Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India’s first semi-high-speed regional rail service ‘Namo Bharat.’ The Namo Bharat trainset is an Indian Electric multiple unit (EMU) train, specially built for Namo Bharat RRTS (Regional Rapid Transit Services). Also, the Level 3 ETCS makes its global debut on the 17-kilometer Priority Section of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor. An instance of an efficient urban transit system that is safer, more dependable, and faster is the trainset that was renamed from RapidX to Namo Bharat. It was created by Alstom India in collaboration with ETCS at the Hyderabad Engineering Centre, and it is produced in Savli, Gujarat. Over 300 engineers and designers from Alstom India have spent thousands of safe man-hours and hundreds of hours conducting tests over the past two years in order to fulfil their phase-I obligations to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).
What is ETCS Signalling?
It is a part of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) that handles control and signalling. With onboard devices that take over control if the permitted speed is exceeded and cab signals for the driver, the system continuously determines a safe maximum speed for each train.
The different levels of ETCS are:
Level 0
When a vehicle equipped with ETCS is driven on a route that does not employ ETCS, Level 0 is applicable. The trainborne equipment keeps an eye on the train's top speed.
Level 1
Level 1 is a cab signalling system that may be applied over the current signalling system, maintaining the national signalling and track-release system as the fixed signalling system.
Level 2
A digital radio-based infrastructure underpins Level 2. The radio block centre uses this information obtained from the trackside to continuously monitor train movements. Along with speed and route data, the movement authority is continuously sent to the vehicle via GSM-R or GPRS. The maximum allowable speed and the sent data are continuously monitored by the on-board computer.
Level 3
In the level 3 ETCS full radio-based train spacing is implemented by ETCS, which goes beyond simple train protection features. In order to communicate movement authority to the train, Level 3 uses radio. Also, it further inspects movement authority based on integrity and position reported by the train.
[Updated] List of All Vande Bharat Express Trains in India
What are the features of ETCS Level Signalling?
- The European Train Control System, or ETCS, enables trains to travel across borders with ease by ensuring interoperability across various European railway networks and nations.
- In order to encourage consistency and interoperability, ETCS creates a single set of technical standards and specifications for train control and signalling systems.
- ETCS prioritises safety in order to prevent collisions and derailments with its fail-safe design and continuously monitoring train movements system.
- The ATP capability of ETCS lowers the risk of accidents by enforcing speed limits and automatically applying braking in the event of non-compliance.
- To ensure safe operation at all times, the system continuously modifies train speeds based on the conditions of the route.
- ETCS depends on a reliable communication connection between the train and trackside equipment to enable the real-time transmission of vital information.
- ETCS can keep an eye on pantographs and overhead catenary systems to ensure correct contact and lower the chance of electrical breakdowns.
- It offers information about the state of the trains and the tracks, which is useful for predictive maintenance and minimises downtime.
- ETCS lowers headways and boosts rail network capacity by optimising track usage.
- ETCS may be modified to satisfy evolving standards and requirements and is built to handle future developments in railway technology.
Eight RRTS corridors are to be developed within the National Capital Region (NCR); three of these corridors—the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Corridor, the Delhi-Gurugram-SNB-Alwar Corridor, and the Delhi-Panipat Corridor—have been given priority for implementation in Phase I. Sarai Kale Khan will become a huge transit hub for the three priority RRTS corridors. It is expected that the 82.15-kilometre RRTS corridor will be fully operational by June 2025.
Vande Bharat Express: What makes India’s High-Speed Train different from others?
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