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Trackguard WESTRACE (VLM6)

Flexible Vital Interlocking

Flexible
WESTRACE can be applied to any railway
because it’s fully configurable to your unique
requirements—just select the modules and
housings you need.

Powerful
Massive vital processing capacity (over 200
routes), huge non-vital capacity (including
panel processing, route availability and route
setting), integrated data logging and replay,
VLM6-based WESTRACE
and Ethernet—all in the one box.

Reliable and Safe

.

Benefits
Suits small to very large interlockings Hot standby, conservatively-engineered design,
Real hot standby: complete system or interlocking graceful degradation and flexible architecture—
only WESTRACE meets or exceeds all modern railway
Configurable architectures—centralised, object standards. WESTRACE has been independently
controller or decentralised assessed as compliant with Safety Integrity
Level 4.
Large vital logic capacity
Huge, integrated, non-vital logic capacity for panel
processing, route availability and route setting Expandable
One configuration system (GCS) for vital and non
vital WESTRACE can be readily expanded and
modified to satisfy emerging needs.
Simulation of vital and non-vital over multiple
WESTRACEs
Ethernet communication over commercial IT
hardware
Integrates with WESTRACE MkII systems

Datasheet 10A-1
 Description WESTRACE Graphical Configuration WESTRACE Graphical Simulation Sub-
Sub-System (GCSS) System (GSIM)
WESTRACE is the holistic interlocking
The GCSS is a computer-based tool that The GSIM lets you simulate multiple
and signalling system driving railway
automates and simplifies the task of interconnected interlockings in an
safety and reliability from the Australian
designing and configuring WESTRACE offline environment, giving you the
outback to the London Underground.
interlockings. power to prove your applications in the
WESTRACE offers everything you need to confines of a virtual environment.
WESTRACE uses Ladder Logic that is
effectively control even the most
analogous to the way Signal Engineers A multi-windowed interactive interface
demanding railway. Its vital and non-
have been designing relay interlockings lets you to test and validate
vital modules directly interface with
—so they can directly apply their modifications and stage works using
trackside equipment, and its
existing skillsets. standard PC equipment without
comprehensive development toolkit
impacting operational rail systems.
makes design and testing easy, using GCSS leverages traditional Signal
nomenclature that every Signal Engineer Engineer processes, mnemonics and
understands. nomenclature to provide you with a
graphics-based tool that is easy-to-use
Ongoing enhancements to WESTRACE
even if you don’t have any previous
have continued to secure the product’s
experience with Computer-Based
leadership in the important fields of
Interlockings (CBI).
capacity and efficiency, while
capitalisation on the information
technology revolution has replaced
messy communication interfaces with
single network points, even carrying
vital data safely.

Standard IP-based communication

means commercial hardware and
carriers can be directly employed to link
WESTRACE kit into an integrated system.

WESTRACE suits almost all rail Use GSIM to principles test in the office
applications including heavy haul, mixed so you only need to run a few
rail, suburban and metro. It has been correspondence tests at commissioning.
designed and developed through close Stageworks and upgrades are even
collaboration with engineers from easier because you can eliminate most
Australia, North America and Europe, of the field testing, cutting down
ensuring its suitability for the differing expensive site costs and possession
markets, practices and conditions of time.
railways worldwide. GCSS includes many productivity tools to
standardise and re-use complete designs
Many of the world’s leading railways or standard design constructs as
have chosen WESTRACE to exceed their templates. Logic from the templates is
demanding signalling requirements. inserted in correct order with
customised mnemonics and optional
contacts. Result: faster, more consistent
and more accurate design that requires
less testing.

WESTRACE Modules include:

• 19" Eurocard housing (up to 4 housings per system); can be connected for larger systems
• Vital logic Module (VLM)—interlocking logic and WESTRACE management
• Vital Lamp Output Module (VLOM)—directly controls incandescent and LED signal lamps
• Vital Relay Output Module (VROM)—directly controls signalling relays or point contactors
• Vital parallel Input Module (VPIM)—directly input from trackside equipment, such as track circuits and point detection
• Network Communications and Diagnostic Module (NCDM)—huge non-vital processing capacity, comprehensive
diagnostics, and network and serial interfaces

Page 2 Datasheet 10A-1

 Flexible Fast, Effective Hot Standby

We've used some of Siemens Rail WESTRACE is an extremely reliable interlocking. But sometimes you just can’t
Automation’s best Signal Engineers from afford any risk of interruption to critical train services. That’s where WESTRACE’s
Australia and overseas to design an true hot standby excels.
interlocking that can be easily applied to Two identical systems—just the interlocking part, both interlocking and input
all railway systems worldwide. People and output, or right down to individual object controllers—can be totally
who understand signalling create duplicated. One system listens to the inputs and controls the outputs while the
graphical PC-based design, check and other remains powered up and ready to take over control at a moment’s notice.
testing tools essential for fast and
The vital and non-vital processors each have high speed, interference free,
accurate application design.
optical fibres between the on-line and standby processors. Each WESTRACE cycle,
WESTRACE's functional modules make it the total internal state of the on-line processor is replicated to the standby
fully configurable for your unique processor. Only that way can you be certain of identical, continued safe
requirements. Simply pick and choose operation, virtually interruption-free, on changeover.
the appropriate vital and non-vital
modules, and select the housings to
contain them. Then take advantage of
Powerful Power Throughout

the communication networks and install The WESTRACE Network Communication We've not only enhanced WESTRACE’s
the housings at the best locations to Module (WNC) introduces a new vital processing capacity, we've also
interface with the trackside equipment paradigm of interlocking technology. It supplemented it with huge non-vital
—centrally, distributed or in any combines a dedicated 10BaseT Ethernet processing power.
combination. network interface with powerful vital
WESTRACE's non-vital processor allows
Flexible System Architecture Option and non-vital logic processors. Now you
you to do everything from panel
can use a single set of design tools for all
WESTRACE's network communications, processing to route availability and route
your signalling, panel processing, route
power and flexibility enables rail systems setting in single equipment, with one
availability and route setting logic.
to introduce increasingly efficient and system and using one set of design tools.
innovative system architecture options. Its capacity to handle over 200 routes— MoviolaW
Anything from the short fat to long thin and even more with a combined system
railway. Possibilities range from small or —along with the flexibility to distribute The MoviolaW data logging and replay
large stand-alone systems to this any or all of the inputs and outputs and tool maintains up-to-date fault and event
distributed architecture with a hot- the option of hot standby on any part of data from WESTRACE interlockings.
standby interlocking, all connected the installation makes this system ideal MoviolaW displays, replays, and
through a single network. for virtually every application. generates reports, and you can access
this information remotely or locally.

Typical MoviolaW replay screen

WESTRACE (VLM6) Page 3

Figure 1: Flexible System Architecture Option
WESTRACE’s network communications, power and flexibility enables rail
systems to introduce increasingly efficient and innovative system
architecture options.
Possibilities range from small or large stand-alone systems to the
distributed architecture system shown here, which includes a hot-standby
interlocking and all equipment communicating through a single network.

True hot standby option

Apply to a centralised interlocking,
a stand-alone installation or to
every WESTRACE component
MoviolaW at
maintenance centre

Wide Are
To adjacent station
interlockings

Local
MoviolaW WESTRACE Object Controllers
Connect to trackside signalling equipment
Install for convenient locations
and network diversity

Signal equipment Signal e

Page 4 Datasheet 10A-1

 Remote control

Hot standby
WESTRACE

ea Network
To adjacent station
interlockings

Local panel

equipment Signal equipment

WESTRACE (VLM6) Page 5

 Reliable and Safe
Siemens Rail Automation fully
understands the importance of reliability
and safety for today’s railways. Exceed
your reliability targets with
conservatively-engineered designs,
graceful degradation and flexible
architectures to keep your railway
running effectively.

Hot standby is integral to the WESTRACE

design, and it continually maintains the
processors in complete synchronisation
ready for a safe, glitch-free changeover.
Although stand-alone systems are
popular even for demanding
applications, you can call on WESTRACE’s
true hot standby features on all or part of
the interlocking system to satisfy your
critical operational availability needs.

WESTRACE’s diverse processing and

comprehensive safety engineering from
the ground up demonstrate, through
detailed safety cases, Safety Integrity
Level 4 (SIL 4) compliance against
CENELEC EN50126, 8 and 9—
compliance that has been confirmed by
independent Safety Assurance
assessments.

Naturally WESTRACE meets or exceeds

Satisfied WESTRACE clients include:
EN50129-2 environmental standards
expected from all modern railways. • Australian Rail Track Corporation,
Australia
• Connex, Australia
• Queensland Railways, Australia
• Eisenbahn-Bundesamt, Germany
• Perumka, Indonesia
• Tranzrail, New Zealand
• Oslo Sporveier, Norway
• Lisbon Metro, Portugal
• Madrid Metro, Spain
• RENFE (Spanish State Railways),
Spain
• State Railway of Thailand, Thailand
• London Underground, United
Kingdom
• Network Rail, United Kingdom
• Deutsch Bahn, Germany
• Ianrod Eireann, Ireland
• Malaysian Railways, Malaysia
• Bucharest Metro, Portugal
• Catalunya Railways, Spain
• Manila LRT, Manila

Page 6 Datasheet 10A-1

 The Experts
Signalling Victoria’s Regional Fast Rail
WESTRACE is fully supported by Siemens
Rail Automation through expert Siemens Rail Automation is signalling the Latrobe and Bendigo corridors of Victoria’s
knowledge, design capability, user Regional Fast Rail links to make satellite cities more accessible to Melbourne.
manuals, training courses and qualified We used 20 WESTRACE WNC interlockings with 50 WESTRACE object controllers all
Customer Service staff. interconnected on a multiply-redundant optical fibre, microwave and leased bearer
Siemens Rail Automation is the region’s Ethernet network. Each network node used a ruggardised network switch employing
leading railway signalling and control fast spanning tree protocol that re-routes a failed link via the most preferred
specialist. Our unmatched expertise in alternative path with a maximum interruption of just a few 10’s of milliseconds, giving
the Australian rail and signal industry effectively no interruption to train operation. Network operation is centrally
enables us to provide our customers monitored.
with a range of rail solutions from The signalling is supported by WESTCAD train control that can be operated from one
individual system components to of (or sometimes multiple) key locations on the corridor with all the local route setting
complete turnkey solutions. and availability checking executed in the non-vital processor of the local WESTRACE.
Please don't hesitate to call on us to The latest MoviolaW is installed at each interlocking, monitoring and recording both
discuss your unique requirements. interlockings and connected object controllers. Remote operation over the network
Other Solutions lets Maintainers access the MoviolaWs from any other interlocking or the central
maintenance location.
Siemens Rail Automation also supplies
other interlocking technology suitable
for both small distributed and large
centralised systems.
• Datasheet 10A-32—WESTRACE MkII
Object Controller
• Datasheet 10A-33—Interlocking
Systems: WESTLOCK and WESTRACE
• Datasheet 10A-9—WESTLOCK
Interlocking
• Datasheet 10A-7—GeoLogic
• Datasheets 10A-11 to 10A-28—SSI

Ordering and Support

Refer to our product catalogue for
WESTRACE components or contact your VLocity high-speed train, WESTRACE-controlled signals,
Siemens Rail Automation Sales Manager and heritage signal box (Kyneton)

to discuss your WESTRACE requirements,

including quotations for:
• WESTRACE equipment
• signalling design, test and
commissioning services
• through-life maintenance support
• training services

Our WESTRACE System Overview

Manual provides further details of some
of the many ways you can implement
signalling systems.

Commissioning WESTRACE (Sunbury)

WESTRACE (VLM6) Page 7

 Datasheet 10A-1 issue 6.0

Specifications
General
Supply 24 Vdc (provided from float-charged battery or no-break supply)
Size 19 inch 6 RU rack, one to four housings vertically stacked
Connections Plug-coupled from rear
Capacity VLM6 (Vital Logic Module 6) NCDC (Network Communication
and Diagnostic Card)
Logic states 4,000 40,000
Internal latches 3,357 15,000
Set-reset latches – 2,000
Timers 300 3,000
Time-of-day timers – 10
Ethernet port – 1 (10BaseT)
Serial ports – 2 (up to 64 kb/s)
Outputs
VROM Outputs per module 8 (fully isolated)
(Vital Relay Output Nominal voltage 50 Vdc
Module) Load 3 W (suits Q relays)
Output type 2 outputs can be connected for polar
VLOM Outputs per module 12 (non-isolated)
(Vital Lamp Output Nominal voltage 110 Vac
Module) Load 24 W
Output type Steady or flashing
Inputs
VPIM Inputs per module 12 (fully isolated)
(Vital Parallel Input De-energised voltage –100 to +10.5 Vdc
Module) Energised voltage +30 to +100 Vdc
Input impedance 4 k
Input type 2 inputs can be connected for polar
Environment Temperature –40°C to +70°C ambient (around housing)
Humidity 0% to 95% non-condensing
EMC Refer Australian Regulatory Compliance statement below

Siemens Rail Automation

ABN 78 000 102 483
Level 7, 380 Docklands Drive, Docklands,
Victoria 3008, Australia
T +61 1300 724 518
This equipment complies with Australia’s Regulatory E rail-components.au@siemens.com
Compliance legislation when installed and used in accordance W www.siemens.com.au/rail-components
with the instructions supplied. © 2014, Siemens Rail Automation Pty Ltd