Business profile
The integration, automation and operation of various systems onboard a train – the Train Management System (TMS) – is the challenge EKE Electronics constantly strives to meet
T
MS is a generic term used to describe the central system controlling the various ‘sub-systems’ installed in the train. Sub-systems may include doors, lights, speedometer, communication systems (passenger information systems, publicannouncement systems, etc.), data recording systems (event recorders, video surveillance systems, etc.) and virtually any other system with a function onboard the train.
As trains become more complex
on the back of demands for improved performance, safety, energy efficiency and comfort, an increasing number of systems and technologies need to be integrated, monitored and controlled. According to Peter Eldh, sales manager
at EKE Electronics, today’s challenge is to successfully merge the various software and hardware driving those systems and make them operate in a unified way. Eldh said ‘Difficulties arise from the lack of interoperability between the different systems and sometimes from the absence of harmonisation between the various system providers. ‘It is common to have several systems in a train using their own separated communication networks and technologies, which leads to complicated and expensive wiring requirements and software requirements.’ The problem arises from what Eldh sees as a lack of uniformity. ‘TMS source codes are commonly non-standard or with restricted access, which prevents further development and modification by the operators. These constraints hinder and slow down TMS development. It also significantly increases development and maintenance costs. ‘The increase in number and complexity
of onboard systems generates an enormous flow of information. Video surveillance systems have become standard equipment onboard urban trains and generate an important amount of data. It’s a challenge in such a dynamic environment to sort, analyse and convey the right information at the right time to the right people.’ The knock-on effect of advancing technology onboard trains is that rolling stock and TMS life cycle costs increase. The initial cost of the system, its design, configuration and maintenance, as well as spare parts,
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must all be factored in by the Toc. Eldh said: ‘When looking at their chosen
TMS, operators can no longer consider the acquisition cost alone. They must also consider its life cycle costs. The ongoing challenge is for ‘harmonisation and interoperability between systems’ said Eldh. ‘In addition, automation, increased
capabilities and smart data management tools are required to efficiently manage trains and take full advantage of all the sophisticated onboard equipment.’
Open system and standardisation EKE Electronics’ philosophy centres on the use of open systems and open standards for both hardware and software. The company believes such grounding permits cost- efficient TMS development, operation and maintenance.
Eldh said: ‘The lack of interoperability
and harmonisation between the different systems creates extra costs when performing system integration. The limited openness of both hardware and software often adds to the complexity and time required by the operator to develop the TMS.’ In many cases, the operators have to rely on the TMS provider to perform even simple routine developments, which significantly increases the development and maintenance costs.
‘In order to reduce life cycle costs, there is a need for a truly open TMS platform which works with open standards that would enable easy and quick developments,’ added Eldh. While such a system would establish international standards, it would require both an open platform and open software (Linux-based for example) to allow for the simple integration of standardised train hardware and software.’ The result would be what Eldh calls a
‘modular system’ offering a straightforward development route that is simple to upgrade or update. It would also allow for ownership of source code and intellectual property rights.
The power of Ethernet Eldh said: ‘The previous generation of TMS has required manufacturers and operators to build separate networks for its different services. CCTV uses one network and the passenger information system another, however from a hardware/software perspective, building and supporting several networks can be complicated and more expensive. ‘In addition, many of the traditional
train network standards such as WTB (1 Mbit/s data rate) do not have the bandwidth to support multiple systems,’
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