CBTC—and beyond: looking at CBTC "not only as a train control system, but also in the context of an overall information, communication, monitoring, control, and management strategy" - communication based train control - Industry Overview

Railway Age, June, 2003 by William C. Vantuono

The Fifth International Conference on Communication Based Train Control, sponsored by Railway Age in association with Parsons, was held last month in Washington, D.C. The conference format was a combination of presentations by leaders in the CBTC field, together with panel discussions featuring users and suppliers of this growing technology.

The conference, attended by close to 150 people, provided status reports on state-of-the-art CBTC projects worldwide. More important, it provided an opportunity to share information on new initiatives to develop and standardize this train control technology. It also explored the future of CBTC, and how an ongoing revolution (some would prefer to say evolution) in information system technologies as well as train control is likely to offer additional safety and security.

"With numerous CBTC systems now in operation around the world, new CBTC systems entering service in Cities such as Singapore and San Francisco, and major CBTC programs under way on older transit systems in cities such as New York, Paris, and London, it became clear during this conference that CBTC has now become the technology of choice for transit agencies seeking to maximize the utilization of their rail network infrastructure and enhance the level of safety and service offered to their customers," said Parsons' Dr. Alan F. Rumsey.

Beyond CBTC

The thinking behind the conference theme of "CBTC-and Beyond" was "a recognition that very few CBTC projects are stand-alone train control projects," said Rumsey. "More often, CBTC projects are tightly integrated with other related projects, such as new-car procurements and car refurbishment, control center modernization, customer information and customer security initiatives, and system wide data communication networks." One example is NYCT's R143 subway car procurement. The Kawasaki-built cars are "CBTC ready" for service on the Canarsie Line when the train control system is cut over to CBTC.

"We need to begin to think about CBTC in a wider context, not only as a train control system, but also in the context of an overall information, communication, monitoring, control, and management strategy," said Rumsey, remarking on the conference's closing discussion. "For transit systems, CBTC truly is an 'enabling' technology that allows us to take a new look at operations with an expanded focus on the efficient movement of people, rather than a focus that is solely limited to the protection and controlling of train movements. Fully exploiting CBTC technology, however, requires us to critically examine our traditional organizations and to rethink our methods of designing, specifying, procuring, operating, and maintaining the operations-related elements of rail transit systems--organizations and methods that historically have been constrained by the technologies of earlier times. The CBTC programs currently under way in New York, Paris, and London, for example, have all adopted innovative procurement strate gies to improve the operations of their transit networks; strategies that rely more and more on a partnering relationship between agencies and suppliers and the need for a true 'systems' approach when developing technology solutions to today's rail transportation problems, together with a proactive, pragmatic project management philosophy."

A nuclear analogy

The same could be said about PTC (Positive Train Control) technologies being developed for freight and intercity/commuter rail passenger systems. Here, though, a few words of caution were spoken. One perspective came from Robert McCown, Director-Technology Development Programs in the Office of Railroad Development at the Federal Railroad Administration.

"To use an analogy from nuclear physics, 'critical mass' is achieved in a reactor when there is sufficient fuel and the control rods don't damp out the chain reaction," said McCown. "In PTC in North America, over the last decade we have been adding more and more 'fuel,' working toward critical mass. The positive factors include: prior major investments in demonstrations, which have produced a cadre of capable, knowledgeable people; significant operating experience; and basic validation that the technology concepts will work.

"Technology is becoming commonly available for multiple purposes: the Differential Global Positioning System network; computerized locomotive control systems and displays; new Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems; robust railroad data networks (wireless, wired, fiberoptic, satellite)-many using equipment made to ATCS specifications; synthesized frequency-agile radios; and commercial data radio networks available nationwide. These installations help mitigate the necessary new investment to support PTC.

"However, continuing to hold back the 'critical mass' are doubts about system safety; doubts about reliability; sources for non-recurring engineering investments; uncertainties about regulations and worries of legislated requirements; initial capital costs; lack of interoperability to avoid wasted investments; and uncertainty about business benefits leading to fudamental return-on-investment questions.