on the European continent and improve network safety and capacity.
The project, which also includes installation of the ATP system and the electronic interlocking equipment, is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025.
Siemens mobility division head Jochen Eickholt said: "This order underscores our leading position in the field of automatic train protection systems.
"Siemens has already successfully installed ETCS Level 1 for the Belgian railways."
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By GlobalDataThe ETCS Level 2 uses the railway-specific GSM-R mobile radio system to ensure a permanent two-way radio connection between the vehicle and trackside.
The system also makes continuous speed monitoring possible so that the new movement authorities can immediately be transmitted to the vehicle and all relevant information is displayed to the driver in the cab.
Siemens is currently equipping this automated system on railway lines in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey and Hungary.
Image: In the case of Trainguard 200 RBC for ETCS Level 2, the movement authorities are transmitted to the train in the form of standardized telegrams per GSM-R / Euroradio. Photo: courtesy of Siemens.
