Hima-Sella is to supply components for the European Train Control System (ETCS) signalling system trial that Hitachi Rail Europe is currently running in collaboration with Network Rail in the UK.
As sole UK distributor for Deuta-Werke rail components, Hima-Sella will supply MFT_L11 driver displays and DRS05 Doppler speed radar equipment. The display will indicate speed and ETCS related data to the driver on a 10.4” TFT display and processor with safety functionality approved to SIL2. The DRS05 uses the Doppler effect for the non-contact determination of speed, distance and driving direction. The patented antenna arrangement measures speeds from 0.2 to 600 km/h.
Detailed specifications are currently being developed with Hitachi Rail Europe and once finalised early on in 2010, equipment will be manufactured and shipped to Japan during 2011 for system integration and testing, before being fitted and trialled on a train in the UK.

The system to be trialled will be similar to the Hitachi-supplied Chinese Train Control System (CTCS3), currently being implemented. The aim is to ensure that the Hitachi Rail system is ETCS-compatible so that it can be introduced as part of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). ETCS addresses the significant differences between Europe’s separate national railway networks which use the same gauge but have differing voltages, signalling and control systems.
ETCS will enhance the rail network capacity, support increasingly reliable train operation and provide more efficient cab-based signalling systems that will eventually bring control inside the driving cab, using GSM-R radio technology, transmitted to trains by means of trackside base stations.
Hima-Sella Managing Director Ian Wright comments, “We’re delighted to be involved in this trial where the combination of Hima-Sella’s significant expertise in rail systems with proven Deuta-Werke technology will deliver the key components to this important project.”

About Hitachi Rail Europe:
Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Europe, Ltd. and is headquartered in London, UK. Hitachi Rail Europe is a total railway system supplier offering rolling stock, traction equipment, signalling, traffic management systems, and maintenance depots. Hitachi draws on many years of experience as a leading supplier of high-speed trains such as the Shinkansen (bullet train) for the Japanese and international markets. In Europe, Hitachi Rail Europe’s first rolling stock contract was to deliver a fleet of 29 Class 395 trains, the first domestic high-speed train in the UK. The trains are maintained at Hitachi’s state of the art depot in Ashford, Kent. For more information visit www.hitachirail-eu.com