RAIL CASE STUDY: ISA assessments for signalling in Saudi Arabia

Independent Safety Assessment of Electronic interlocking, ETCS L2 and centralised traffic control for a 2,400 km long newly built railway network

FACTS AT A GLANCE

What was the challenge?

The North-South Railway (NSR) project in Saudi Arabia is a major railway infrastructure initiative aimed at developing a modern and efficient rail network of 2,400 km length connecting the northern and southern regions of the country. The project is intended to facilitate the transportation of passengers and freight, promote economic development, and enhance connectivity within Saudi Arabia and the broader Gulf region.

The railway includes 6 passenger stations, 8 intermodal terminals and loading terminals at currently 3 mining areas. The line crosses some very harsh environments. At the moment of first commissioning, it was the longest railway line equipped with ETCS L2. The signalling system is composed of:

• Train Control Centre
• Interlocking
• European Train Control System (ETCS) L2
• EN 50159 compliant communication network

Furthermore, there are interfaces to:

• Rolling Stock Management System (based on RFID tags technology with lineside check points)
• Automated train condition supervision (check points)
• Maintenance centre

The project was divided into two main phases for commissioning, the so-called Mineral Line and the Passenger Line. Contractor of the project was the Joint Venture Thales-Saudi-Bin Laden Group (SBG).

What was our solution?

TÜV SÜD was appointed by Thales Ground Transportation Systems to carry out an Independent Safety Assessment of the specific application in accordance to the relevant CENELEC standards EN 50126, EN 50128 and EN 50129 as well as underlying reference standards. The assessment also included the inspection of the data preparation for the specific application and the installation on site. 

What was the customer benefit?

The Independent Safety Assessment carried out by TÜV SÜD ensures the safety and supported reliability and quality of the project. It was also the basis of final approval by the authority of the Signalling and ETCS L2 systems.