Modernizing

rail transit
networks with
CBTC
technology
Joffrey Lauthier
Transit State of Good Repair West Conference
San Francisco, CA | June 29, 2022
 Why CBTC?

PTC and ERTMS offer

CAD/AVL CBTC PTC interoperability between
suppliers
Computer-Aided Dispatch / Communication-Based
Positive Train Control Automatic train operation
Automatic Vehicle Location Train Control
performance still limited

Streetcar, tramway, light rail

Automated people mover, monorail, metro, heavy rail

Airport express railway, commuter rail

Intercity, high-speed rail Very high-speed rail

Low speed, drive on sight High-frequency operations:
operations designed for up to 60 trains / hour
Difficult to automate, sharing the Automation to enable short ERTMS
right of way with road vehicles headways, including unattended
and pedestrians train operation
European Rail Traffic Management System
Mostly proprietary technology

2
 Migration strategies: CBTC overlay

New CBTC system deployed on Easier to overlay if no interference

top of the existing legacy between components:
signaling – sharing only
signals and switch machines Legacy ATC CBTC
Allows for testing the new
CBTC in shadow running mode track circuits axle counters
1. train detection
RFID ultra-wideband
2. train localization transponders (UWB) radios
3. train-to-wayside
communications inertial
wheel sensors measurement
4. train supervision units (IMU)
speed codes free propagation
5. environmental conditions through track Wi-Fi data
6. reliability and availability circuits communication

3
 CBTC migration strategies

Full switch Mixed operations

from one independent ATC system to the other, and back trains can operate on either ATC system
requires dual trackside equipment, segment fully-equipped requires dual trackside equipment
dual onboard equipment, fleet fully-equipped but progressive replacement of the legacy onboard ATC
Modernizing rail transit networks with CBTC technology

simpler interface between the two signaling systems complex interface between the two signaling systems

Dual-equipped train in CBTC mode Train running in legacy ATC mode Train running in CBTC mode

Dual-equipped trackside in CBTC mode

Dual-equipped trackside with both legacy ATC mode and CBTC active

Dual-equipped train in
legacy ATC mode

Dual-equipped trackside in legacy ATC mode

4
 Automation of metro operations

Driving and Operation in

Grade of Train Setting train
stopping Door closure event of
Automation Operation in motion
train disruption

ATP with
GoA 1 Driver Driver Driver Driver
Driver

ATP and
GoA 2 ATO with Automatic Driver Driver
Driver

Driverless
GoA 3 Automatic Automatic Attendant
(DTO)

Unattended
GoA 4 Automatic Automatic Automatic Automatic
(UTO)

5 IEC 62290-1 – railway applications – urban guided transport management and command/control systems
ATP: Automatic Train Protection, ATO: Automatic Train Operation, DTO: Driverless Train Operation, UTO: Unattended Train Operation
 Automated metros

Successful conversion to driverless train

operation of Nuremberg U-Bahn U3 in
2009 and Paris Line 1 in 2012.

Conversion projects* in Europe:

o Brussels, L1 and L5
o Copenhagen Fremtidens S-bane
o Glasgow, G. Subway
o London, Docklands and Piccadilly
km of fully automated o Lyon, LA and LB
(GoA4) metro infrastructure o Marseille, L1 and L2
o Paris, L4
80 lines in service in 2020** o Vienna, U2/U5

* from UITP Observatory of Automated Metros, Statistics Brief,

km April 2019. With the addition of Copenhagen Fremtidens S-
bane (confirmed) and London Piccadilly Line (to be confirmed)
** UITP World Metro Figures, May 2022
6
 Converting to driverless train operations

More than just upgrading signaling Key consideration: track intrusion

and train control systems detection and obstacle detection
o rolling stock o platform screen doors / gates
o communication systems o platform intrusion emergency
o yard automation stop sensor panels

7
 Architecture: distributed vs. centralized

1
Signal equipment room Signal equipment room Central control center
Central
ATC/CBI ATC/CBI
Control

Object Object Object Object

Controller Controller Controller Controller

2 reduced signaling equipment footprint, easier and faster

to deploy – higher RAM performance in many cases Central control center
Central
ATC/CBI
Control
Object Object Object Object
Controller Controller Controller Controller

8
 Train-centric intelligence

Traditional Architecture Train-centric CBTC

Train control intelligence distributed Train control intelligence within the train
between wayside equipment and the train

Central
Central
Control
Control
Route requests
Train movement
✓ Less
Train movement
equipment
Inter- Zone Train location

locking Controller
✓ Faster
Blocks
Overlaps response
Track resource
Train location preemption ✓ Shorter
Object Object
Controller
End of authority
Controller headways

9
 Software-defined train control

Leveraging high-availability, low-latency, secure

wired and wireless communication networks
Modernizing rail transit networks with CBTC technology

Central
Control
Facilitates maintenance
Safety- and future upgrades
critical
Inter- Zone cloud
locking Controller
Cloud-based
Onboard interlocking systems
Object Controller
Controller already in operation

10
 Train-to-wayside communications

New radio
technologies
meet the diverse
data transmission
requirements of
rail systems Public Train Vehicle PA/CIS Passenger
Safety Control diagnostics + CCTV connectivity

P25 or 5G mmWave
Wi-Fi #1 LTE Wi-Fi #2
train control – TETRA and 4G/LTE
high availability,
low latency,
low throughput

CCTV – high Public Train Vehicle PA/CIS Passenger

throughput, Safety Control diagnostics + CCTV connectivity

tolerant of P25 or Single 5G or Wi-Fi 6 wireless network:

TETRA common train-to-wayside communication infrastructure
transmission delays

11
 Innovative train localization
Ultra-wideband radio ranging

New York MTA pioneering the replacement of legacy transponders

with UWB radio beacons on future CBTC modernization projects.
UWB ranging measures a precise distance between the train and
beacons installed along the tracks.
Trains compute their position by triangulation with wayside beacons.

12
 UWB-based positioning system benefits

Wheel sensor Inertial Measurement Unit

Vehicle Inside
underframe cab
Transponder antenna Ultra-wideband radio

Between
Track transponder Ultra-wideband radio Wayside
tracks

Underframe equipment: expensive and time- In-cab installation performed in four hours,
consuming installation and maintenance accelerating fleetwide upgrades

Track-mounted transponders: impractical for Smaller onboard sensors footprint allows for
tuning and maintenance train control equipment installation on
maintenance vehicles

Future compatibility with autonomous

operations
13
 The importance of
systems engineering
Life-Cycle Cost Impacts from Early Phase Decision Making

Cost Savings
Modernizing rail transit networks with CBTC technology

Losses multiply as a project

progresses. Solving issues
early reduces this impact.

Understanding what is
required early is key to
avoiding surprises later.

14
 WSP's systems engineering approach

SI:D3

Systems Integration
Modernizing rail transit networks with CBTC technology

1. Develop the strategy

2. Define the system

3. Deliver integration

15
 System life cycle

16
 Modernizing rail transit networks with CBTC technology

Summary

Standards Migration Automation

anticipate future deployment strategy performance gains
procurements, system to mitigate risk and from higher level of
expansion impact on operations automation

Architecture Technology Integration

meet reliability, leverage high- evolutions required
availability and availability wired and from other rail
maintainability targets wireless networks systems

17
Thank you
Joffrey Lauthier
Systems Technology Lead, Transit and Rail
joffrey.lauthier@wsp.com

wsp.com