Digital rail: Hitachi chooses Germany as a job mannequin

There’s a long-running custom of criticizing the German rail system. Whether or not in passenger or freight transport – the intention all over the place is extra reliability and extra buyer orientation. Now the Japanese Hitachi Group has chosen Germany as a mannequin for the ultra-modern rail transportation of the longer term. And Hitachi is able to play a key function in reaching this difficult purpose.

In Germany of all locations. Why? “Germany’s rail system is very advanced. As a European transit zone, it has lengthy since reached the boundaries of its capability. It has additionally been uncared for for a lot of many years, and never simply by way of expertise,” says Markus Fritz, Vice President Markets Germany & International Account Supervisor Deutsche Bahn at Hitachi. For the internationally skilled graduate engineer and educated energy electronics technician, that is the particular attraction: “If we handle to provide Germany trendy rail transport, then different nations will comply with swimsuit.”

“If” is the important thing phrase right here. And Markus Fritz additionally has to dwell with that. He’s additionally a member of the Government Committee of the German Railway Trade Affiliation. And there’s one thing he acknowledged way back: As a substitute of unrealistic and unaffordable complete modernization in a single block and at excessive velocity, there’s now the necessity for smaller, reasonably priced steps in the correct course. Which means: constant, steady preparation for the expertise of the longer term, target-oriented selections, and a good quantity of endurance.

Progress requires endurance

It doesn’t seem like a fast deal. That is additionally clear to Hitachi’s headquarters in Tokyo, the place Germany has been recognized as “the world’s largest accessible rail market”. The calculation focuses on the long run and a full vary of merchandise: Hitachi Rail presently provides management and security expertise. However the Group additionally has high-performance trains in its portfolio. For instance, the ETR 1000 – working at speeds as much as 220 miles per hour and designed for cross-border visitors. It’s already on the rails in Italy, France, and Spain. In Germany, alternatively, Hitachi Rail is exercising endurance and serving to to construct the railroad system with the intention of at some point with the ability to provide clients, reminiscent of Deutsche Bahn, with technological infrastructure and rail automobiles from a single supply.

Trials are already underway to indicate what might turn out to be actuality sooner or later. Along with DB Cargo and companions reminiscent of Knorr-Bremse, Hitachi Rail is placing Europe’s first automated freight locomotive on the rails. The Dutch Betuweroute, a 100-mile-long separate freight line constructed for seaport hinterland visitors and accomplished in 2007, serves as a take a look at route. The Betuweroute connects the necessary worldwide port of Rotterdam with the German-Dutch border city of Zevenaar – as a connection to the inner-European transport community. The hall relieves the burden on highway freight transport by way of extremely frequented highways.

For the present pilot venture, a DB Cargo locomotive was outfitted with state-of-the-art ATO (Automated Practice Operation) and RTO (Distant Practice Operation) expertise for the primary time. The intention is to check automated driving capabilities beneath actual circumstances and create the premise for a production-ready, marketable product in automated freight transport. Put merely: Autonomous locomotives will not want human drivers. That is thought of a milestone on the way in which to automated, networked and extra environment friendly freight transport in Europe. As a expertise associate, Hitachi Rail provides the ATO onboard system and is chargeable for system integration. Markus Fritz: ”This as soon as once more underlines our function as a pioneer for digital improvements within the rail sector.” With this, Hitachi Rail needs to assist one among Europe’s most necessary transport coverage objectives: Extra freight on the railways.

However again to the established order: The instance of a Deutsche Bahn flagship line reveals what the trail to a completely digitalized railroad will seem like in small steps in actuality. It’s the metropolitan hyperlink between the world port of Hamburg and the capital, Berlin. A major line between necessary junctions within the rail community. Because the opening of the favored, roughly 170-mile high-speed line in 2004, passengers can, given optimum circumstances, attain their vacation spot in round solely 100 minutes. However even a newly constructed high-speed line will get outdated rapidly. Particularly when long-distance visitors, regional trains, and freight transport must share the identical rail line day and evening, exposing the path to a excessive everlasting load. At present, this implies: Common refurbishment! And to realize this, the necessary, extremely frequented visitors axis will likely be fully closed. 9 months, from August 2025 to the top of April 2026. Which means: Time-consuming detours of long-distance trains, inconvenient bus alternative providers in regional service.

After all, the complete closure permits unhindered and subsequently sooner building. The route is also totally outfitted with the newest expertise. May being the operative phrase right here. A very powerful module could be the European Practice Management System (ETCS). ETCS is a digital signaling expertise that replaces typical observe alerts. For instance, it transmits alerts and velocity limits on to the driving force’s cab in order that the prepare driver can drive extra exactly. Due to real-time communication between trains and infrastructure, ETCS improves security, will increase reliability and boosts the capability of the present rail community.

However even between Hamburg and Berlin, this progress must wait just a few extra years earlier than it turns into usable. The background: In one other main venture, the Riedbahn, Deutsche Bahn just lately skilled how advanced and time-consuming the set up and acceptance of ETCS expertise is as a twin system with typical security techniques. Due to this fact, through the normal renovation of the Hamburg-Berlin line, Deutsche Bahn will “solely” put together the interlockings and the safety-relevant axle counting expertise (sensors that report whether or not a observe part is free) for the longer term use of ETCS. Which means: The traditional prepare management techniques PTC (Constructive Practice Management) and LTC (Line-based Practice Management) will stay in operation in the interim. The ETCS expertise is not going to be put in till the early 2030s.

About Markus Fritz

Technique of small steps

In spite of everything, the technique of smaller steps is the technological method ahead. At a slower tempo, however with the correct preparations. By the point all of the circumstances are in place within the 2030s, Deutsche Bahn and different railroad firms will have the ability to higher plan their orders and configurations of recent trains. ETCS-capable automobiles will then be required. If the change to ETCS have been made right this moment, lots of the present automobiles must be fitted with cost-intensive double tools – with ETCS along with the traditional security and management techniques.

Railroad firms working in Germany must pay for the digital improve of their fleets themselves. The state funds the infrastructure, which means the expertise alongside the tracks. Nevertheless, with rising digitalization, prices are shifting increasingly more to the automobiles. However as a transit nation, it isn’t nearly German fleets. The routes have to be ETCS-capable as a result of, for instance, trains touring by from France or the Czech Republic are already designed for contemporary expertise. And the Italian state-owned firm Trenitalia needs to run the modern purple Hitachi flagship ETR 1000 to Munich as early as 2026 and to Berlin from 2027.

This advanced situation is the right use case for Hitachi Rail: The corporate is presently primarily supporting the transformation in direction of digital signaling expertise. However that is solely step one. Hitachi Rail can and desires to produce full techniques from the big company’s portfolio, together with energy provide for rail electrification and ultra-modern trains. A full vary! One of many first necessary preparatory steps is the Hamburg-Berlin venture: The community operator, the railroad subsidiary DB InfraGO AG, has concluded a contract with Hitachi Rail. This consists of the modernization of the management and security expertise (CST) on a 200-kilometer part between the cities of Paulinenaue and Schwanheide. Sub-centers of huge interlocking areas are being renewed and interlocking expertise modernized. The route will then permit most speeds of as much as 230 kilometers per hour. The venture is a part of the “Digital Rail Germany” program. It goals to enhance the security, effectivity, and sustainability of rail transport and contribute to reaching the goals of the Trans-European Transport Community (TEN-T).

TEN-T is financed by the European Union and its Member States. The intention is to develop an interconnected community of roads, railroads, inland waterways, seaports, airports, and prepare stations throughout the European Union. The goals are to strengthen the inner market, promote financial progress, and enhance networking between the areas.

From the cycle time to the connection battle

With a view to the large German rail community, which is round 20,000 miles lengthy, the central query for Markus Fritz is: “How do I obtain most capability on the present infrastructure?” The knowledgeable is aware of: “No extra tracks are being constructed. We’d like increased and dependable cycle occasions on the present infrastructure.” In different phrases, the variety of departures per hour should improve. And the timetable must be stored as clean as potential. “We will obtain this with ETCS, digital interlockings, and an built-in management and working system as an interface between individuals and machines,” says Markus Fritz. As well as, timetables might be considerably optimized by the usage of synthetic intelligence. This additionally consists of the so-called “connection conflicts” – an ongoing subject: Resulting from delays or disruptions, switch passengers are unable to catch the following prepare. Right here, too, Markus Fritz sees passenger-friendly options with the assistance of synthetic intelligence.

With all of the endurance and understanding for complexity and problems: Markus Fritz doesn’t need to wait any longer than completely mandatory for the prepare to the longer term. Hitachi Rail’s dedication ought to have a noticeable impact and the complete vary will quickly be seen within the focus market of Germany. “We’re working to make sure that Hitachi automobiles will likely be utilized by German rail operators tomorrow, in fact. And tomorrow will hopefully be before we are able to all think about,” says Markus Fritz.

Data

Textual content first revealed within the Porsche Consulting Magazine.