01.09.06
ESG to fit GSM-R to freight locomotives
UK railway consultancy, Engineering Support Group, has won a contract from Siemens Transportation Systems on behalf of Network Rail to fit Global Systems for Mobile communications for Railways (GSM-R) signalling equipment to locomotives.
GSM-R is a combination of fixed and mobile telecommunication infrastructure and provides voice and data communication between track and trains.
Engineering Support Group will install GSM-R signalling equipment in ten freight locomotives for evaluation. The classes of locomotive the equipment will be fitted to are 37, 47, 56, 58, 59, 60, 66, 67, 90 and 92. Engineering Support Group will design how to fit the signalling equipment to the locomotives, and has contracted Axiom Rail to install it to each locomotive at their facilities at Toton (Nottinghamshire) and Crewe.
These trial fitments will be undertaken in parallel with the fitment of GSM-R to 25 EWS locomotives. These will take part in the Strathclyde area pilot trial of GSM-R to ensure that the equipment will be suitable for the freight environment and will operate well when national implementation occurs.
The award of the contract follows Engineering Support Group's recent success in modifying and fitting French signalling equipment to a UK class 66 locomotive. The modifications have created a new bi-lingual locomotive which can operate in France and Britain and will be used by Euro Cargo Rail for new rail freight services in France.
Mark Roberts, Engineering Support Group Project Manager, said, “ESG are pleased to be awarded this contract by Siemens Transportation Systems. Each locomotive type will require unique solutions and ESG has a highly experienced team that will deliver them. ESG has successfully fitted French signalling systems to the freight locomotive of choice in Britain, the class 66. This was a complex project which required new ways of thinking to be developed to enable the locomotive to work in both France and Britain. We are delighted following this success to embark upon a similar project to fit GSM-R to ten different classes of freight locomotives.”
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