Axle Counter Overlay System | UK
Train DetectionUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Axle Counter Overlay System

Operator
Network Rail
Country
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Partner
Siemens
Segment
Main & Regional Line
Application
Track Vacancy Detection
Products
FAdC®, RSR123
Year
2019
Scope of project
45 counting heads, 4 FAdC® location cases

Between London St Pancras International Station and Farringdon Station, there is a history of frequent flooding through the tunnels that adversely affected the reliability of the existing train detection system. Due to this, the installation was non-operational during large periods. However, being a mainline section and a core route through London, high reciliation to any sort of failures is vital.

In 2019, Network Rail started to look at how to improve the overall reliability of the railway without removing the existing detection system. The main requirement was guaranteeing maximum availability considering the local conditions without interfering with the existing installation.

Due to its great reliability under such circumstances the Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC® has been chosen as the most appropriate solution. The FAdC’s® modular design allowed for the establishment of a decentralised architecture, where four external location cases were installed between the two stations to host the axle counter’s indoor equipment. The system is supported by the Frauscher Wheel Sensor RSR123, which precisely tracks every train axle. The sensor is extremely resilient to water penetration and other environmental and external influences. Thanks to the IP68 rated housing, it even works reliably in case of floods.

Excellent match of requirements

The FAdC® units installed in location cases between the stations can communicate with one another via a vital Ethernet interface and also with the higher-ranking system using relay outputs. With overlay systems, the new track sections had to match the existing track section limits. Therefore, the system had a specific requirement to install the RSR123 within 0.5 m of the existing train detection system and within proximity of the neutral section to avoid any impact on the signalling controls.

Great resilience

The RSR123 is highly resilient against any interference or environmental influences.

Similar Projects
This might also interest you
1/5
Train DetectionDenmark

Renewal signalling FAdC® and RSR123

Banedanmark, the Danish railway infrastructure owner, started replacing the existing signalling system in the Eastern region of Denmark in 2009 to implement the newest proven signalling technology, based on standard industrial hardware components and redundant system configurations. Uniform system interfaces should reduce signalling failures to provide a better reliability and punctuality of the entire network. For this project, Frauscher delivered the Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC® and the Frauscher Wheel Sensor RSR123.
Data TransmissionUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Headbolt Lane to Rainford Project

As part of the project to expand Merseyrail services, the operator needed to address the challenge of transmitting indication information over a specific section, spanning from Headbolt Lane to Rainford. In this instance, Frauscher’s technology was utilised to fulfill the data transmission requirements of this project, avoiding expensive and time consuming cabling that would have otherwise been required.
Train DetectionFinland

Kokkola

Frauscher supplied one of Finland’s busiest railway lines with new Axle Counters. The line was extended from a single to a double track section and Mipro was looking for a solution which can interface with their interlocking system in an efficient and cost effective way.
Train DetectionUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Churnet Valley Heritage Railway

The Churnet Valley Heritage Railway preserves England's rich heritage of steam-powered rail transport.
Train DetectionUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Borders Railway Project

From Shawfair to Tweedbank, the Borders Railway rail route underwent significant renovations after 45 years of disconnect due to Beeching cuts. Our Frauscher UK & Ireland team were involved in providing innovative solutions for train detection for a section of the Borders Railway route.