The contracting authority of Adif-Alta Velocidad has awarded to the consortium consisting of CAF Signalling, Siemens Rail Automation and Alstom Transporte, the project’s Installation Performance and Maintenance Contract for the implementation of a centralized ERTMS train Protection System distributed on the High Speed Atlantic Corridor, for the sections Vigo-Santiago and Santiago-A Coruña.
The award amount is of 52.239 million Euros (31.03 M€ for Works and 21.2 M€ for maintenance), where 20% corresponds to CAF Signallig, with a work completion term of twelve months.
The sections have a total length of 167.4 kilometers, where 110.8 km correspond to the Vigo-Santiago section and 56.6 km to the Santiago-A Coruña section.
The section covered by the hereby project aims to install a Level 1 interoperable ERTMS/ETCS train protection system as main system, the existing ASFA system remaining as a backup system. In general, and as the main system is concerned, that is, the required Level 1 ERTMS System, our description of the technical solution is subdivided into three different sections corresponding to the three sections comprised within the route included in the scope of this tendering: Vigo – Redondela, Redondela – Vilagarcía de Arousa and Vilagarcía de Arousa – A Coruña.
Due to the tendered solution, the repercussions for implementing the Level 1 ERTMS system on the existing installations and its traffic condition shall be minimal or nonexistent.
The distribution of different provided ERTMS technologies mainly complies with technological presence of each one of the UTE members, so that:
– In the section between Vigo and Redondela, both electronic interlockings belong to the S3e technology from CAF Signalling, thus the installation of ERTMS systems from the same technologist is expected.
– In the section between Redondela and Vilagarcía de Arousa, where a major part of the interlockings belongs to the SMARTLOCK technology from ALSTOM, the installation of ERTMS systems from the same technologist is expected.
– In the section between Vilagarcía de Arousa – Santiago – Cerceda, where all interlockings and object controllers belong to the WESTRACE technology from Siemens Rail Automation, the installation of its corresponding ERTMS technology is expected.
The Vigo-Urzáiz – Redondela AV section is currently commissioned with electronic interlockings from CAF Signalling (QUASAR S3e). Therefore, the mixed type AURIGA solution of ERTMS L1 from CAF Signalling shall be installed in this section: centralized in the station and distributed or remote on the itinerary, by using the weatherproof LEU cabinets. The advantage of this option over the centralized one resides in a very considerable saving in cable C, provided that the LEU cabinets are next to the signals, except for stations.
The weatherproof cabinets for remote LEUs mounting shall be installed next to the route signal groups and they shall communicate with the CLC (L1EM) from CAF-Signalling via the fiber network.
From this cabinet, the remote LEUs shall be connected via cable C to the Eurobalises on one hand and on the other hand, they shall communicate with the CLC from CAF Signalling (L1EM), installed in the ENCE technical building managing this group of signals, via the communication network for the ERTMS System.
The weatherproof cabinets to be installed shall be adapted to the environmental and safety conditions in order to group the LEUs distributed on the route.
This project is of a particular relevance for CAF Signalling, among other reasons for being a pilot project in ADIF with Level 1 ERTMS/ETCS train protection in a section with various different technologies. In addition, CAF Signalling shall consolidate with this project its presence in this geographic area (Galicia), where it has commissioned lines or systems such as the CTC.
The figure below shows different items that shall make up the architecture proposed for the local equipment, as well as the communication between them.
