Day Two of SmartRail E
urope sees the Congress split into two streams. One focussing on Signalling and Train Control featuring speakers from Rfi, European Space Agency, Infrabel, Nigerian Railway Corporation, EIM Rail, Turin Metro, RATP and more. The second looks at railway telecommunications with expert speakers from RFF, Network Rail, New Jersey Transit, RapidKL, Metroselskabet amongst many others. Whilst in the buzzing Expo area we’ve seen Innovation Seminars from the likes of Traveline, SBB, DB, WESTBahn, Aporta Digital SNCF and 20+ others.
SmartRail World, reporting from Amsterdam, picks out ten of the speaker highlights from Day Two:
“Network Rail used to develop telecoms like they used to build bridges – they’d build it and make a note to come back in 20 years to check it – but this is completely different now.”
Clayton Nash, Head of Telecom Product, Network Rail
“Too often agencies write their RFP (Request for Proposal) with the solution already in mind. This precludes vendors in coming up with a better solution to your problem…. You have to be very careful in how you draft your RFP so it doesn’t predict what the vendor will offer.”
Allan Tilles, Narrowbanding Task Force Chair, Joint Council on Transit Wireless Communications
“Going forward its essential to combine technological decision making with budgetary planning. And its important to take into account maintainability rather than focussing on design.”
Kosit Tesuchata, Superintendent, Systems Engineering & Maintenance of Way, Jersey Transit – Newark Light Rail Operations
“We have developed an alternative simplified ERTMS to attend to the major constraints of frequency, vandalism / pilferage and the cost of implementing GSM-R.”
Roni Bello Ahmed, Deputy Director, Signalling & Telecoms, Nigerian Rail Corporation
“The problem is going from one country to another, the European Commission has though realised that if you want to implement ERTMS you have to begin the cross-border issue.”
Michel Ruesen, Managing Director, ERTMS User Group
“Africa is a greenfield in terms of rail development when compared to Europe, but though challenging it does make it in a way an easier place to install new system.”
Roni Bello Ahmed
“Monitoring the railway infrastructure is increasingly important and not just for the stability of the railway network, but also in spotting an external risk such as a landfall.”
Rob Postema, Feasibility Manager, Integrated Telecommunications Applications, ESA (The European Space Agency).
“Delivering real time information can help improve the perception of reliability for the passenger.”
Bent Flyen, Advisor in Real-Time Information Services, Operations IT, NSB
“Through integration of asset management operators can deliver a better level of service and reliability to the passenger. Providing operators with a high performance infrastructure.”
Chris Hubbard, Head of EMEA Data Solutions, Tibco
“With passenger expectations changing, it is important to consider not only onboard information but ensure high quality mobility services for the passenger.”
Julie Williams, Chief Executive, Traveline UK
SmartRail World 