Westinghouse Rail Systems, part of Invensys Rail Group, has commissioned a WESTeX GCP3000 Level Crossing Predictor (LCP) system into operational use for the Finnish Rail Administration Ratahallintokeskus.
Following a period of shadow mode operation, the system was commissioned on 19 March 2008 for a full twelve month pilot trial at Skogby station halt, an existing level crossing site on the Hanko to Karjaa line, in the south west of Finland. On successful completion of the trial, it is expected that the system will receive full Finnish product approval in January, 2009, adding to the Network Rail approval which has already been received.
Finland has over 3,000 open level crossings similar to the trial site in Skogby, the majority of which are unprotected – relying solely on the judgement of motorists and pedestrians to stop.
The WESTeX GCP3000 provides a low cost, elegant and efficient solution for open level crossings such as these; the installation at Skogby provides motorists with both flashing LED units and an audible warning to stop at the level crossing in the event of a train approaching.
The GCP3000 uses train detection functionality to operate level crossings in a fail-safe manner, reducing the amount of on-track equipment required to a minimum, whilst maintaining absolute integrity of train detection. All that is required is a single unit at the level crossing, and termination shunts between the rails at the strike-in point. Through the use of audio frequencies, the LCP is fully compatible with most standard forms of train detection, and provides a complete level crossing solution in one package. In particular, the system is compatible with dc, low frequency and audio frequency track circuits.
Unlike traditional level crossing systems, the WESTeX GCP3000 is capable of predicting the time at which a train will pass over the crossing, taking into account its approaching speed, and therefore is able to provide consistent warning times, reducing the period for which the crossing needs to be closed and, therefore, motorists’ waiting times.
In order to fully comply with Finnish rules and technical specifications as well as the requirements of the safety case assessment, the Skogby trial installation required a number of modifications to the standard UK location case arrangement.
Of prime importance in the design was the need to allow for Finland’s harsh climate and extreme weather conditions - which can be as high as +30C in the summer, falling to -25C in the winter, accompanied by heavy snowfall. To help combat this, the GCP3000 has been mounted on a raised platform to avoid the build up of snow around the location case. The system was also designed for different day/ night conditions, such that the LED units are dimmed and the audible sound intensity is reduced during night operation.
Commenting on the application, Westinghouse’s Project Manager, Vince Dade, said: “Having fully proven its capability in shadow mode, we’re delighted that the WESTeX GCP3000 is now controlling the crossing at Skogby. Whilst the trial application proved to be quite challenging, we have developed a robust solution that we believe will help Ratahallintokeskus in applications across the country and look forward to continuing to work closely with the Finnish Rail Administration as the ‘in service’ trial progresses.”
To monitor the installation and to carry out event logging, Westinghouse engineers are able to dial into the system remotely, through a GSM modem and antenna which have been incorporated into the Installed unit.
