Warning app warns train drivers
In February 2015, two trains collided at Rafz ZH station. Six people were injured. "This could have been prevented with the new warning app," says Manfred Haller of SBB. Now the federal railroads have taken action.
The train driver wants to start despite the red signal - a case for WarnApp. Photos: R. Strässle
1,500 train drivers or 5,000 trains are on the move every day with the new app. The system, which has been in operation since mid-August, was presented to the media by Swiss Federal Railways today. SBB is convinced that the app will help avoid train collisions like the one in Rafz in the Zurich Unterland region, where the "red signal" was disregarded. In Granges-Marnand VD a good two years ago, the "stop" signal in the station was also disregarded, costing the driver his life; several passengers were also injured.
This should no longer happen. If a train driver sets his train in motion in a station despite a red signal, the app in the driver's cab jumps in. Within seconds, a warning appears on the iPad with a "STOP" sign. What's more, an "annoying" tone sounds the alarm.
Today, there are more than 40,000 departures on the SBB rail network that are monitored. Currently, the warning app detects just over 70% of the departures - the target is 90%, according to SBB.
iPad: Motion sensor detects
How does the new system work from a technical point of view? The motion sensor in the iPad detects whether it is moving. In this way, when the train approaches the station, the app checks whether the journey is enabled in the train numbering system. If not, the train driver is alerted to the situation with a message, as mentioned.
The warning app in the driver's cab works via the normal Swisscom network. In all SBB stations, there are practically no more radio gaps, says Haller. According to him, the false warnings of the new system are less than about 0.6 percent per day.
No braking
The warning app has nothing to do with the train control system such as cab signaling with ETCS Level 2 (European Train Control System). The app merely warns and does not intervene in the braking of the locomotive, as Haller emphasizes. He also mentions another limitation: The warning app is only designed for use in the station; it does not work on open track.
The warning app is based on existing systems and is therefore cost-effective, according to SBB officials. They are talking about development costs of 1.2 million francs. (rs)
