Frauscher Sensor Technology has completed the divestiture to Wabtec Corporation.

Find Out More
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
RSR123, FAdC
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 DetectionPoland

Metro Warsaw

Metro Warsaw was looking for an alternative to track circuits for the line M2, to increase the availability of public transport by using reliable signalling technology. In the end, the operator even decided to replace the existing track circuits on line M1 with the Frauscher Axle Counter ACS200.
Train DetectionUnited States of America

MTA Baltimore North Avenue Yard

In this project, reliable and precise train detection was needed to automate the yard and significantly increase efficiency and safety. To meet these requirements, the Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdCi and Wheel Sensors RSR180 were selected for this automation project.
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.
Train DetectionUnited States of America

Frauscher Track Vacancy System FTVS Testing

During the initial development phase of the Frauscher Track Vacancy System FTVS, a number of pre-production units were released for real-world testing to examine their performance in typical yard environments. Consequently, several trials were conducted in the United States.
Train DetectionChina

CBTC Fallback System on Beijing Metro Lines

Beijing metro, one of the busiest lines in the world, was Frauscher’s very first assignment when entering the Chinese market. Due to its utilised capacity, it requires a great level of stability, reliability and performance of the entire signalling system. The Communication Based Train Control System (CBTC) applied here relies on a backup system consisting of fixed automatic train detection systems. Axle counting systems from Frauscher are perfectly suited for the accurate operation of such stand-by systems.