ETCS – A brief Overview

Shiv Mohan

Sr. Signalling Design Engineer

Contents
• Introduction to ERTMS / ETCS

• Different levels

• Migration

• Fall back systems and Degraded operation

• IRSE Module Past Questions

Train Control System

 Surveilliance of the driver‘s behaviour

 Control of the braking system
Interlockin
g

Train Control System

Train detection system

Existing Train Protection Systems
in Europe
Europoen Traffic Management
System (ERTMS)
• This is the initiative from EC to create a unique signaling standard as a
cornerstone for the achievement of the interoperability of the trans-European rail
network.

• likely to be adopted by the rest of the world as well.

ERTMS= ETCS + GSM(R) + Traffic management functionality (ETML)

ETCS?
A speed control system in which ground-based equipment
transmits route and track information to the equipment onboard a
train for it to continuously calculate and monitor the maximum
permitted speed and apply brakes when that speed is infringed.

Defined ETCS Role:

To provide the Driver with
information to allow him to drive
the train safely and to enforce
respect of this information.
Basic Elements of ERTMS
It contains three basic elements:
1. ETCS (European Train Control System)
2. GSM-R (Global System for Mobiles – Railways)
3. ETML (European Traffic Management Layer)
On-Board Sub
System
Architecture: Trackside
Equipment
Application Level 0
 In Level 0 line side optical signals or other means of signalling
external to ERTMS/ETCS are used to give movement authorities to
the driver.
 ERTMS/ETCS on-board equipment provides no supervision except of
the maximum design speed of a train and maximum speed permitted
in unfitted areas.
 Train detection and train integrity supervision are performed by the
trackside equipment of the underlying signalling system (interlocking,
track circuits etc.) and are outside the scope of ERTMS/ETCS.
 Level 0 uses no track-train transmission except Eurobalises to
announce/command level transitions. Eurobalises therefore still
have to be read. No balise data except certain special commands are
interpreted.
 No supervisory information is indicated on the driver MMI except the
train speed.
 Application Level STM

 Level STM is used to run ERTMS/ETCS equipped trains on lines

equipped with national train control and speed supervision systems.
 The information displayed to the driver depends on the functionality of
the underlying national system. The active STM is indicated to the
driver as part of that information.
Level 1
1. Overlay to Existing Signaling System.

2. Movement Authorities through Eurobalise. Control and

Command
System
3. Train Integrity & Position by Track Circuit.

Interlocking
Stellwerk
Stellwerk
Stellwerk

ETCS EuroCAB

LEU
EuroLoop Eurobalise
s
TDS
Application Level 1
Application Level 1
Importance of Infill:
Euroloop
Radio Infill
Level 2
1. No More Trackside Signals Required
2. Movement Authorities through GSM-R.
3. Train Integrity by Track Circuit. Command
and Control
System

M-R
GS
RBC Interlocking
Stellwerk
Stellwerk
Stellwerk

ETCS EuroCAB

Eurobalise
s
TDS
Implementation Level 2
Level 3
1. Movement Authorities through GSM-R.
2. Train Integrity Onboard.
3. Moving Block Command
and Control
System

M-R
GS
RBC Interlocking
Stellwerk
Stellwerk
Stellwerk

y
g rit
te
In
ETCS EuroCAB

Eurobalise
s
Implementation Level 3
Modes of ETCS
operation:
• Full Supervision (FS) Any ETCS system should
• On Sight (OS) always be in one of these
• Staff Responsible (SR)
• modes (states). The transition
Reversing (RV)
• Unfitted (UN) from one mode to other occurs
• Sleeping (SL) in a defined manner and is
• Stand By (SB) authorized by RBC or Driver
• Trip (TR) depending upon transition
• Post Trip (PT) states involved.
• System Failure (SF)
• Isolation (IS)
• No Power (NP) A clear indication of the
• Non Leading (NL) ERTMS/ETCS mode and the
• Shunting (SH) ERTMS/ETCS level shall be
• STM European (SE) shown to the driver (i.e. not in
• STM National (SN) Isolation, No Power and
Sleeping mode).
Driver Machine Interface (DMI)
Presenting a target
 Balise

• The balise is a transmission

devices that can send telegrams to
the on-board sub-system.
• The balises provides the up-link, i.
e. the possibility to send messages
from trackside to the on-board sub-
system.
• The balises can provide fixed
messages or, when connected to a
lineside electronic unit, messages
that can be changed.
 Lineside electronic unit
(LEU)
• The lineside electronic units are electronic devices,
that generate telegrams to be sent by balises, on
basis of information received from external trackside
systems. They are interfaced with existing signalling
equipments.
 Radio Block Centre
 Evaluates information from electronic interlocking
(signal aspects and point positions) and
generates a movement authority for ETCS-
controlled rolling stock.
 Transmits standardised control information
(movement authorities, train stop, etc.) to ETCS-
controlled rolling stock using a standardised
European Euroradio protocol via GSM-R. 
 Receives position information from ETCS-
controlled rolling stock via GSM/R. 
 Monitors protected train movements in a line
area.
 Euroloop
• The Euroloop subsystem operates on
Level 1 lines, providing signalling
information in advance as regard to the
next main signal in the train running
direction.
• The Euroloop subsystem is composed of
an on-board functionality and by one or
more trackside parts.
Radio in-fill Unit
• The RADIO IN-FILL subsystem operates
on Level 1 lines, providing signalling
information in advance as regard to the
next main signal in the train running
direction.
• The RADIO IN-FILL subsystem is
composed of an on-board functionality and
by one or more trackside parts (named
RADIO IN-FILL Unit).
GRM-R Radio Communication

GSM-R is a 4MHz frequency bandwidth for uplink and downlink GSM (900
MHz) radio communications specific to the railway industry.

EIRENE - MORANE specifications guarantee performance at speeds up

to 500 km/h (310 mph), without any communication loss
GRM-R: Trackside
Equipment

VLR: Visitor location register; GCR: Group Call register; HLR: home location register; BSS: Base station sub system
NSS: Network switching Subsystem; BTS: Base transceiver station; BSC: Base station controller;
MSC: Mobile ser. switching centre; FTS: Fixed terminal subsystem; SIM: Subscriber identity module
GSM-R transmitter mast (The distance
between the base stations is 3-4 km)
 GSM-R: Features
• Supports voice and data connections through circuit switched data (up to 14.4 kbit/s). It is a
TDMA system with eight time slots per carrier.

• Additionally, because of the high security requirements in railway operations, the following
railway specific services were implemented into GSM-R:

 Advanced Speech Call Items (ASCI): includes emergency, group and broadcast call services
as a means of distributing information amongst a number of GSM-R network subscribers

 Enhanced multi level precedence and preemption (eMLPP) of calls, depending on the
subscriber's authorized priority

 Functional addressing: Allows a subscriber in a "function" to be called; this may be the

driver's cab. The initiator of the call only has to know the train number;

 Location dependent addressing: offers the caller the means of reaching a duty subscriber,
 Access matrix: facility for enabling but also for blocking different communication paths.

 Railway emergency calls (REC): specific priority communications in an emergency case e.g.
for track-to-train radio or shunting radio

 Vital Data transmission :Control and command data for train control and
train safety (ETCS).
Cost of Fitting Rolling Stock

An international study in 2006 showed train costs in Europe to be:

• Train Equipment cost per cab £50k
• Fitting cost per cab for new train £35k
• Retro fitting existing train per cab up to £200k

Build all New rolling stock with ERTMS irrespective of whether it is used in ERTMS
line or not
Headway comparison: ETCS L2
(Cab sig)
2007 Module 7
2007 Module 1
2006 Module 1
Migration
• Complete Migration
• Track side Equipments
• Train borne Equipments
 Level STM - Train borne

No change to trackside
Both the ETCS Equipped trains and Conventional Trains can run
 Trackside Migration
Double usage of the Balises
SIGNUM
ETCS ZUB
P44
SIGNUM
ETM-S ETM
ETCS telegram EuroZUB/EuroSIGNUM

P1| P2| P3| P4|... (ETCS-Daten) ...| Packet 44 (ZUB/SIGNUM-Daten

ETCS Telegram

EuroLoop

EuroBalise
Hazards of ETCS
• ETCS = 100% Safe ???
• No protection against interlocking wrong side failures
• Driver confusion if Cab indications with Line side Indications
may lead to SPADs or similar hazards.
• Existing Principles and Rules may be inappropriate. So new
operational principles and Signalling Principles required.
• Starting at Signal SPAD
• Shunting Movements – Rollback Mode (Reverse)
Hazards
● Human factors (the effects particularly on drivers, maintenance staff,
signallers, controllers) potentially causing degraded level of train
protection
● Inadequate data management causing degraded level of train protection
● Additional equipment requiring trackside access, with associated risk to
trackside workers during installation and maintenance until System D or
above is commissioned and lineside signals are reduced
● The transfer of risk from infrastructure to trainborne system, with the new
requirement for high integrity signalling equipment on the train
● The transfer of risk from driver to trainborne system, with the driver more
reliant on information provided by the trainborne system
● Delays in implementing ERTMS and its associated safety benefits due to
the new safety acceptance process operating less efficiently than the
existing process
● Risks due to degraded operation following system failures.
Fallback & Degraded
modes

Fallback communication
Post telephone,
CSR,
GSM-P,
satellite phone,
W-LAN.
 Availability
• Requires high availability due to large area of effect:
• The ERTMS/ETCS quantifiable contribution to operational
availability, due to hardware failures and transmission errors,
shall be not less than 0.99984. (approx. 80 min downtime in
a year)
• In the case of fallback situations where the primary system is
not performing, operating commands and information must
continue to flow in such a way to maintain a given level of
operation, and to assist in the recovery process, and keep
trains moving safely.
Fallback signalling

Switch to Level 1 if ETCS Level 2 fails

Partial Supervision Mode if full supervision mode is
not available
redundant balise to give info during radio
communication failure,
absolute block signals,
points locked indicators,
New operation rules during failures
Degraded mode functionality
required
• So far as reasonably practicable, the System should continue to provide
the following functionality in degraded modes of operation:
 - conflicting/opposing movements should not be authorised;
 - level crossings should be proved to be safe for the passage of trains and
the stopping of road traffic;
 - points should be proved to be in the correct position and prevented from
moving;
 - restricted MAs (eg for movements at low speed) should be issued to
trains by the System, in preference to the use of verbal instructions;
 - movements should continue to be made under the protection of ATP
(even if the ATP is operating in a partial supervision mode);
 - the route ahead should be clear of trains.
Related IRSE Technical Papers
• ETCS
• Implications of Transmission Based Signalling