SWISS FEDERAL Railways has awarded the first contract for transmission-based signalling equipment to the standards set out in the European Rail Traffic Management System. Under a contract awarded to Adtranz Signal at the beginning of April, ECTS equipment is to be installed on 32 km of the Olten - Luzern line between Zofingen and Sempach-Neuenkirch by December 1999, ready for the start of commercial operations in June 2000.

The package includes a GSM-R standard radio network and line control centre, on-board equipment for 66 locos, power cars and driving traiilers, and around 200 balises, which together will replace the existing lineside signalling. Eurobalises will provide location data for the trains, which will receive continuous information on the status of interlockings and other train movements from the control centre via Euroradio. On-board processing will use Eurocab equipment.

HSBB’s management board announced on March 23 that it had approved four infrastructure investments totalling SFr150m. A solid-state signalbox is to be built at Zürich as part of a SFr36m scheme to add two extra tracks between Zürich Hbf and Wiedikon over the next seven years. Adding a third track between T

Topics