EUROPEAN RAILWAY AGENCY

ERTMS UNIT

INTRODUCTION TO ETCS BRAKING CURVES

Reference: ERA_ERTMS_040026 Document type: Technical

Version : 1.4

Date : 14/06/16

Edited by Quality review Approved by

Name A. HOUGARDY A. CHIAPPINI P. GUIDO
Position ERTMS Unit Project Officers ERTMS Unit Quality Manager ERTMS Head of Unit
Date

&

Signat.

File : 452719890.doc PAGE 1 OF 28

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INTRODUCTION TO ETCS BRAKING CURVES

AMENDMENT RECORD
Version Date Section number Modification/description Author(s)

0.1 07/03/11 Document creation AH

0.2 23/03/11 1st internal review AH
0.3 31/03/11 2nd internal review AH
1.0 06/04/11 First Release AH
1.1 21/06/11 Editorial fixes AH
1.2 19/06/12 3.3.3 Upgrade of validity domain of the AH
Conversion model
Editorial fixes
1.3 21/01/16 Update according to baseline 3 2nd release AH
version as recommended to EC
1.4 14/06/16 Update according to Baseline 3 2nd release AH

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

AMENDMENT RECORD 2
Table of contents 3
Table of figures 4
Table of tables 4

1.REFERENCES, TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 5

1.1. Reference documents 5

2.GENERAL OVERVIEW 6
2.1. Braking curve: what? 6
2.2. Harmonised Braking curves for ETCS: why? 6
2.2.1. Background 6
2.2.2. Current situation 6

3.ETCS BRAKING CURVES DESCRIPTION 8

3.1. Achieving the ETCS Core functionality 8
3.1.1. Providing the parachute 8
3.1.2. Advising the driver 8

3.2. Input parameters 10

3.3. How to get the EBD CURVE– guaranteed emergency brake
deceleration 12
3.3.1. EBD definition 12
3.3.2. Guaranteed emergency brake deceleration 13
3.3.3. Capture of the braking input parameters - Gamma trains vs Lambda trains 15

4.ETCS BRAKING CURVES KEY IMPACTS ON THE RAILWAY SYSTEM 18

4.1. ETCS cab signalling vs conventional lineside signalling 18
4.2. Braking curves in relation to signalling headway 19
4.3. Engineering ETCS level 1 lines fitted with eurobalises only 20

5.NUMERICAL EXAMPLES 21
5.1. Introduction 21
5.2. High speed passenger train 21
5.3. Conventional passenger train 23
5.4. Freight train braked in P mode 26
5.5. Freight train braked in G mode 27

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TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Overview of the EBD braking curve and its related supervision limits................................9
Figure 2: Indication to the driver before the Permitted speed starts to decrease............................10
Figure 3: Overspeed, driver is left additional time to avoid the ETCS intervention..........................10
Figure 4: Construction of the EBD...................................................................................................12
Figure 5: Dispersion of emergency braking performance on dry rails.............................................14
Figure 6: Rolling stock correction factors for Gamma trains – split of responsibility RU/IM.............15
Figure 7: Integrated correction factors for lambda trains.................................................................16
Figure 8: Train braking performance fitting the line (warning signal location and line speed),
analogy between Cab signalling and Lineside signalling,.........................................................18
Figure 9: Lower train braking performance, Lineside signalling without ETCS...............................19
Figure 10: Lower train braking performance, Cab Signalling with ETCS braking curve..................19
Figure 11: Contribution of the ETCS braking curve to the headway................................................20
Figure 12: Distance apportionment for high speed train..................................................................22
Figure 13: Distance apportionment for Conventional passenger train- gamma approach..............25
Figure 14: Distance apportionment for Conventional passenger train - lambda approach.............25
Figure 15: Distance apportionment for freight train braked in P mode............................................27
Figure 16: Distance apportionment for freight train braked in G mode............................................28

TABLE OF TABLES
Table 1 : Reference documents.........................................................................................................5
Table 2: High speed train, example of input parameters.................................................................22
Table 3: Conventional passenger train, example of input parameters (Gamma method)................23
Table 4: Conventional passenger train, example of input parameters (Lambda method)...............24
Table 5: Freight train braked in P mode, example of input parameters...........................................26
Table 6: Freight train braked in G mode, example of input parameters...........................................28

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1 REFERENCES, TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

2 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
Table 1 : Reference documents

Ref. N° Document Title Last

Reference Issue
[1] SUBSET-026 ERTMS/ETCS System Requirements Specification 3.6.0
[2] ERA_ERTMS_015 ETCS Driver Machine Interface 3.6.0
560
[3] SUBSET-041 Performance Requirements for Interoperability 3.2.0
[4] UIC 544-1 Brakes – Braking power 6th edition
[5] EN15595 Railway applications - Braking - Wheel Slide Protection 2009

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3 GENERAL OVERVIEW
4 BRAKING CURVE: WHAT?
A CCS system does not brake, i.e. it is not responsible for the braking system of the
train, which will do the actual job. ETCS (and also some elaborated legacy CCS
systems) supervises both the position and speed of the train to ensure they
continuously remain within the allowed speed and distance limits, and -if necessary-
it will command the intervention of the braking system to avoid any risk of the train
exceeding those limits.

To do so the ETCS onboard computer must predict the decrease of the train speed
in the future, from a mathematical model of the train braking dynamics and of the
track characteristics ahead. This prediction of the speed decrease versus distance is
called a braking curve.

From this prediction the ETCS on-board computer calculates in real time braking
distances, which will also be used to assist the driver and to allow him to drive
comfortably, by maintaining the speed of the train within the appropriate limits.
5 HARMONISED BRAKING CURVES FOR ETCS: WHY?
6 BACKGROUND
Two of the ETCS frequently asked questions are why to fully harmonise the ETCS
braking curves and why it has been so difficult and controversial.

The main reason is the clear split of responsibility between the Railway Undertaking
and the Infrastructure Manager, which has been enforced by the EU directives. The
CCS system has naturally stuck to the same logic, resulting into two separate ETCS
trackside and on-board subsystems.

However this has to be put in perspective with the very high degree of integration of
the legacy CCS systems, which have been developed on a national basis and with a
speed/distance control philosophy closely linked to the underlying signalling system.
For instance, the required safety level of the railway operation with legacy systems
is obtained according to assumptions with regards to the braking (safety margins)
that can vary drastically from one country to another one, that very often cannot be
apportioned between trackside and on-board or even worse that are not clearly
identifiable.

Therefore the move towards a unified speed and distance control, together with a
clear split of responsibility between the Infrastructure Manager and the Railway
Undertaking, implies that:

 the behaviour of the train with respect to its braking curves must be fully
predictable

 the safety margins, which tell how reliable is the braking curve itself, can be
unambiguously apportioned between the trackside and on-board
subsystems. Note that the reliability of the braking curve used for the ETCS
supervision is related to the braking system only and should not be mixed up
with the reliability of the ETCS system itself.
7 CURRENT SITUATION
Today the ETCS baseline 2 specifications lay down the basic principles for the
braking curves and the associated information displayed to the driver, but there is
still no harmonised method/algorithm to compute them; as a result, the following

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consequences arise:

 In the absence of any requirement, the algorithms of the ETCS on-board

suppliers lead to different braking distances for a given type of rolling stock.
This makes the engineering of the ETCS trackside and potentially the
granting of slots not only dependent on the pure performance of the rolling
stock braking system, but also on the ETCS on-board supplier itself.

 For cross border trains, the differences through national rules/practices

require the implementation in the ETCS on-board of several national braking
curves. It can obviously induce increased costs (software design, cross
acceptance tests, software upgrade necessary whenever a national
parameter is amended...).

More than ten years after the start of the first discussions between the stakeholders,
the convergence towards a stable specification of the ETCS braking curve
functionality has now been achieved and is reflected in the baseline 3 SRS 3.5.0
(ref [1]).

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8 ETCS BRAKING CURVES DESCRIPTION

9 ACHIEVING THE ETCS CORE FUNCTIONALITY
10 PROVIDING THE PARACHUTE
The braking curve related to the speed decrease due to the emergency brake is
called EBD (Emergency Brake Deceleration) curve. Each specific target location
(corresponding either to a speed reduction or to a stop location) given by the ETCS
trackside is used by the ETCS on-board to compute a fully deterministic EBD curve,
which depends on both train and track characteristics. The shape of the EBD curve,
for a given piece of track, will therefore vary according to the type of rolling stock:
the less the emergency braking system is efficient, the flatter the EBD curve will be.

From the EBD and the measured (i.e. estimated) train speed, the ETCS computer
calculates in real time, several times per second, the distance necessary to stop (or
decelerate) the train from the time the ETCS on-board would command the
intervention of the emergency brake. To do so, it is necessary to make worst case
assumptions:

 on the train dynamics during the lapse of time before the full emergency
brake effort is developed (emergency brake build up time), by taking into
account the measured acceleration

 on the actual speed of the train, by taking into account the inaccuracy of the
speed measurement

This distance determines a location called the EBI (Emergency Brake Intervention)
supervision limit, i.e. the point beyond which ETCS will bypass the human in charge
(see Figure 1).

The EBD curve and the resulting EBI supervision limit are the elements of the ETCS
speed and distance monitoring function, which materialize the so called ETCS
parachute.

Important note: the term parachute must be understood as the preventive reaction
of a CCS system, against any exceeding of the speed and distance limits. On the
other hand, a legacy “Warning/Stop” CCS system, which for instance only reacts
when passing a signal at danger, should not be strictly considered as a parachute
(or at most considered as a parachute that opens up too close from the ground).
11 ADVISING THE DRIVER
In addition to the parachute functionality, ETCS provides the driver with advance
information related to braking. Its purpose is to assist the driver and to allow him to
drive comfortably, by maintaining the speed of the train within the appropriate limits.

Therefore the ETCS on-board calculates in real time other supervision limits:
Indication (I), Permitted speed (P), Warning (W) and Service Brake Intervention
(SBI) (only if the ETCS on-board is designed to command itself the service brake).
They consist of locations that, when crossed by the train, will trigger some
information to be given to the driver through appropriate graphics, colours and
sounds on the Driver Machine Interface (see document ref [2] for details).

These locations are defined in order to:

 For the “I” supervision limit: leave the driver enough time to act on the service
brake so that the train does not overpass the Permitted speed, when this

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latter will start to decrease. Without the indication it would not be possible for
the driver to perform a transition from ceiling speed supervision to the target
speed supervision without overpassing the Permitted speed (see Figure 2).

 For the “P” supervision limit: in case of overspeed, to leave the driver an
additional time to act on the service brake so that the train will not overpass
the point beyond which ETCS will trigger the command of the brakes.

 For the “W” supervision limit, to give an additional audible warning after the
Permitted speed has been overpassed.

 For the “SBI” supervision limit, to take into account the service brake build up
time so that the EBI supervision limit is not reached after the command by
ETCS of the full service brake effort. The SBI supervision limit is facultative
and can be implemented on-board the train in order to avoid too frequent
emergency braking, which can be damaging for both the rolling stock and the
track.

Figure 1: Overview of the EBD braking curve and its related supervision limits

Moreover the ETCS computer has to continuously display the Permitted speed to
the driver. Even though it is customary to call this displayed Permitted speed a
“braking curve”, in reality the ETCS computer does never calculate such a braking
curve as a whole. Only the mental image of ETCS plotting on a graph a decreasing
displayed Permitted speed versus distance could be seen as a braking curve but
here it does not consist of a prediction made by the ETCS computer: this latter has
only to consider the “P” supervision limit, which is a single location (normally ahead
of the train unless there is an overspeed) calculated for the currently measured train
speed.

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Figure 2: Indication to the driver before the Permitted speed starts to decrease

The main purpose of the ETCS display is to invite the driver to keep the train speed
as close as possible to the Permitted speed (see Figure 2). However the driver
might eventually fail to do it and should be the case, ETCS offers him/her a second
chance to brake the train before it takes over the responsibility to command the
brakes. This is materialised by a more visible and audible warning and an additional
time left to act on the service brake in order to avoid the ETCS intervention, i.e. to
avoid that the EBI or the SBI supervision limit (depending on whether the ETCS
command on the service brake is implemented) is reached (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Overspeed, driver is left additional time to avoid the ETCS intervention

12 INPUT PARAMETERS
Numerous input parameters are necessary to feed the ETCS braking curve
algorithms and to allow the ETCS on-board computer to perform in real time its
supervision and advisory functions; they can be classified in four categories:

 Physical parameters, which results from the real time measurements by the

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ETCS on-board equipment: instantaneous position, speed and acceleration;

 ETCS fixed values, which are invariant within a given ETCS baseline. They
mostly relate to the ergonomics of the braking curve model itself (e.g. driver
reaction times, see Figure 1);

 ETCS trackside data. It consists of signalling data (target speed/locations),

infrastructure data (downhill/uphill slopes) and also some of the so called
ETCS National Values, which can affect the ETCS braking curve model.
These parameters are under the strict control of the Infrastructure Manager
and are transmitted through the relevant ETCS transmission medium (balise,
loop or radio).

 On-board parameters, which are captured before the Start of mission as part
of the so called ETCS Train Data. They mostly relate to the rolling stock
braking system itself.

Amongst the two last categories of input parameters, a particular care must be paid
to the ones contributing to the computation of the EBD curve. Indeed, the
responsibility of the ETCS being solely to command the emergency brake in due
time, the overall safety of a railway system highly relies on the fact that the trains will
be effectively braked according to the predicted EBD.

Therefore the EBD curve must fulfil the relevant safety, which is required for the
operation of ETCS trains on a given infrastructure. This is materialised in the ETCS
braking curve model by the so called “correction factors”.

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13 HOW TO GET THE EBD CURVE– GUARANTEED EMERGENCY

BRAKE DECELERATION
14 EBD DEFINITION
The EBD is a parabolic shaped curve that starts from the target location and is
computed with the deceleration resulting from:

 the guaranteed deceleration due to the emergency brake system itself

(A_brake_safe)

 the deceleration/acceleration due to the uphill/downhill slopes (A_gradient)

To that effect, the emergency brake deceleration is modelled through a step function
of deceleration against speed (“emergency brake deceleration profile”), while the
track slopes are sent by the ETCS trackside as a step function of constant slopes
against distance (“gradient profile”). The combination of both gives a set of
interconnected parabolic arcs, each of them corresponding to a speed and distance
“region” with a constant deceleration (see Figure 4).

A_brake_safe A_gradient

+
Distance
Speed

Asafe ( v , d )  Abrake _ safe ( v )  Agradient ( d )

Figure 4: Construction of the EBD

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15 GUARANTEED EMERGENCY BRAKE DECELERATION

Even though the current ETCS baseline 2 specification introduces the concept of
EBD curve, they do not tell how reliable must be the EBD curve, or in other terms
what do represent the margins that are taken in order to obtain the guaranteed
emergency brake deceleration.

A mistake usually made is to mix up the reliability with which the train will develop
the guaranteed deceleration with the ETCS on-board safety target (i.e. Tolerable
Hazard Rate set to 10-9/h). Indeed, the ETCS on-board THR only represents the
acceptable failure rate for the ETCS on-board equipment to command the brakes
when it is expected to do so, based on the input information given to ETCS. In other
terms the reliability of the emergency braking system itself will have an impact on
the overall safety of a railway system, but it is just a contributor distinct from the
ETCS on-board THR.

The ETCS braking curve model is tailored to allow a clear responsibility split
between the Railway Undertaking and the Infrastructure Manager, for what regards
the determination of the EBD curve.

With the ETCS braking curve model, the margin between the nominal emergency
brake performance (A_brake_emergency) and the guaranteed one is quantified by
the so called correction factors. This margin is essentially related to characteristics
of the rolling stock itself and depends on:

 The dispersion of the performance of some braking elements (pads,

cylinders,…)

 The reliability of the braking system components

 The architecture of the braking system (number of independent components)

 The efficiency of the Wheel Slide protection (WSP) system in case of wet rail

 Others...

Since there can be a natural tendency in some countries to already include hidden
margins when establishing the nominal braking performance of a rolling stock, first
of all ETCS sets the reference conditions under which the nominal emergency
deceleration must be established: environmental conditions, friction elements, track
profile, wear of the wheels, all braking systems considered for the emergency
braking up and running.

While it is relatively easy to represent through a statistical model the dispersion of

the braking performance on dry rails (see Figure 5), the physical phenomenon that
occur when braking on wet rails are still today extremely difficult to model. In order to
overcome this difficulty, two distinct rolling stock correction factors have been
created in order to get the guaranteed emergency brake deceleration:

 Kdry_rst, to quantify the dispersion of the emergency braking performance

on dry rails. Kdry_rst is relevant for confidence levels, which represent the
probability that one emergency braking will effectively ensure a deceleration
at least equal to A_brake_emergency * Kdry_rst. This correction factor can
be calculated offline e.g. through the Monte-Carlo methodology;

 Kwet_rst, to quantify the loss of emergency braking performance on a

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reference reduced wheel/track adhesion, with regards to dry rails. It can be

retrieved from the field tests prescribed to qualify the WSP system, as per
standard EN15595 (ref [5]).

Figure 5: Dispersion of emergency braking performance on dry rails

On the one hand, these two correction factors offer the advantage to be strictly
under the responsibility of the Railway Undertaking, because only related to the
rolling stock characteristics. On the other hand, the ETCS braking curve model
offers the Infrastructure Manager two levers in order to interact on the computation
of the EBD curve:

 the selection of the confidence level with which the guaranteed emergency
braking on dry rails will be considered;

 a weighting factor that can mitigate Kwet_rst, in case the available wheel/rail
adhesion is higher than the reference one defined in the standard EN15595.

As a matter of fact, these two parameters (sent by ETCS trackside as National

Values) are under the sole Infrastructure Manager responsibility and can be used to
derive the overall safety target applicable to a given infrastructure.

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16 CAPTURE OF THE BRAKING INPUT PARAMETERS - GAMMA TRAINS VS

LAMBDA TRAINS
As explained above, the main prerequisite for the ETCS braking curve model is to
capture the emergency braking performance of a train as both deceleration profile
and brake build up time.

When the ETCS on-board equipment is fitting a train with a fixed composition or a
finite number of predefined compositions, all the nominal deceleration profiles, their
corresponding rolling stock correction factors and the brake build up times can be
preconfigured in the ETCS on-board equipment (see Figure 6). The trains for which
it is possible to store such predefined data are called “Gamma trains”.

At the Start of Mission, ETCS on-board automatically uses the preconfigured data
corresponding to the relevant train composition, if needed from a train
preparer/driver selection or from a dedicated train input (see Figure 6).

Figure 6: Rolling stock correction factors for Gamma trains – split of responsibility RU/IM

Abrake _ safe  Abrake _ emergency  K dry _ rst  M _ NVEBCL  K wet _ rst  M _ NVAVADH  1  K wet _ rst 
             
Abrake _ dry

In case of variable composition trains, it is neither possible to directly express nor to

predefine the braking performance with deceleration data. The only alternative is to
request the train preparer/driver to enter the braked weight percentage as the
unique data characterising the braking power of the train. Then the ETCS on-board
converts it into an emergency brake deceleration profile and build up time.

The braked weight percentage of the train is obtained by dividing the sum of the
braked weight of all the individual vehicles (determined according to UIC Leaflet
544-1) by the total weight of the train. The trains for which the braking performance

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is captured (through the train preparer or the driver) as braked weight percentage
and is converted into deceleration data are called “Lambda trains”.

It must be underlined that the deceleration profile and brake build up time so
obtained are pure mathematical artefacts without any physical meaning. Indeed the
conversion consists of a unique algorithm, which has been designed and validated
through a comparison with the braking distances measured during an extensive field
tests campaign performed by UIC with a large variety of train types.

Since the driver cannot reasonably be requested to enter any explicit correction
factor, it has been chosen, in order to obtain a deceleration profile suitable for the
EBD curve, to offer the Infrastructure Manager the possibility to define “Integrated
correction factors”, which will be sent by the ETCS trackside:

 A pair of correction factors given as a step function of speed, for both

Passenger (P) and freight (G) trains

 A correction factor given as a step function of the train length

Figure 7: Integrated correction factors for lambda trains

Abrake _ tuned  Abrake _ converted ( )  K v _ int  Train type  K r _ int  L_train

In order to compute the EBD curve, the guaranteed emergency brake deceleration
profile is substituted with this tuned deceleration profile :
Asafe ( v, d )  Abrake _ tuned ( v )  Agradient ( d )

These integrated correction factors are actually used as tuning factors, allowing the
Infrastructure Manager to tweak the ETCS braking curves so that they could fit to
the legacy signalling system. Such approach, which reflects to some extent the
current integrated railway practice, has the following disadvantages:

 There is an overlap of responsibility between the Railway Undertaking and

the Infrastructure Manager: for a given value of the braked weight
percentage, the shape of the EBD curve is “imposed” by the IM regardless of
the architecture and performance of the rolling stock braking system. As a
result the (not quantified) reliability of the EBD curve may vary from one train
type to another one and the integrated correction factors may have to be
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aligned to the less performing train in terms of dispersion and resilience to

wet conditions.

 The validity domain of the conversion model is limited: maximum speed 200
km/h, braked weight percentage between 30% and 250% and maximum train
length 900m (Passenger trains) or 1500m (Freight trains).

 Unlike the National Values for gamma trains, it has been impossible to the
railways to find a consensus for the default values of the integrated
correction factors. The default values are fixed values stored on-board and
can be enforced in case of cross border cold movements (e.g. locomotives
pulled as wagon with the ETCS on-board equipment switched off).

For conventional passenger trains, the Railway Undertaking has the full freedom to
opt for the preconfigured emergency deceleration profile and rolling stock correction
factors or for the capture of the braked weight percentage and its associated
conversion. ETCS even offers the possibility for the train preparer/driver, if the ETCS
on-board is so configured, to select one or the other method, this feature being
useful for locomotives that alternatively pull passenger trains and freight trains.

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17 ETCS BRAKING CURVES KEY IMPACTS ON THE RAILWAY

SYSTEM
18 ETCS CAB SIGNALLING VS CONVENTIONAL LINESIDE SIGNALLING
Today, almost all the conventional lines are fitted with optical signals. Even on those
lines fitted with an underlying legacy CCS system, the driving of the trains is
primarily based on the observance by the driver of the optical signal aspects. The
warning signal requires the driver to start braking in due time when the train must be
brought to a stop from the nominal line speed.

These signals are therefore located in order to match the braking performance of
the preferred type of rolling stock operating on the concerned line, taking into
account the slopes and possibly some safety margins.

When trains with less good braking performance (e.g. freight trains) have to operate
on a line designed for better trains, the driver is instructed (generally through its
driver’s route book or eventually through the legacy CCS system) to run at a lower
speed than the nominal line speed, keeping in mind that the location from which he
starts to brake (the warning signal) remains the same for all trains.

In a few words, driving with optical signals implies that the location where to start
braking is fixed, while the initial speed is adapted in order to match the braking
performance of the train. With ETCS, this is exactly the contrary: the initial speed is
constant, while the location where to start braking is adapted according to the
braking performance of the train.

This is why running under the ETCS full supervision can only be achieved with the
concept of “Cab Signalling”: in normal situation while running the driver must
observe the displayed information on the DMI and he/she is not required to look
outside the lineside signals.

Figure 8: Train braking performance fitting the line (warning signal location and line speed),
analogy between Cab signalling and Lineside signalling,

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Figure 9: Lower train braking performance, Lineside signalling without ETCS

Figure 10: Lower train braking performance, Cab Signalling with ETCS braking curve

19 BREAKING CURVES IN RELATION TO SIGNALLING HEADWAY

When operating trains under the ETCS full supervision, the Indication distance at
line speed (i.e. the distance from the Indication supervision limit at line speed to the
stop location) is called the perturbation distance and is a major contributor to the
headway that can be achieved on a line. The headway is generally expressed as the
time between two consecutive trains, but can also be represented by the minimum
distance between trains that allows them to safely run at the desired line speed,
without being disrupted.

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Figure 11: Contribution of the ETCS braking curve to the headway

Note: the system delays in Figure 11 include all the processing and transmission
delays (Interlocking, ETCS trackside and on-board, GSM-R in case radio is used),
which happen from the time the first train has left a signalling block section to the
time the information displayed to the driver of the second train is refreshed.

It is therefore clear that the perturbation distance, which is only partly based on the
braking performance committed by the Railway Undertaking, must be fully
predictable since it is used by the Infrastructure Manager in order to check whether
a train can fit into an ETCS fitted line.
20 ENGINEERING ETCS LEVEL 1 LINES FITTED WITH EUROBALISES
ONLY
The Figure 11 here above illustrates the fact that, as soon as the first train leaves a
signalling block section, the system reacts to forward to the ETCS on-board of the
second train a new Movement Authority including the released section. With a semi-
continuous transmission medium (Radio or Loop), the renewal of the Movement
Authority can always be ensured in due time regardless of the value of the
perturbation distance.

However for a level 1 line only fitted with spot transmission devices (balises), the
renewal of the Movement Authority before the train reaches the Indication
supervision limit relies on the fact that the information point (infill balise group) is
installed at the suitable location, which is as close as possible to the perturbation
point.

In case of mixed traffic (i.e. trains with different braking performances), there could
be the need to install more infill information points, but again their location will
depend on the advance knowledge of the respective perturbation distances.

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21 NUMERICAL EXAMPLES
22 INTRODUCTION
Braking a train is more demanding than braking a road vehicle: the low wheel-rail
grip which makes rail transport so energy efficient also makes for longer braking
distances. For instance, a high speed passenger train requires several kilometres to
brake to standstill.

This section gives quantitative examples of apportionment of the braking distances

that are computed by the ETCS on-board computer in relation to the ETCS braking
curve model.
23 HIGH SPEED PASSENGER TRAIN
The Table 2 includes typical input parameters for a high speed passenger train,
fitted with pneumatic disc/shoe brakes and with electrical regenerative brake on
some of its bogies. The emergency brake data is preconfigured in the ETCS on-
board equipment (Gamma method).

Input parameter Value Origin

Driver time between I and P 5s ETCS fixed value
supervision limits
Driver time between P and EBI 4s ETCS fixed value
supervision limits (no SBI)
Speed measurement 2.58 % ETCS performance
inaccuracy requirement (SUBSET-
041)
Emergency brake equivalent 2.5 s Rolling stock
build up time
Track slope -10 ‰ (downhill) Trackside
Confidence level for 99.9999999 % (equivalent probability 10-9) Trackside (National
emergency braking on dry rails Value)
Correction factor Kdry_rst Rolling stock
(Monte Carlo)

Weighting factor for Kwet_rst 0 (wet rails) Trackside (National

Value)
Correction factor Kwet_rst 0.893 Rolling stock
(EN15595:2009)

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Nominal emergency brake Rolling stock

deceleration

Table 2: High speed train, example of input parameters

The Figure 12 here below shows the resulting braking distance apportionment.

I P EBI Line speed = 300 km/h

EBD

Total distance: 7179 m 417 333 365 208 835 1424 385 3212

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Figure 12: Distance apportionment for high speed train

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INTRODUCTION TO ETCS BRAKING CURVES

24 CONVENTIONAL PASSENGER TRAIN

The Table 3 includes typical input parameters for a trainset of three coaches, fitted
with pneumatic disc brakes and with electro-magnetic brakes on some of its bogies.
The emergency brake data is preconfigured in the ETCS on-board equipment
(Gamma method).

Input parameter Value Origin

Driver time between I and P 5s ETCS fixed value
supervision limits
Driver time between P and 4s ETCS fixed value
EBI supervision limits (no SBI)
Speed measurement 2.98 % ETCS performance
inaccuracy requirement (SUBSET-
041)
Emergency brake equivalent 3.5 s Rolling stock
build up time
Track slope -10 ‰ (downhill) Trackside
Confidence level for 99.999999 % (equivalent probability 10 )
-8
Trackside (National
emergency braking on dry Value)
rails
Correction factor Kdry_rst Rolling stock
(Monte Carlo)

Weighting factor for Kwet_rst 0 (wet rails) Trackside (National

Value)
Correction factor Kwet_rst Rolling stock
(EN15595:2009)

Nominal emergency brake Rolling stock

deceleration

Table 3: Conventional passenger train, example of input parameters (Gamma method)

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The Table 4 includes the corresponding input parameters for the same train, but with
braking performance expressed as braked weight percentage.

Input parameter Value Origin

Brake weight percentage 143 % (R+Mg) Rolling stock (UIC
leaflet 544-1)
Train length 83 m Rolling stock
Driver time between I and P 5s ETCS Fixed value
supervision limits
Driver time between P and 4s ETCS Fixed value
EBI supervision limits (no
SBI)
Speed measurement 2.98 % ETCS Performance
inaccuracy requirement (SUBSET-
041)
Emergency brake 5.02 s Conversion model
equivalent build up time
Kt_int 1 Trackside (National
Value)
Track slope -10 ‰ (downhill) Trackside
Kv_int 0.77 (no speed dependency) Trackside (National
Value)
Kr_int Trackside (National
Value)

Nominal emergency brake Conversion model

deceleration

Table 4: Conventional passenger train, example of input parameters (Lambda method)

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The Figure 13 and Figure 14 here below show the braking distance apportionment
obtained with the ETCS on-board configured respectively as a “gamma train” and
“lambda train”.

I P EBI Line speed = 160 km/h

EBD

Total distance: 1929 m 222 178 81 156 144 310 77 760

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Figure 13: Distance apportionment for Conventional passenger train- gamma approach

Line speed = 160 km/h

I P EBI

EBD

Total distance: 2286 m 222 178 127 223 203 412 921

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Figure 14: Distance apportionment for Conventional passenger train - lambda approach

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25 FREIGHT TRAIN BRAKED IN P MODE

The Table 5 includes the input parameters for a freight train braked in P mode, with
the braking performance expressed as braked weight percentage.

Input parameter Value Origin

Brake weight percentage 130 % (R) Rolling stock (UIC
leaflet 544-1)
Train length 400 m Rolling stock
Driver time between I and P 11.3 s (0.8* eq. service brake build up time) Conversion model
supervision limits
Driver time between P and 4s ETCS Fixed value
EBI supervision limits (no
SBI)
Speed measurement 2.98 % (160 km/h) ETCS performance
inaccuracy requirement (SUBSET-
041)
Emergency brake 5.0 s Conversion model
equivalent build up time
Kt_int 1.1 Trackside (National
Value)
Track slope -10 ‰ (downhill) Trackside
Kv_int 0.7 (no speed dependency) Trackside (National
Value)
Kr_int 1 (no length dependency) Trackside (National
Value)
Nominal emergency brake Conversion model
deceleration

Table 5: Freight train braked in P mode, example of input parameters

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The Figure 15 here below shows the resulting braking distance apportionment.

EBI Line speed = 160 km/h

I P

EBD

Total distance: 2782 m

Figure 15: Distance apportionment for freight train braked in P mode

26 FREIGHT TRAIN BRAKED IN G MODE

The Table 6 includes the input parameters for a freight train braked in G mode, with
the braking performance expressed as braked weight percentage.

Input parameter Value Origin

Brake weight percentage 80 % Rolling stock (UIC
leaflet 544-1)
Train length 600 m Rolling stock
Driver time between I and P 15.7 s (0.8* eq. service brake build up time) Conversion model
supervision limits
Driver time between P and 4s ETCS Fixed value
EBI supervision limits (no
SBI)
Speed measurement 3.49 % (100 km/h) ETCS performance
inaccuracy requirement (SUBSET-
041)
Emergency brake 12.8 s Conversion model
equivalent build up time
Kt_int 1.1 Trackside (National
Value)
Track slope -10 ‰ (downhill) Trackside
Kv_int 0.7 (no speed dependency) Trackside (National
Value)
Kr_int 1 (no length dependency) Trackside (National
Value)

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Nominal emergency brake Conversion model

deceleration

Table 6: Freight train braked in G mode, example of input parameters

The Figure 16 here below shows the resulting braking distance apportionment.

Line speed = 100 km/h

I P EBI

EBD

Total distance: 2078 m 436 111 85 383 38 208 245 571

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Figure 16: Distance apportionment for freight train braked in G mode

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