Start-up activities for Advanced Signalling and Automation Systems

Project Information

X2Rail-1

Grant agreement ID: 730640

DOI

10.3030/730640

Project closed

EC signature date 18 August 2016

Start date 1 September 2016

End date 30 June 2021

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 18 090 998,97

EU contribution

€ 18 090 998,97

Coordinated by

SIEMENS MOBILITY GMBH
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 6 - X2Rail-1 (Start-up activities for Advanced Signalling and Automation Systems)

Reporting period: 2021-01-01 to 2021-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

X2RAIL-1 addresses the S2R-CFM-IP2-01-2015 “Start-up activities for Advanced Signalling and Automation System” call issued by the Shift2Rail (S2R) Joint Undertaking as part of the Innovation Programme 2 “Advanced Traffic Management & Control Systems”.
Shift2Rail activities focus on these three top level objectives:
• Support of the creation of the Single European Railway Area (SERA)
• Enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of the European railway system.
• Help the European rail industry to retain and consolidate its leadership on the global market.
The expected outcomes of the Shift2Rail activities aim to improve services and customer quality, increase capacity, increase reliability, reduce lifecycle costs, enhance interoperability and simplify business processes for all four rail market segments: high-speed and intercity passenger rail, regional passenger rail, urban/suburban passenger rail and rail freight.
The Shift2Rail Innovation Programme 2 (IP2) focuses on control, command and communication systems and tackles the aforementioned Shift2Rail objectives. These include evolving requirements for new functionalities and to expand the level of standardization in an increasingly challenging economic climate. Thus, the overall IP2 challenge is to increase functionalities of the existing signalling and automation systems and related design and validation processes providing a more competitive, flexible, real-time, intelligent traffic management and decision support system, whilst addressing all four market segments and maintaining backward compatibility to the existing European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) and especially its European Train Control System component (ETCS).
X2RAIL-1 addresses the first six out of eleven research and development work streams within the Shift2Rail IP2 in line with the Shift2Rail Multi Annual Action Plan (MAAP). These workstreams, also called Technical Demonstrators, are Adaptable Communication, ATO up to GoA 4, Fluid Moving Block, Zero on Site Testing, Smart radio Connected Object Controllers and Cyber Security. The five Technical Demonstrators Fail Safe Train Positioning, Onboard Train Integrity, Formal Methods, Traffic management Evolution and Virtual Coupling are dealt with in later projects. The eleven Technical Demonstrators were developed and researched over five X2Rail-x projects, which started between 2016 and 2020, each project focusing on a specific set of Technical Demonstrators, each building on the work done before. These projects allowed concepts developed, e.g. in X2Rail-1 projects to be further implemented to higher technical readiness level (TRL). Since the start of X2Rail-1, six more member projects within IP2 have started: X2Rail-2 (2017), X2Rail-3 (2018), X2Rail-4 (2019) TAURO (2020) and X2R5 (2020).

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Results of the 1st period: The initial functional architecture has been prepared. Regarding the Adapt. COM. System, the work has progressed on user requirements and the business model and the specification of the Communication System started.
The project has progressed on the specification for ATO over ETCS solution with GoA2 based on updated Operational Requirements and started the feasibility analysis and preliminary specification for a GoA3/4 solution.
After a discussion an agreement on the scope of the Moving Block system work package was found, the approach will use Scenario Descriptions, followed by System Engineering modeling.
For Zero on-site testing, a questionnaire has been prepared and reviewed with the aim of assessing the status quo in field test benchmarking. A first draft of the system boundaries for the definition of the test process was prepared.
Within the WP Smart Wayside Objects, first analyses of existing lines, economic models, railway requirements and standards were drafted.
In the scope of Cyber Security, the security assessment started, including the identification and comparison of the different standards. Also, first activities were conducted on threat Detection, Prevention and Response as well as the definition of the scope and functional specification of the “Cyber Sec. System” demonstrator and the selection of the “security-by-design” standard.
After period 2 the project is on track. All work packages have started the work and have organized the tasks according to participants and timeline. Most of the planned Deliverables were finished and uploaded in the ECAS tool. Where delays occurred, the reasons were identified, and mitigation actions taken. As of now, no major issues/problems were encountered. Some WPs will present first feasibility studies of their work at Innotrans 2018.
After period 3 the following paragraph gives an overview. Work package Zero Onsite Testing WP6 was finished and is ready to move the work to X2Rail-3. Several more work packages, especially Communication WP3 and Moving Block WP5 are in the process of preparing their last deliverables. The ATO WP has completed the GoA 2 specification and is in the process of developing prototypes which are compliant with these specifications. Also, the Deliverables of the Smart Objects WP are developing well. The Cyber security WP is the one which will produce the most documents at the end of the project. Much work was done in period 3 to structure the work and develop the topics further.
For period 4 the following overview shows the progress: System Coherence (WP2), Adaptable Communication (WP3) and Moving Block (WP5) were finished and moved the work to successor projects. The ATO (WP4) has completed all specification work and is still running the pilot test. Also, the deliverables of the Smart Objects WP are developing well and are finished. The Cyber security (WP8) was already finished, but D8.5 was re-opened after reviewer feedback for reworking. The final event was also performed. For period 5 remaining WPs except WP4 and WP1 were finished and mitigation measures against Covid-19 were taken, to ensure the project closure as planned.
For period 5 all work was concentrated on the ATO pilot which was affected by Covid-19 and were finally executed with a delay. Except WP1 and WP4 all deliverables were submitted or are approved.
Finally in period 6 WP4 deliverables and D1.2 (Quality Assurance Report) were approved, and the CAS audit was passed without any finding.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The major results of the projects are documented as Deliverables. Each Work Package will write several documents. To the public, the following Deliverables will become available in the course of the project:
• WP2 – System Coherrence: Document describing a Reference Architecture(s), Terminology for the future Signaling and Automation System
• WP3 - Adaptable Communication: User Requirements, Specification of the communication system and Guideline for choice of Technology
• WP4 – ATO over ETCS GoA2 Specification; ATO over ETCS GoA3/4 Feasibility Study and preliminary specification
• WP5 – Moving Block: Moving Block System Specifications; Moving Block Operational and Engineering Rules ; Moving Block Preliminary Safety Analysis ; Moving Block Application Report
• WP6 – Zero on site Testing: Current test condition and Benchmarking report
• WP7 – Smart radio controlled objects: Analysis of existing lines and economic models; Railway requirements and Standards application conditions
• WP8 - Cyber Security: Selection of the “security-by-design” standard; Definition of protection profiles

x2rail-1-flyer.png