Safety management ETCS Riedbahn
DB InfraGO AG
Frankfurt, November 2023 to December 2024
Digital Interlocking/CBTC
Creation and support of the safety management for the ETCS area of the general renovation of the Riedbahn
The "Riedbahn" refers to the railroad line between Frankfurt am Main Stadium and Mannheim Central Station. It runs through the Hessian Ried via Groß-Gerau, Biblis and Lampertheim, covers a distance of 70 kilometers and is one of the busiest lines in Germany.
The existing interlocking technology on the Riedbahn is subject to frequent malfunctions due to its long and highly frequented service life. This results in a large number of delays that affect the entire German rail network. 300 long-distance, local and freight trains run daily on the double-track line at maximum speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour. To ensure trouble-free operation in future, the existing interlockings will be replaced by electronic interlocking technology (ESTW technology). For this purpose, an ESTW control center will be built in Gernsheim, Mannheim-Waldhof and Walldorf.
Once the ESTW has been installed, the existing line train control system on the line will be replaced by the European Train Control System (ETCS). NEXTRAIL creates and supports the ETCS implementation in the area of safety management. ETCS enables standardization of the signalling equipment of trains in the European region and thus guarantees a uniformly high safety standard of the railroad infrastructure.
As part of the ETCS rail implementation, various technological components are installed, including signals, balises, on-board equipment in the trains and the monitoring system in the control centers. These components work together to monitor train traffic, regulate speeds and maintain safe distances between trains.
Key areas of service
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Creation and maintenance of safety documents for the specific application in accordance with EN 5012x
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Coordination with validation, verification and the other roles in accordance with EN 50126
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Obtaining an EC Interim Test Certificate for Technical Interoperability (TSI) from a Notified Body (NoBo)
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Obtaining a safety assessment report from an independent assessment body, the Assessment Body (AsBo)
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Obtaining an EC certificate of verification for the overall system from a Notified Body (NoBo)
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Obtaining the commissioning approval from the Federal Railway Authority (EBA)
Special features
Once successfully commissioned, the ETCS system will enable more precise control of trains, flexible speed regulation and increased capacity of the line, resulting in improved punctuality and more efficient use of the infrastructure.
The introduction of ETCS on the Riedbahn ensures that the line is equipped for future developments in rail operations. The ETCS implementation enables trains to operate across borders between different countries without having to change their systems. The renewal of the control and safety technology will have positive effects for the entire rail network in Germany due to the central location and very high capacity utilization of the Riedbahn.
Contact person
Here you will find your contact person for Safety Management
Dr Sonja-Lara Bepperling
Member of the Executive Board, Head of Railway Safety, Registered inspector for equivalent safety and risk assessment
Frankfurt am Main office
Dr Sonja-Lara Bepperling is a member of the Executive Board and Head of Railway Safety at NEXTRAIL GmbH. For 15 years, she has been a proven expert in operational and technical risk analyses in the railway sector – in control-command and signalling system in particular. She possesses methodical expertise in risk and hazard analyses as well as in-depth knowledge of the processes involved in the approval processes.
