Germany and France form the nucleus of the European rail landscape for a number of reasons. From a geographical standpoint, both countries are obligatory points of passage for north-south and east-west traffic. Both nations are served by very extensive and very active networks and finally, their railway industries are among the most dynamic.

Accordingly, both Germany and France are committed to being pioneers in the development of innovative rail technologies. Yet, if the two systems are to be compatible, certain research activities must be pursued together and this is the impelling force driving the co-operative venture between the German ministry of research and the French ministry of transport, known as DEUFRAKO.

Since its inception 20 years ago, DEUFRAKO has proven its worth by introducing technologies that have gained recognition throughout the world. By way of example, I can mention the command and control systems which illustrate the long process of development for innovations in this field. In 1989, the French programme ASTREE and the German programme DIBMOF were both united under the name ARTEMIS, within the framework of DEUFRAKO. In 1993, this programme was integrated into the European ETCS project that has since been extended within the ERTMS project. Tremendous progress has been made and full scale testing is scheduled to take place until 2000. The specifications that have resulted from this project have now been recognised as world standards.

I am proud to say that in the 20 years of its existence, DEUFRAKO has enabled network operators and industrialists to come to know and understand each other better through their collaboration in different areas of research. Such co-operation is all the more necessary today if we are to develop a high-speed network throughout Europe, combined transport and, in more general terms, an intelligent, intermodal transport system.

The consensus within the countries of the European community is that developing rail transport is the only plausible answer to the challenges of achieving lasting developments in the field of transportation. Within any debate on the ways in which this might be achieved, one thing, in my mind should be made clear to all involved and it is that our development calls for greater strengthening of co-operative ties between companies and networks across Europe.

It is in this light that I wholeheartedly welcome the prospects for expanding this type of co-operation to urban transport and to the development of the European freight transport network and I wish DEUFRAKO every success as it sets out to explore the paths presented in this brochure, for the benefit of everyone.

Traffic research contributes to attaining these aims, i.e. it helps to:

- improve the traffic flow and avoid unnecessary traffic,

- shift traffic to more favorable transport systems with respect to energetic and ecological aspects,

- ensure individual and, at the same time, environmentally compatible mobility.

In the course of the German-French cooperation on tracked transport systems, the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology - in cooperation with the French Ministry of Transport - has been promoting the development of high-speed technologies since 1978. Furthermore, they have also promoted economic, operational and ecological issues. The development of the fundamentals for an European command and control system has impressively shown how research, industry and operators can successfully cooperate and how technological innovations can be applied quickly and effectively.

The high-speed systems ICE, TGV and TRANSRAPID offered by Germany and France are advanced high-tech systems. Due to this technology advancement, which confirms the high technological standards compared with other international companies, both economies have good opportunities on the global market.

On the basis of the results obtained in DEUFRAKO and the understanding and confidence acquired in many years of cooperation, Deutsche Bahn/SNCF and the railway industry have introduced joint proposals for developments and standards to the bodies of the European Union. The cross-border, high-speed transport between Germany and France will make use of the results obtained by DEUFRAKO.

I wish DEUFRAKO continued successful performance and many years of fruitful cooperation in the future.

Dr. Günter MARX

Leiter des Referates Mobilität und Verkehr im Bundesministerium für bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie
(Deutschland)

Within development, planning, and introduction of advanced tracked transport systems in Europe, a key importance is attributed to the international cooperation. The findings, technological possibilities and the available funds of the participating countries can be used more efficiently for obtaining synergy effects.

DEUFRAKO - a technical and scientific cooperation between the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology and the French Ministry of Transport - has been in existence since 1978, with accompanying planning activities in the field of modern tracked transport technologies. Within this cooperation, existing transport technologies are improved and systems with new technologies are analyzed. The activities are carried out by the research departments of Deutsche Bahn AG and SNCF together with the railway industry, research centres and universities of both countries. They are funded by equal financial participation of both ministries and controlled by the DEUFRAKO plenary group. This plenary group meets twice per year at alternating locations in Germany and France.

Both countries will denominate a representative for every project. The project representatives are responsible for the implementation of the tasks and for attaining the objectives specified in the project agreement. Furthermore, they are the contact persons between the partners. The results will be documented and published in multilingual final reports. Eighteen joint pro-jects have been processed since the beginning of DEUFRAKO. A number of bilateral technology projects have been implemented at industry level and their results could be used in the TRANSRAPID research program, for example, for the dimensioning of the linear motor and the electromagnets. Aerodynamic and sonic improvements, which increase the environmental compatibility of the railway, were applied in the development of the high-speed trains ICE and TGV. The close cooperation of Siemens and GEG Alsthom within DEUFRAKO has also contributed to the fact that both companies are jointly offering the ICE and the TGV abroad.

In the past few years, the two railway companies increasingly implemented projects with the aim of creating a bilateral basis for future European research projects (e.g. within the 4th framework program of the EU). The results of these projects will be included in the standardization by European bodies. This was successfully accomplished with the European operation command and control system (Annex M) whose results were mainly characterized by the national projects DIBMOF and ASTREE; Europe-wide introduction of this system as ERTMS is planned by the year 2000. An example for a future-oriented project is the preliminary development of a superconducting transformer for locomotives and driving units for power supply and weight reduction. In Europe, this is the first application of superconduction in power engineering.

As a conclusion, it can be stated that DEUFRAKO is an excellent platform for the railway and industrial companies to ensure that they hold their ground at a European level in intensifying competition.

The members of DEUFRAKO have been on friendly terms for many years and serve as an example for the cooperation of two member states within the European Union.

Pr. Edouard BRIDOUX

Directeur Général de l'Institut Natinoal de Recherche sur les transports et leur Sécurité
(France)

The French National Research Institute for Transport and Safety (INRETS), which I have had the pleasure of heading for one year now, has seen some major changes since the launching of the DEUFRAKO programme. Besides being converted to a scientific and technological "public establishment" on the new pattern of government-owned enterprises in France, it has been placed under dual supervisory authority, by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Research and its scope of scientific and consultancy work has been expanded to cover all overland transport as well as parts of other transport modes.

The railway and industry landscape has also changed considerably, with the formation of world class groups, the opening up of the railway networks and the separation of their Operator and Infrastructure Management functions.

The Institute remains keen to uphold a high level of competence in guided transport, continuing its analytical work on the socio-economics of networks and its research on railway dynamics, power electronics, noise, command-control and signalling, communications and information technology — all areas lying at the heart of Franco-German co-operation under DEUFRAKO.

This altogether unique and exemplary co-operation has brought mutual understanding of each other's institutional and industrial environments. It has helped us to build an advanced scientific and technological network that has enhanced the competitiveness of both our countries internationally.

Tomorrow, we intend to continue our collaboration and enrich it with new thematic content to respond to future transport challenges in Europe, with an eye to interoperability, intermodality, durability and competitiveness for those future systems.

Since signing a new master agreement in 1997, our co-operation has already been extended to urban mass transit and intermodal movement of passengers and goods. Shared thinking also leads us to imagine a clean, cost-effective and intelligent goods transport system. It seems advisable for our joint reflection on this subject to proceed according to a more global, systems approach, where railway freight carriage for example, fits into the logic of a logistics chain that includes road and sea links.

The formidable growth of information technology and communications is also very likely to alter our approach to the exchange and flow of data aboard vehicles or between them and their infrastructure, thus preparing the way for smart guided transport.

Our two nations have, through DEUFRAKO, put in place an efficient tool for dialogue and information sharing which we feel it is crucial to maintain and further develop, so that it can be the grounds for broader co-operation, based on France's PREDIT programme and Germany's MOBILITÄT programme.

Foreword for the Deufrako secretariat

The project-specific and organizational implementation of cooperation and the preparation and holding of meetings and seminars is performed and supported by two DEUFRAKO secretariates. In addition to supporting the political bodies, the secretariates are also active for the implementation and coordination of DEUFRAKO project proposals for economy and science.

On the French side, the support activities are concentrated in the INRETS institute for large research programs, on the German side, the secretariate is conducted by Dornier SystemConsult. This secretariate has proven to be successful in supporting the government activities and in updating the DEUFRAKO program.

François LACÔTE

Directeur de la Recherche et de la Technologie SNCF

Consideration of the German-French Cooperation DEUFRAKO by Deutsche Bahn" and by SNCF

Europe grows together. The German-French cooperation has established its position in this erea. DEUFRAKO has been understood and used as a bridge between national and European research projects on guided transport by the research partners.

The competitive pressure on the European railways is steadily increasing. Therefore, the railways must change to modern service companies by the employment of new and competitive technologies in order to meet the customers' wishes.

In addition to the more favorable cost structures, relevant criteria of success are, in particular, a constant high level of quality, time management, reliability, safety and environmental compatibility.

The railway "system" has to be become simpler, more flexible and more productive. Furthermore, it has to allow a more cost-efficient production than today and a better adaptation to the changed structures and needs of the market.

Thus, the strategical approaches and objectives are:

• to conquer new markets by considerable jumps in the price-performance ratio,
• to considerably improve the efficiency by increasing the performance and simultaneously reducing the resources used.

In order to support the attainment of these objectives, Deutsche Bahn has developed a R&D strategy which also includes the cooperation with competent railways as a relevant component. Thus, DEUFRAKO, the German-French cooperation between SNCF and DB AG, is a central strategic component.

Due to the financial and competent support by the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology, the French government and also due to the active cooperation of both railways, DEUFRAKO had been able to obtain results in the past 20 years which are a significant contribution to enhancing the competitiveness of both railways.

From the comprehensive subject catalog of DEUFRAKO, those projects have to be especially emphasized which are contained in the so-called "Annexes":

• development of an operation planning model (Annex L) fully operational which allows today a national continuation of work,
• comparing noise emissions for high-speed transport (Annex K2),
• development of new command and control technologies (Annex M) whose results are the basis for the future European command and control system ERTMS.

The success of the cooperation is clearly shown by the fact that:

• new knowledges and new know-how are jointly prepared,
• new solution possibilities are pursued; even as a pioneer in Europe,
• there is an intensive knowledge and technology transfer between the two railways,
• the risk in the development and testing of new products and technologies is applicable to both railways,
• the market for railway products and the use of the achievable price and performance competition is expanded,
• the existing standards are jointly applied.

A large technological development potential still exists for both railways in the freight transport sector. The full use of the quantification parameters of freight transport with the key issues, e.g. track clearance envelope, loads per axle and train lengths are the main tasks of this sector. In addition, the flexibilization of "train" as a means of production is urgently recommended. Last but not least, a consequent customer orientation has to be in the foreground.

Future activities of DEUFRAKO should be based on these needs. The respective proposals have been made by both railways, such as "Freight Express" (Annex O), "Localization via Satellite" (Annex P) for vehicle and consignment management but also as key components for automated operation. The interoperability necessary for competition reasons also requires the joint development, testing, and introduction of key components, such as automated train coupling, an electronically controlled brake, a uniform train bus system and multiple radio control for driving heavy or extremely long freight trains. As these subjects cannot be separately considered, the two railways are preparing a project proposal called "freight trains of the next generation".

Twenty years of DEUFRAKO show that this cooperation is of great advantage not only for the two partner railways SNCF and DB AG, but also for all other railways. This should be reason enough for continuing this cooperation in the next 20 years as well.

Georges DOBIAS

Ingénieur Général des Ponts et Chaussées, STP

INTRODUCTION

Why DEUFRAKO and what is it ?

Twenty years ago, at the initiative of French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and German chancellor Helmut Schmidt, a co-operative exercise was set up to investigate the development of high-speed land transport systems.

The DEUFRAKO co-operation was by no means an easy one. Despite the political will to corporate, the diverging interests of industrialists and railway operators did nothing to assist in defining suitable themes rapidly or to establish a mutual and satisfactory working rhythm.

Having twice had the privilege to co-ordinate the French section in the early days of its existence, then again as of 1985, I should say that the level of co-operation has evolved favourably, as witnessed by the development of joint projects and their growing numbers, the comparison between different high-speed technologies (wheel-rail, magnetic levitation), the extension of co-operation to German and French industrialists, and in-depth comparative studies of the methods of operation employed by DB and SNCF.

This brochure describes the themes of co-operation and their results. Beyond the texts, the group has managed to acquire even better knowledge of the men and women involved, their work methods and their economic environments. This is indeed the key element, for work done in alliance is only as worthwhile as the degree of trust within the teams involved.

I should like to express the wish that DEUFRAKO becomes a catalyst for the European approach to high-speed guided transport systems, as well as for other fields of transport, as was already the case with the command-control systems used to regulate train traffic.

"Good luck to DEUFRAKO in future endeavours"

M. ARDUIN

SNCF

Eckhard KUHLA

Deutsche Bahn AG

THE MAIN COOPERATION THEMES

I - Coopération sur la comparaison technico-économique des systèmes à grande vitesse 

(Annexes A1, A2, L)                              image 1    image 2   image 3

The first DEUFRAKO collaboration, or Annex A, involved comparing the technical and economic aspects of high-speed railway systems using contact or contact-free guidance techniques on the Paris-Frankfurt link.

The first phase of Annex A, which got underway in 1978, focused on comparing infrastructure and fixed installation costs for the AEROTRAIN (air cushion) and TGV (wheel/rail) systems in France as well as the INTERCITY-E (wheel/rail system) and TRANSRAPID (magnetic levitation system) in Germany. As France had abandoned the AEROTRAIN system, it was no longer admitted into the comparison.

In order to make the investment cost estimate as realistic as possible, the Paris-Frankfurt line was laid out concretely in compliance with the applicable directives in the relevant countries and using the methods employed by railway companies. The choice of the Paris-Frankfurt link did not jeopardise any real investment intentions and had the advantage of offering certain layout conditions in regions that were representative of those existing in Europe.

The global costs for the Frankfurt/M (airport) - Paris (Charles de Gaulle airport) line, including stations served by the train, reveal the difference in costs for the various open line systems. However, for closer comparison, it is essential to remember that the intermediate stations on the TGV and the INTERCITY-E lines are located in the town centres, whereas the TRANSRAPID stations are on the outskirts.

The substantial difference observed in the overall in-vestment costs for the TGV and IN-TERCITY-E systems (based on newly cons-tructed tracks in France and in Germany) was notably reduced once the differences in methods adopted during the period of alliance were eliminated. The outstanding difference comes from population density and ground occupation, which are not the same in the two countries. With regard to the TGV, costs are lower because land can be acquired at lower costs in France, the number of bridges constructed as a result of the legislation on land consolidation is less and earth work is less expensive due to differing national legislation. If the line were to be planned and constructed by the two countries together, each operating on its own territory, it seems likely that construction costs would be situated at approximately mid-way between the two estimates.

As for TRANSRAPID, population density and land use have less of an impact on account of the raised track along the greater portion of the line. Global investment costs are higher than for wheel/rail systems, largely because of the higher definition speed of 400 km/h, which leads to additional costs for earth work, track equipment and power supply.

The second phase of An-nex A began in 1984 and con-centrated on comparing the operating costs of the preceding systems. The term "operating costs", as it is used here, includes running costs, maintenance costs as well as capital ex-penses (interest and depreciation) of vehicles. Operating costs were estimated on the basis of offer and demand hypotheses for transport as well as on the level of operating enhancements for systems in the Paris-Frankfurt layout model under consideration. These studies led to the elaboration of a common procedure to calculate unit operating costs for high-speed guided systems and to the development of a computerised model (SIMECO) used in defining operating programmes for the purpose of determining total operating charges.

" By using the tools they developed together, both networks can look towards improving the planning aspect of their products on offer. In addition, a vital step was accomplished with the rapid, economical feasibility study carried out within the framework of the international sales of rapid transit systems."

Annex L

The volume of investments needed for new lines and rolling stock, in combination with long lead times necessary for construction, means that long-term planning is of the essence. The decision to build a new line or modernise a conventional line is based on detailed comparison of the operating costs as well as the social and economic benefits offered by the different options involved. The results obtained from this theme within the framework of Annex A have uncovered the need to jointly develop an integrated operations planning model for high-speed systems. These proceedings were covered in Annex L, which began in 1988.

The proceedings described in this annex consisted in integrating two operating concepts in a sort of Franco-German "tool-box". The first places emphasis on transport demand, as is the case in France (SIMECO, MATISSE, SIMEX), whereas the second focuses on the business of offer, as is much more customary in Germany (PLAN, INTEGPLAN).

" The major projects now on the drawing board that will benefit from implementation of the integrated operations planning model will be the new high-speed rail link through the Alps, the different projects connected with the German reunification and the Hamburg-Berlin Transrapid service."

Luitpold MILLER

THYSSEN Transrapid System GmbH

Régis LARDENNOIS

MATRA Transport International

II - Cooperation in the field of the maglev system technology

(Annexes B, C, G, E, J)                 image 4

From 1978 to 1989 the DEUFRAKO working group developed maglev system technology for guided transport.

The projects :

- Magnet tests (Appendix B)

- Linear motor with U shaped reaction rails (Appendix C)

- Magnet winding technology (Appendix G)

allowed to optimize the key components of the magnetic levitation technique as regards their electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. The obtained development results on the one hand were taken into account in the development of the Transrapid in Germany and on the other hand they led to new system concepts applied to rapid suburban transport with an operation speed up to 200 km/h.

The projects :

- U-LIM-AS Transport sys-tem(Appendix E)

- STARLIM (Appendix J)

were carried out in order to check the dimensions and the definition of a rapid suburban system with a electromagnetic levitation and guidance and no contact propulsion technique in order to quantify the characteristics of the system on the reference section of AIX EN PROVENCE - MARSEILLE.

a) Magnet tests (Annex B)

The studies have demonstrated that the rotational test module can solve all of the problems through measurements in quite an accurate way.

One of the main results of the studies was to demonstrate that for the same parameters, with the new material MSH the levitation power increased and the braking resistance was very reduced as compared with the usual ST37 material.

The main results led to use the MSH materials both on the experimental section of the Transrapid in Emsland and as core material for the guidance ma-gnets of the Transrapid vehicles.

b) Linear motor with U shaped reaction rail (Annex C)

A calculation method was developed. Through the comparison of the calculated power data with the measurements results of mo-tors with various dimensions it was demonstrated that the calculation method was accurate enough to be used for the dimensioning of the system with representative parameters. The results also confirm the excellent properties, empirically obtained, of the asynchronous linear motor with U shaped reaction rail.

c) Magnet winding technology (Annex G)

This cooperation project allowed to develop a new technique of large magnet winding in aluminium strips with direct winding of the magnetic core. The results show a significant improvement of the transversal thermal conductivity.

Another data of the problem was the examination of the various configurations of magnets using scale model magnets at the Vitry rotational test module. Comparative measurements demonstrated that relative to the E shaped magnets with incorporated windings, the E shaped magnets with rear windings only have half of the power drag due to the Foucault currents and that the result is a lower resistance to advancing of the magnetic levitation vehicles.

The improvement of the heat properties, the potentiality of adjustment within two degrees of liberty and the behaviour in downgraded mode could be pointed out through the studies on real scale magnets at the Thyssen Henschel's magnet test module.

The E shaped magnets with direct winding of the magnetic core and rear winding are going to be used in all of the Transrapid vehicles (TR07, TR08).

d) U-LIM-AS transport system (Annex E)

On the basis of the results of the components development of the B, C and G projects, a transport system with traction by short stator linear motor and a guidance and magnetic levitation technique was designed. The U shaped reaction rail and the asynchronous linear motor with electromagnetic guidance and regulation by GTO inverter were installed on the wheel of Grenoble in real scale.

The results of the study are the following :

- The dimensioning calculations for the new traction system were confirmed taking into account the power supply of the inverter.

- The compatibility of the electromagnetic guidance and the short stator asynchronous motor could be demonstrated on the same rails.

- All of the fundamental technical data of the vehicles and the track could be obtained for the system dimensioning and the calculation of the investment costs.

On the basis of the positive results the STARLIM project (Annex J) was decided.

e) STARLIM (Annex J)

In this project a complete design of a transport system with asynchronous short stator linear motor and a guidance and magnetic levitation technique was carried out for the automatic regional and suburban transport.

In order to analyze the profitability and to assess with accuracy the advantages relative to the traditional suburban systems, a comparative study was made on the reference line MARSEILLE-AIX EN PROVENCE with the participation of RATP.

The following results were obtained :

- The STARLIM system is characterized by low investment costs and a profitable operation.

- The no contact operating technique is little noisy and facilitates the integration of the system in urban areas.

- The significant arguments for the attractiveness of the system towards users and operators are the following : small headways and passengers units, strong acceleration at start, high commercial speed.

Several application projects have been studied in France and Germany. To achieve a first reference line a detailed planning was carried out.

"The work conducted as part of Appendix J has enabled us to consider the use of magnetic levitation technology in the context of rapid transit in comparison with a heavier system borne on steel rail or an automatic tyre-based light rail system such as the VAL system.

We wanted to compare this system with more conventional technologies and identify its benefits for lightly-trafficked lines, apart from those to be found in major conurbations such as the Greater Paris area where the main routes are generally equipped with efficient conventional rolling stock already.

We have been aiming at the same characteristics as those of automatic tyre-based light rail systems with a speed capability of 200 km/h in order to reduce journey-times and implement single-track operation so as to reduce infrastructure-related costs. Although the economic feasibility has been proven, it was not possible to find applications enabling the major investment costs required by the development of the new technology to be recovered; in addition, existing transport facilities can be adapted to cater for such needs and current investment criteria are geared to other commercial needs. "

Pierre Etienne GAUTIER

SNCF

Dr.-Ing. Georg Hölzl

Deutsche Bahn AG

III - Co-operation on aerodynamic phenomenon studies

(Annexes D, F, K1 and K2)                      image 5   image 6   image 7

In addition to tractive resistance to the air, the design of electromagnetically-guided, levitation vehicles must also consider the force of cross-drift, rolling, hunting and pitching; terms which are important in configurations where there is a cross wind. The highly-streamlined front sections are designed to offer minimal resistance to the air but are very sensitive to cross winds and may therefore call for oversized front guidance magnets. Also, aerodynamic lift may reach such values as to jeopardise comfort (partial neutrality of the unit's suspension).

A critical factor for these new vehicles has been to carry out a systematic study of the effect of the geometric parameters of the main frame; bending radius (especially of the roof), slope of the side walls, height and width, in cross wind configuration. This experimental research began in 1981 and involved wind-tunnel testing of different models designed in collaboration.

The study examined the relationship between the sensitivity to cross winds and the shape of the main frames of high-speed trains. Based on this research, it was possible to show that the effects of cross wind on drift and lift coefficients may be reduced considerably by judiciously defining the different bending radii of the main frame perimeter (walls, roof and roof crest). Furthermore, achieving simultaneous optimisation of drift and lift coefficients turned out to be very difficult. The results did however enable aerodynamic specialists to provide electronic technicians with accurate data on the transient pressures affecting the suspension and guidance components of magnetic vehicles.

The increase in train running speeds, especially in conjunction with the construction of new lines, as well as the different construction projects for long railway tunnels, have underscored the importance of obtaining even more knowledge of aerodynamic phenomena linked to train traffic in tunnels. One of the most fundamental of these is the movement of the air in the spherical space between train and tunnel, for this plays a major part in determining the resistance of train convoys and the speed of the air flow inside the tunnel. Conventional modelling studies worked on the premise that there was uniform distribution of the speed within this spherical space and were not able to elucidate these phenomena thoroughly.

Annex F began in 1983 and was dedicated to two-dimensional modelling applied to the calculation of real traffic speeds at all points within the spherical space. As such, it was able to provide a more realistic calculation of numerous fundamental values such as tractive resistance. Wind-tunnel tests carried out with an original test rig were instrumental in validating the theoretical approach. The calculation tools developed in Annex F make it possible to forecast, with a good level of accuracy, the phenomena caused by trains when running inside tunnels.

" These instruments were used to model train traffic behaviour inside the Channel tunnel".

With fast, modern trains now running in high-speed environments, aerodynamic noise could for the first time be recognised as a preponderant factor. The best approach seemed therefore to evaluate the impact of different sources of noise in high-speed trains. It is for this reason that Annex K became a co-operative venture to investigate noise emissions from high-speed trains.

The first phase of Annex K got underway in 1987. By means of a commonly defined methodology, it set out to determine the noise emission of the high-speed trains operated in the two countries: TGV, ICE, TRANSRAPID.

The second phase of Annex K started in 1994, with work focusing on acquiring better knowledge and understanding of the phenomena generating aerodynamic noise and certain types of mechanical noise.

The results will be used to enrich a general noise emission model of the high-speed system in an effort to determine overall, achievable reduction levels, based on the reduction potential of elementary sour-ces.

" The work accomplished within Annex K provided information on global noise emission in the ICE, TGV and TR07 high-speed systems, but also made it possible to identify the predominant sources of noise in these systems.

Annexe K2 was the arena to carry out more detailed studies into aerodynamic phenomena (noise generation around inter-trailer gaps and bogie areas and pantographs). In addition, in-depth studies into certain mechanical excitation phenomena (sleeper spacing, stick/slip) could also be done for the first time at such a scale.

All this knowledge will help us better understand the noise reduction potential on high-speed systems."

"From professional point of view, the work in connection with Deufrako Appendix K was very stimulating and interesting and major findings were gained for DB AG.

I would like to express my specific thanks to my predecessor Mr. Breitling who with his composure and patience actively pushed the project forward. "

Daniel LANCIEN

Agence ERTMS

Florian
KOLLMANNSBERGER

Deutsche Bahn AG

IV - Co-operation in the field of railway command-control

(Annexes M, P)                      image 8

ANNEX M

Annex M began in 1990, pursuing co-operation in the field of railway command and control techniques. The objective of this annex was to play a pioneering role in the specifications of the European command-control system, ARTEMIS, in harmony with the different European, national or international projects in existence (ASTREE, DIBMOF).

There were two further objectives of these studies:

• to provide functional and architectural specifications for the new system, paying close attention to defining a modular, adaptable structure capable of handling all safety and real-time management needs for train traffic.

TEAMWORK modelling techniques were used to define functional specifications (FRS), operational principles, technical and functional architecture for ground equipment and on-board equipment, as well as the messages to be relayed between the ground and the train.

• to lead a technical and functional study of the most innovative components of the new system, in particular the safety odotachygraph and bilateral radio transmission of data.

With regard to the first point, a detailed specification was developed and supported by information from line tests.

As far as radio transmission is concerned, the first task consisted in defining the performances of the transmission medium that would satisfy volume requirements and the frequency of the data to be exchanged between the train and ground equipment. Secondly, a technical and economic study was done on current and future radio standards (GSM, RES 7, TETRA, DECT) which were likely to meet railway needs. Based on the results of the comparison, and following a number of full-scale tests carried out at the DIBMOF test site in Germany and along the Paris-Calais TGV line in France, GSM was selected as the radio transmission platform.

" DEUFRAKO-M has reached a significant milestone in the world of railway signalling. The traditional national approach between client and industry has given way to a bilateral appro-ach that makes widespread use of innovative techniques, many of which do not have exclusive links with the railway industry. The initial steps were indeed difficult and it was essential to understand and to learn to make compromises, but DEUFRAKO-M quickly established itself as a voluntary exercise of collaboration within an atmosphere of exemplary open-mindedness. The challenge was won. It was to culminate a few years later in the European economic interest group of users called ERTMS (European Railway Traffic Management System).

During this time, based on the work carried out by DEUFRAKO and also by UIC (International Union of Railways), the new European ERTMS command and control system was born with the Italian, then Dutch, Spanish and British railways joining DB and SNCF. The movement was off and running…and there was no turning back."

Bernard JEAN

SNCF

Eckhard KUHLA

Deutsche Bahn AG

Satellite-based tracking technology, which for many years has been confined to the military domain, now has numerous applications in the civil domain. All the transport sectors (air, maritime and overland) are currently considering possible applications of this technology for fleet management, tracking and tracing, and con-trol of their mobile units.

International projects have been launched to assess the size of markets and the railways have been requested to state their requirements.

By comparison with current railway technology, use of satellite-based systems offers by its very nature, the advantage of covering territories exhaustively and of being a universal, intermodal technology. Furthermore, use of non-specific technology which apparently holds promise for sustained development, is expected to lead to lower operating costs.

Cooperation on the subject of tracking and associated telecommunications which began in 1997 is described in Annex P. The objectives of this annex are to take stock of the requirements and constraints of railway operators in the field of tracking and associated telecommunications, to analyse existing solutions in the other transport modes and to assess the economic viability of potential applications.

The various satellite-based tracking and communications technologies have been studied together with the operational limitations of system functioning, the description of operation under down-graded conditions and back-up solutions. A survey of these technologies has been drawn up and the limitations of each, defined. In order to set the framework for future studies of satellite-based tracking and communications systems, specifications for railway applications have been defined and an analysis of the various standards and regulations carried out. This work made it possible to fine-tune the list of technical solutions. Simulation tools are currently being developed to define performances in terms of precision, availability and safety.

" We have systematically reviewed possible railway applications of satellite-based tracking systems and examined the technological solutions against required performances.

Initially we were thinking, of course, of a system for controlling train headway with very stingent safety requirements. But this study has shown that other applications apart from safety, such as fleet management, can yield great benefits and are accessible today. Our current tracking systems have been designed to follow trains, whereas, a satellite-based tracking system combined with a telecommunications system can be used to trace vehicles equipped for the system wherever they may be, in a train consist or not, possibly beyond national borders and independently of ground installations. This concept is of considerable interest for a fleet manager, enabling it to react in real time to unexpected situations and also to check the condition of its rolling stock or of goods carried if other information is added to the tracking data. These tracking systems which are becoming a major competitive asset, will develop considerably, driven by the road sector. If we want to avoid falling behind, we must swiftly launch trials on a significant scale in the passenger and freight sector. At the same time, we will carry out with the DB a certain number of developments specific to this type of application, i.e. a simulation tool, to assess satellite availability quantitatively in our environment, and we shall also draw up principles for digital mapping of our lines. "

Jean-Pierre CHENAIS

GEC ALSTHOM 

Dr. Ing. habil. Uwe HENNING

Siemens AG, Erlangen

V - Co-operation for applying superconductivity to railway traction

(Annex N)

In the hypothesis that by 2010/2020 very high-speed trains (TGV and ICE) would be required to integrate international passenger service at revenue speeds of about 400 km/h, it is important to note that conventional transformers would be too heavy and cumbersome. Their installation would also be a severe hindrance to trainsets with multiple-unit arrangements, and even more so if tilting systems were present.

One possible solution is to use superconductive technology. In this light, a preliminary feasibility study was conducted in 1993/1994 on a low-temperature superconductor transformer, within the framework of the first phase of Annex N. The conclusions of the study corroborated the feasibility of such a transformer which, with its usual accessories, would be one-half the weight of a conventional transformer. Although much more costly, its profitability would be guaranteed by energy savings that would be achieved because of its performance efficiency of approximately 1. The study also made it possible to establish a five-year research programme culminating in the construction of a full-scale transformer for fixed installation trials, before being tested on board a vehicle.

From the moment collaboration began on Annex N, questions were asked as to the choice of the superconductor: low or high temperature (4°K or 77°K). Until 1996, the low-temperature option appeared to be the only reasonable choice, but with the advancements now made in high-temperature technologies, further consideration must be given to this question. The chief advantage of "high-temperature" technology would be in the choice of the cooling fluid, where liquid nitrogen, an industrial product, would be preferred to liquid helium which is a rare and expensive product, as is its environment (refrigerator and cryostat).

An initial research and test phase should result in an MVA-rated transformer, with the second and third phases culminating, as was planned in the event a "low temperature" technology was chosen, in the construction of a full-scale transformer (6 MVA) for fixed installation testing, before proceeding to conduct tests on board a vehicle.

The vision of a uniform high-speed railway network in Europe by the year 2020 calls for higher operational speeds of the vehicles in order to reduce driving times. This requires the improvement of the vehicle-installed traction performance. The use of conventional transformers with conducting material based on copper would increase the system's size and weight to inadmissible magnitudes without further reducing the electrical efficiency of such transformers - which is already moderate at present. An improvement in efficiency would result in a weight and volume increase of the conventional transformers which is unacceptable.

In 1993/1994, the general applicability of superconductivity on rail vehicles was demonstrated in a study by a cooperation between Siemens and GEC Alsthom (Annex N). The analyses were conducted on the basis of the metallic superconductivity example. This would require operating temperatures of 4 K which are close to absolute zero and thus require some technical effort. The development of superconductivity has progressed by the technical feasibility of ceramic high-temperature superconductors whose operating temperature is within the range of 77 K. In the future, however, it will be possible to equip the transformers with windings made of high-temperature superconductors. The cooling of this conducting material can be performed by liquid nitrogen which, for instance, requires fewer cooling system design activities.

Within the current research projects, it is planned to prepare the implementation of series production application utilization of high-temperature superconductivity on rails. This pro-ject involves the design and the development of a stationary demonstration transformer with a power of 1 MVA. This project, too, is being performed also within the DEUFRAKO agreement by a working team between Siemens and GEC Alsthom.

Even prior to commissioning of the demonstration transformer, the following saving potentials are provided to the vehicle operator:

- Mass and volume reduction of the transformer by 40 % in comparison with a conventional solution

- Increase of the electrical efficiency to more than 99%

The reduced system mass has extensive consequences for the rail vehicle operator. The lower axle load considerably reduces the wear of wheelset, rail and track bed; this mainly applies to the high final speeds planned for the future. Due to the reduced weight and size volume of a superconducting transformer, multi-system vehicles for international railway transport are easier to design and are thus more cost-effective. This involves a significant potential for reducing the operating costs and for improving the interoperability of high-speed trains.

Upon completion of the present development project, the necessary design documents for the construction of a full-performance onboard prototype shall be provided in addition to the stationary demonstration transformer. In a follow-on project, it is thus planned to perform the design, assembly, stationary verification and test activities of this prototype in a test facility for preparing series production of this superconducting transformer.

"With the project 'superconductivity on rail vehicles' we make a relevant contribution to comply even better with the wishes of the operators for a high-performance, light-weight, low-energy, environmentally friendly and efficient railway system. Upon completion of the present demonstration transformer project, vehicle testing of this new and future-oriented technology is planned.".

M. VAROQUAUX

SNCF

Eckhard KUHLA

Deutsche Bahn AG

As saturation problems on European motorways have kept on increasing, high-speed freight operators are turning to long term alternatives The guided transport infrastructure will help cover those new needs in the forthcoming years.

Within the ambit of DEUFRAKO, the two rail undertakings decided in 1996 to initiate a co-operative venture in the following three areas:

• a survey of the express freight market,
• a definition of loading units and handling/stowing devices,
• the standardisation of interfaces for the integration with intercontinental air services and continental rail and highway traffic.

After surveying the needs of would-be customers (operators of high-speed freight, airlines), the interest towards a high-speed service offering was confirmed and its outlines were draw up: ability to compete with medium-haul air services thanks to the integration into existing hub organisations, on the basis of highly-efficient transit times.

Regional sub-groups have studied solutions specific to each airport: location of exchange terminals, links with integrators and unit load transfer facilities.

An operating model was cons-tructed including routes, timetables and performance specifications in terms of fleets and types of train.

After checking demand forecasts, the following logistical profile presented herebelow was identified:

• high-speed freight links between airport hubs and domestic:

- entry points having interesting development prospects: London /Paris - Brussels - Cologne - Frankfurt (on the basis of the guided transport infrastructure planned for 2005),

• the most-favoured time windows:

- transit time: 3 hours between the Brussels hub and the domestic entry points of Paris, Cologne and Frankfurt,

- time segments: inbound services to the hub between 9 and 12 pm and outbound services from the hub between 3 and 6 am.

• Loading units:

- airfreight containers of the trade.

The review of the link between airports and the high-speed guided transport network has shown that in 2005, only Frank-furt airport would be served with such short transit times, all the other links being still at the planning stage.

Thanks to this logistical profile and to the assumptions regardding the rail links, an operating model was constructed. For a 100 tonne transport volume in 2005 between Frankfurt and Paris on the one hand and Paris-Brussels on the other, the shuttle service (with transshipment terminal in Brussels) seems to be the most efficient option (as compared to a route concept). 

"Thanks to the High-Speed Freight concept, we have demonstrated the operational feasibility of a freight transport service at 200 km/h speeds, approximately. Companies should now take initiatives to meet shippers'needs over the long hauls."

Hans-Peter NEUBAUR

DORNIER SYSTEM CONSULT

Claude SOULAS

INRETS

VII - Technical Dictionary of High-Speed Guided Transport

(Annex H)

For interdisciplinary and international cooperation within the field of research on high-speed transport systems, a uniform and unambiguous terminology of technical and economic terms and their definitions is required. For this purpose, a cooperation project has been initiated with the aim of producing a technical dictionary regarding high-speed transport systems which shall ease cooperation and information exchange regarding the technological development.

A German-French working group , consisting of engineers and technical interpreters of INRETS, SNCF, Deutscher Eisenbahn Consulting and Dornier, prepared the terms and definitions; the basic English translation was contributed by Transport Canada.

This reference book is written in three languages and comprises not only terms but also detailed definitions from the special fields of technology, transport and social economy in the three languages German, French and English. As a whole, over 1,000 of the most important terms concerning wheel/rail and Maglev technology have been included. The selection of these terms was based on the requirements of developers and operators of high-speed transport systems, authorities, research institutes and technical translators. Besides the European railway technologies such as ICE, TGV and TRANSRAPID, the Japanese developments in this field have also been taken into account. In addition to the publication as a separate technical book, the respective terms have also been included into the UIC technical lexicon (the current issue is available on CD-ROM) and will be translated into other languages as well.

"In the course of activities it became obvious that the translations of the frequently used terms reflected a relatively large deviation in meaning due to different technical developments and applications in the countries under consideration. Thus, the most important and demanding task was to formulate the definitions and terms and to adjust their details. From the German point of view, the cooperation with the French members of the working group can be described as excellent with regard to technical and project-related aspects. Con-sidering the fact that Canada - unlike France - does not pursue a comparably significant development of high-speed transport systems, the cooperation with the French authorities has also been extremely valuable."