BELGIUM: Infrastructure manager Infrabel announced on November 17 that it had successfully commissioned a Traffic Management System supplied by CSC. According to Infrabel, the new system was brought into use at signalboxes and control centres across the national network ‘in record time’ overnight from November 11 to 12.
Identical to the system installed by SBB of Switzerland, the new TMS monitors train movements in real time to alert controllers of any potential conflicts. It will also enable operators to provide their passengers with train-running information updated every 2 sec, including possible connections with other services.
Alongside the introduction of TMS, the responsibilities of control staff are to be separated into the roles of traffic controller and safety controller. Both roles will be based in the 11 geographical control centres that Infrabel intends to have operational around 2020, replacing the 97 signalboxes that at present control the 4 000 daily train movements on the Belgian network.
Total cost of the project is €21m, according to Infrabel.
