The fully automated cabin train “Sky Train”, used at the Düsseldorf Airport, has hardly been mentioned in recent years. After the initial start-up in 2002, the Sky Train usually hit the headlines due to its lack of reliability and frequent interruptions in operation, causing some passengers to miss their flights because of temporary breakdowns.
As part of an improvement concept agreed upon between the installation company and the operators, the Sky Train vehicles, driveways and processing, together with the service management has been improved.
The main focus was to decrease the interruptions of operation on open route. As the cabin train commutes automatically between the stations, there is no train operator on board, who could control the train manually in case of an interruption; therefore, the main effort was to find a quick solution to this problem.
The solution was provided by the use of a radio remote control system by Cattron-Theimeg Europe GmbH & Co. KG (CTE) from Mönchengladbach, Germany, which is mainly used in railway and shunting systems. The system, is certified by the German Railway Authority (Eisenbahnbundesamt = EBA) is designed to comply with the European Standard EN 50239 for high safety standards for passenger traffic.
The system comprises of transmitter/receiver in all five trains of the elevated railway, which are permanently active, integrated to the safety loop of the train, should any interruptions occur, via radio remote control, the operation is automatically switched to manual control. The operator, then drives by car, alongside the tracks and controls the train by radio. The malfunction message on hand has to be confirmed and the train stop of the radio remote control has to be cancelled. After selecting the direction of the train it can then, via joystick, be driven at slow speed.
Clearing the tracks is now possible within a few minutes, so, there is no danger of passengers missing their flights.
Transmitter and receiver are designed with a dual-processor system. Fail-safe monitoring electronics compare all received telegrams for verification and only execute the signals when the evaluation of both processors matches.
Due to this and other measures an availability of 99% has been reached and a breakdown in operation is now seldom.
One can speak of a positive success story of the “Sky Train”, by the use of a radio remote control system TH-EC/LO by CTE.
As part of an improvement concept agreed upon between the installation company and the operators, the Sky Train vehicles, driveways and processing, together with the service management has been improved.
The main focus was to decrease the interruptions of operation on open route. As the cabin train commutes automatically between the stations, there is no train operator on board, who could control the train manually in case of an interruption; therefore, the main effort was to find a quick solution to this problem.
The solution was provided by the use of a radio remote control system by Cattron-Theimeg Europe GmbH & Co. KG (CTE) from Mönchengladbach, Germany, which is mainly used in railway and shunting systems. The system, is certified by the German Railway Authority (Eisenbahnbundesamt = EBA) is designed to comply with the European Standard EN 50239 for high safety standards for passenger traffic.
The system comprises of transmitter/receiver in all five trains of the elevated railway, which are permanently active, integrated to the safety loop of the train, should any interruptions occur, via radio remote control, the operation is automatically switched to manual control. The operator, then drives by car, alongside the tracks and controls the train by radio. The malfunction message on hand has to be confirmed and the train stop of the radio remote control has to be cancelled. After selecting the direction of the train it can then, via joystick, be driven at slow speed.
Clearing the tracks is now possible within a few minutes, so, there is no danger of passengers missing their flights.
Transmitter and receiver are designed with a dual-processor system. Fail-safe monitoring electronics compare all received telegrams for verification and only execute the signals when the evaluation of both processors matches.
Due to this and other measures an availability of 99% has been reached and a breakdown in operation is now seldom.
One can speak of a positive success story of the “Sky Train”, by the use of a radio remote control system TH-EC/LO by CTE.
