Billed as the rail industry's premier event, Railtex 07 will take place at ExCel London from 20-22 February 2007. As you would expect, Westinghouse Rail Systems is attending. No surprise when you consider that Westinghouse has been signalling railways for over 140 years and today leads the world in advanced integrated signalling and control systems for main line and mass transit railways.
The company has developed a comprehensive range of products, systems and services for all types of railways, providing fully integrated solutions - from initial system design, right the way through to installation, testing, commissioning, training and maintenance. Its products are at the heart of many of the world’s major railway and metro networks; recent projects have successfully been completed in the UK, Norway, Portugal, Hong Kong, China and Singapore.
Visitors to Railtex 07 will have an opportunity to discuss the full range of Westinghouse products, including WESTCAD, SystematICS, WESTeX and WESTLOCK.
At the heart of the stand will be a display of WESTCAD, featuring a simulation of the WRSL Service Control System (SCS) facility. This forms an integral part of the system which WRSL is supplying to BTUK - as part of the Metronet upgrade of the Victoria Line and SSL – and is based on similar systems which the company has installed in Singapore and on the Central Line in London.
The SCS provides the facility to automatically operate the railway in accordance with the timetable provided and to enable control room operating staff to manage the day to day running of the railway, by implementing alterations to the timetable for that operating day. This flexibility allows changes to be made as a result of situations that arise throughout the operating day, for example, the temporary closure of a station as a result of overcrowding.
Displays will demonstrate both the Operator Workstation environment and the facilities available on the Interlocking and Movement Simulator (IMS) control screens, which simulate the trains and signalling equipment.
Elsewhere on the stand will be a demonstration of SystematICS, the first fully integrated control and communications system specifically designed for rail applications. SystematICS integrates information from key railway management systems - including train control, traction power, tunnel ventilation, ticket machines and passenger information and security - and concentrates control of them into one highly efficient and very adaptable control centre. The system provides real time display of all essential and management functions, and full integration between them.
Railtex visitors will be able to view a display module which demonstrates how traction power and tunnel ventilation components function as part of a Westinghouse control centre.
Also on display will be the company’s WESTeX GCP4000 Level Crossing Predictor, which builds on the success of the GCP3000 model. The WESTeX GCP4000 is the latest generation, solid state, level crossing control system and is capable of controlling up to six lines.
It provides the capacity to deliver total control of level crossings, including train detection, crossing control logic, barrier and light drives, vital indications and event recording. The GCP4000 provides users with a high quality, full colour interface incorporating touch-screen technology which provides both configuration and diagnostic facilities.
Amongst other products and systems on display, the company will be highlighting the latest results of the trials of its WESTLOCK interlocking unit at Leamington Spa.
The six month trial represents a significant milestone in the generic approval process of WESTLOCK, during which it is fully controlling an area previously covered by a Solid State Interlocking (SSI).
WESTLOCK is a computer-based interlocking system; with each unit equivalent to four SSIs, WESTLOCK is able to control over 300 SEUs (Signalling Equivalent Units). As well as being more powerful, WESTLOCK is more compact and considerably faster, designed with high-speed data link capability for rapid communication with a range of control centre options, trackside equipment and ETCS radio block centres.
In addition to the system displays and demonstrations, visitors will also see examples of WRSL’s involvement in the major resignalling projects being undertaken across Network Rail. This will include the latest updates on the ground-breaking WESTLOCK interlocking as well as the company’s range of systems that offer technology solutions across the field of signalling and control. WESTRONIC Time Division Multiplex systems will be shown alongside the WESTPLEX vital data transmission product and the latest advances in control and display systems.
