SWITZERLAND: Independent Swiss railway Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn has agreed a long-term framework contract worth €110m under which Siemens Mobility will equip the BLS network with ETCS Level 2 train control technology.
As a first step in the partnership with the railway’s infrastructure division BLS Netz, the ETCS equipment already installed on the 17 km route linking Bern with Schwarzenburg will be upgraded from Level 1 to Level 2. That will enable the removal of lineside signals between Bern Fischermätteli and Schwarzenburg. Commissioning of the enhanced equipment is planned for 2029.
The partners say that the upgrading will raise a specific set of challenges, because the pilot route runs through a mix of urban and rural environments, and has numerous level crossings. Siemens Mobility is to deploy a newly developed intelligent level crossing management system, aimed at keeping crossing closure times as short as possible and minimising disruption to road traffic.
The route modernisation project is expected to deliver a range of benefits, including a reduction in the number of interlocking systems and simplified system maintenance. It will also create a benchmark for the future expansion of ETCS Level 2 coverage.
The framework agreement between Siemens Mobility and BLS Netz includes options for additional projects to be implemented over the next decade, in line with the overall BLS ERTMS implementation strategy.
‘Siemens Mobility is the optimal supplier for us, with a convincing complete solution to set the standard in Switzerland for high-performance regional lines based on ETCS Level 2’, explained Daniel Pixley, Head of Automation at BLS Netz AG, when the agreement was announced on June 25. ‘The joint project is the foundation for further initiatives by BLS and the industry in Switzerland, following the ERTMS implementation concepts.’
‘BLS Netz trusts in our expertise to equip its Bern – Schwarzenburg regional line with state-of-the-art ETCS Level 2 technology’, added Marc Ludwig, CEO of Siemens Mobility Rail Infrastructure. ‘We will be integrating and meeting the specific requirements of a line that runs through both urban and rural areas, from optimised closing times of level crossings to efficient traffic control. The long-term framework agreement also ensures planning security and enables the efficient implementation of future modernisations.’
