Wherry Lines | UK
Train DetectionUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Wherry Lines

Operator
Network Rail
Country
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Partner
Atkins
Segment
Main & Regional Line
Application
Track Vacancy Detection
Products
RSR123, FAdC®
Protocols
Proprietary protocols
Year
2020

The Wherry Lines are railway branch lines in East Anglia in the East of England, linking Norwich – Great Yarmouth – Lowestoft. The project aimed to integrate Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC® into two external systems to mitigate against a train passing a red signal without authority on approach to level crossings. Both systems were required to be a SIL 1 level and have the ability to communicate with an ElectrologIXS Interlocking.

For the Wherry Line project, two systems were implemented to mitigate against a train passing a red signal without authority on approach to level crossings. The first system being a method of predicting the likelihood of a train passing a signal based on its speed, the second being a Fast Acting SPAD Trigger (FAST) in the event that a train does traverse past a signal showing a red aspect.

The customer preferred to use the Frauscher equipment that was already installed on site for another project, consisting of the Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC® and Wheel Sensor RSR123. This decision was made in favour of reducing lineside equipment while also reducing maintenance costs for the future.

As no data of previous speed measurement accuracy was available, Frauscher facilitated and undertook tests to determine the accuracy of the speed measurement at the speeds requested by the customer. Additionally, a formal SIL assessment was successfully undertaken by Atkins to achieve the required SIL 1 level for the system.

Lower maintenance costs

By using existing trackside equipment, no further installations were needed which reduces the required effort and costs for future maintenance.

Easy integration

The FAdC® proved its flexibility and versatility as an optimal solution for this project: It offers the ability to communicate with the customer’s protocol and can be easily integrated into existing systems.

Similar Projects
This might also interest you
1/5
Data TransmissionIndia

South Central Railway

The Vijayawada Division of Indian Railways introduced a new train detection system with data transmission functionality to overcome the challenges of the existing BPAC and conventional quad cable-based systems. Frauscher implemented the Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC®, featuring full redundancy, advanced reset mechanisms and remote diagnostics. This upgrade delivers significant cost savings and enhanced system availability for the operator.
Train DetectionCanada

Edmonton Metro Line

The Edmonton Metro Line was experiencing significant issues with its newly installed Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system, which did not perform to the operator‘s expectations. The city was forced to run an incomplete schedule with reduced train speed and frequency which negatively affected commuters and the city of Edmonton in general. Finally in 2019, the operator decided to install a new system in cooperation with Frauscher.
ServicesAustria

Salzburger Lokalbahn

Frauscher supported the Salzburger Lokalbahn, a regional railway in Austria, with a service assignment that included both the maintenance of Frauscher wheel sensors and axle counters as well as hands-on training for the installation personnel. The customer benefited from efficient troubleshooting and tailored training delivered directly on their own equipment.
Train DetectionIndia

Vijayawada – Gannavaram Rail Line

The Vijayawada – Gannavaram rail line belongs to South Central Railway and is situated in Andhra Pradesh. Initially, the line featured a conventional signalling system and there was a requirement by the operator to update this into an automatic signalling system with the Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC®.
Train DetectionChina

Fenghuang Maglev

Fenghuang Maglev is a medium-low speed maglev rapid transit line. Since maglev trains do not have wheels, traditional wheel-based detection systems cannot be directly applied to maglev traffic engineering.