The European Train Control System (ETCS) laboratory now being used by the German Centre for Railway Traffic Research (DZSF) and Federal Railway Authority (EBA) is a milestone in the rollout of the European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS).
And it’s a milestone Agility3 is proud to have been instrumental in delivering!
Seeing what the driver sees
Working with our simulation partner, Clearsy, we developed the 3D project visualisation solution for the lab, providing a representative view from the simulated train driver’s cab.
This enables drivers to drive a route under ETCS conditions, observe exactly what they would see if they were driving the train for real, pick up on the visual cues outside the window, and thoroughly understand the effect of the changes the various rollout phases of ETCS will deliver.
The lab shows how rail organisations across Europe (and beyond) can use 3D visualisation and 3D simulation to test ETCS and ERTMS, and fine-tune systems and processes virtually, ahead of physical roll-out – accelerating (and substantially de-risking) the entire process.
ERTMS and ETCS: a looming deadline
ERTMS, and its core ETCS component covering in-cab signalling and train control, will deploy a single, harmonised, interoperable train control and signalling system across the whole of Europe.
It promises shorter journey times, greater capacity, improved safety, and increased sustainability, without laying down additional track.
But with a completion deadline of 2030, the race is well and truly on among rail organisations to implement simulation and visualisation solutions that will enable them to understand the changes, effects, and outcomes associated with this immensely complex and wide-ranging programme.
Agility3 has worked on 3D development with other European rail organisations to help them manage the impacts and opportunities of ERTMS – including ProRail in the Netherlands – and what the lab is now doing with our 3D Rapid Rail Cab View, and the Clearsy simulation system, will accelerate the way forward.
More on the lab – and why it matters
The lab was created by integrating Rapid Rail Cab View with the Clearsy simulator. Rapid Rail Cab View is designed specifically to be easily integrated with any rail simulation, so this combination was set to be highly effective from the start.
It enables the lab to define a range of test scenarios, simulating and accurately displaying in 3D information such as train position and speed, signal aspects (state, i.e. red or green), and points state.
We also created a generic 15km train route as a test environment, including real-world objects such as dual tracks, three stations, several sets of points and crossovers, and a range of different scenery.
A key benefit here is the ability to rapidly define and save a range of different signalling and sign configurations, any of which can be loaded at the start of a simulation. This enables the user to very quickly reconfigure the signalling scheme, retry the simulation, and compare results, to de-risk decisions and outcomes and optimise designs and processes.
In technical terms, the lab also includes an accurate simulation of all the trackside detection and safety elements (traffic management, RBC, interlocking system, spot transmission by balise), as well as a precise rendering of on-board ETCS equipment (including EVC in several versions as described in the Baselines applied in many European countries and Israel).
Ultimately, the powerful integration of the Agility3 Rapid Rail Cab View and Clearsy’s signalling simulation solutions will enable the lab to investigate, study, optimise and de-risk their ERTMS strategy.
Help with ERTMS planning
If you’re a rail organisation trying to understand the effect of the changes ERTMS and ETCS will bring to your operations, Agility3 can help.
We’re trusted by high-profile rail industry clients, including Transport for London (TfL), ProRail, and BCRRE, to deliver the visualisation expertise at the heart of their simulation and virtual reality programmes, and we can do the same for you.
For more information on our 3D visualisation solutions for rail and rail simulation, get in touch.
