Management system for rail traffic – at least eleven years delayed

today, there are three different types of traffic management system for Sweden's railways. National tågledning, NTL, is to replace all and to do that it becomes easier for traffic management to manage the rail network. In addition, passengers shall get faster and more reliable traffic information.

The recent large disturbances in the train traffic has hit hundreds of thousands of travelers and created frustation. Possibly had these disorders become milder, or at least more acceptable, if the traffic information has been clearer. So it could have been if the forecast of the introduction of the new traffic control system had sued. In an article from the DN from 2014 went there to read that the system would have been implemented in 2019. Now it has been postponed – at least eleven years. The reason is that the system is ready to buy.

– The type of system does not exist. It must be designed and it is not available on the storage rack anywhere in the world, " says Bengt Olsson, head of media relations at the Swedish transport administration.

" I rather think that it is a fairly common occurrence. When doing planning and contracts, go through the different steps. Well, you know that it is complex, then you do a skrivbordsberäkning and they are very ruff in such a calculation, " he says.

After a procurement has the company Alstom was given the task to develop the new system. A contract is worth 650 million. The railway consists of an analogue and a digital signal system and the new traffic control system should be able to handle both parts.

" It is a challenge when contracting systems. It must be able to pass both parts. The challenge is also that of the analog systems is on the way out in the world, " says Bengt Olsson.

sometimes it is shifted by ten minutes at a time repeatedly is because according to Bengt Olsson on the traffic information at the present time is automated. Trafikinformatörerna is in the day-had to manually go in and change the information when there are major changes. The time is not the automatic feature to be turned off in time, it can contribute to confusion among passengers.

With the new system, these problems can be avoided by making the system a better feel of how rail services can be affected and find automated solutions to how the traffic should run. It will, in turn, contribute to the traffic information becomes more reliable.

– does something in a specific place should be able to press a button that makes the traffic management may solutions, for example, where trains can meet somewhere. The advantage of this system is that it goes much faster and where you will not be as dependent on people sitting and watching a screen, " says Bengt Olsson.

should it be further developed two systems that all must interact. The first is called Spirit, and stands for the plant data. The system should know how the railroad is doing and if there are errors that need to be addressed. The other system is called MPK and stands for Market-oriented capacity planning. Where should the railway companies be able to add suggestions on which trains they want to run.

"When they enter it will automatically lead to information on, inter alia, trafikinformationstavlor comes out," he says.