SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONSSUPPLEMENT 11


The first electronic interlocking on the Hungarian railway network As a microprocessor-based electronic inter - locking appeared in Europe in the 1980s, MÁV decided at the beginning of 90s, that as from the second part of the decade, modernisation on main lines was to be elaborated with electronic equipment only. In 1992, the first version of functional requirements specification (FRS) for electronic interlocking was prepared by MÁV experts. Having an exhaustive FRS, MÁV requested an offer from five firms in order to choose the applicable system. Then MÁV asked for concrete offers from two companies, Siemens and Alcatel Austria; they got the right to supply electronic interlockings at three stations on the Hungarian section of the Budapest–Vienna corridor, as part of complete line reconstruction. As a result of long professional discussions between MÁV and invited companies, in 1994 two contracts were concluded: one for Tata station with Siemens and the other one for Almásfüzitő and Hegyeshalom stations with Alcatel Austria (formerly these stations were equipped with mechanical interlockings). According to the contract, two companies had to install electronic interlocking – looking back, the deadline of these contracts was very flexible, because of the never-ending technical discussions. In the end, in 1997, SIMIS-C of Tata and in 1998, Elektra1 of Almásfüzitő were taken into operation. Considering the novelty and complexity of MÁV requirements, numerous functions were missing at the time of the first taking-into- operations; but, of course, safety requirements were fully accomplished. Beyond fulfilment of FRS and considerable Traffic Rule Books, technical prescribes, both suppliers had to prepare interfaces with the ‘Hungarian environment’. Signal and point interfaces were not so problematic because points in Hungary were operated normally with well-known four-wires circuitry used in a lot of European countries and MÁV was ready to accept the transformer signal lamp circuits proposed by both companies. The most significant problems


were the following:  75 Hz coded track circuits (this is the base of continuous ATP operating on most of main lines of MÁV)


 Block interface (must be applicable for handling of interdependency between line


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level crossings and block system, because of raised (160km/h) line speed)


 Station level crossing interface: LXs in station area are not autonomous, independent system but part of station interlocking and a so-called route element.


Beyond aforementioned interfaces, special adaptations and dependencies should be carried out in Almásfüzitő and in Hegyeshalom (Elektra1), which was taken into operation in 2000. In Almásfüzitő, Elektra1 encompasses the Domino55 equipment, therefore special solutions had to find for train routes passing through the system borders and for dependencies between the two interlocking.


The spread of electronic


interlocking in Hungary in the first 10 years was very slow


A similar situation came out in Hegyeshalom, where a mechanical interlocking (keylock system with light signals) should be integrated into the electronic interlocking. In such cases we can tell: the signalling, as a profession is extremely unique, because we have to know (and operate, maintain, repair) the most up-to- date systems of approximately 150 years old.


Electronic interlockings installed in the 2000’s After the disintegration of former Yugoslavia in the 90s, Hungary did not have a direct railway connection with Slovenia because the only railway line was demolished on both sides (as in Hungary as in Yugoslavia) in the 80s. In 1996, Slovenia and Hungary ratified an interstate agreement on establishing a railway connection – the path was almost similar to the old one. MÁV planned electronic interlockings on four stations of the new line, and ETCS L1 as ATP (traditional Hungarian ATP was not planned). In 2000, the new railway connection was opened, but only with temporary (mechanical) interlocking. The new Elektra1 interlocking was taken into operation in March 2002 on the stations of Zalacséb-Salomvár, Zalalövő, Pankasz and Őriszentpéter (as MMI, EBO1s were installed only on Zalalövő and Őriszentpéter). The type of MMI was a serious shortcoming of the system,


because it did not fulfil MÁV requirements concerning interlocking MMIs (the same problem exist on Almásfüzitő and Hegyeshalom up to now). In order to remedy this defect, Alcatel Austria charged a Hungarian company, Prolan, to develop an MMI for Elektra1. At that time, Prolan had a remote control system for relay interlocking; this system fulfils MÁV requirements on interlocking MMI, especially the symbol catalogue prescriptions. The new remote control system for Elektra1 would be the so-called AKF equipment; therefore this system has been installed in Vecsés, Üllő and Monor stations, which were taken into operation between 2006 and 2007. Communi - cation between Elektra1 and AKF is established with the aid of the X25 protocol (this is the standard communication protocol between Elektra and any other external device). For the Hungarian railway industry, AKF is of


great importance and is a Hungarian product developed by Hungarian engineers. AKF MMI, as a main system element of an interlocking system, has answered MÁV’s expectations perfectly. It is worth mentioning, another main element of the interlocking, power supply system is ordered by both companies (Siemens and Alcatel / Thales) from a Hungarian supplier, PowerQuattro. As it could be seen, the spread of electronic


interlocking in Hungary in the first 10 years was very slow: only six stations were taken into operation. Because of the bad financial situation of Hungary, MÁV could accomplish interlocking developments only with European co-financing; that’s root of this slow spread. Although financial conditions did not change over the following years, in the period of 2007-2009, more electronic interlocking was taken into operation than the first 10 years.


Installation of electronic interlocking between 2007 and 2009 Between 2007 and 2009 numerous electronic interlocking was taken into operation; the contracts of these systems had been awarded between 2004 and 2006. In summer of 2007 an Elektra1 in Komárom began to operate; it was an important step for MÁV, because this station was the last ‘old’ (neither relay nor electronic) interlocking on the Hungarian section of the Budapest–Vienna connection (the replaced system, a VES electromechanical interlocking


European Railway Review Volume 18, Issue 1, 2012


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