The north German city of Rostock has a tramway system that features a subway under the tracks at Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) used by four lines. As part of a pioneering pilot project, the innovative Siemens Signalling X platform is being trialled for the first time on a German public transport system. A software-defined interlocking based on the DS3 safety platform and standard IT hardware has been installed for the subway under Rostock Hbf used by trams on lines 2, 3, 5 and 6. This exemplifies the shift from proprietary hardware to a software-based system, permitting existing infrastructure to be modernised more flexibly and efficiently, and follows tests at the Singapore Rail Test Center last autumn.
Dirk Glaunder, Team Leader power Systems at Rostocker Strassenbahn AG said, ‘For mass transit operators, operational safety is the greatest challenge. In addition to the inherent risks of rail operations, the proximity to road traffic creates additional stress for both people and technology. We are please therefore to support any innovation that advances operational safety. It was a natural choice for us to work with our partners Siemens on the testing and implementation of this technology’.
Rostock has a 35.6km standard-gauge tramway network operating since 1881,with six lines carrying about 29M passengers/year on 53 low-floor trams. 28 Stadler Tina are being delivered to enhance the fleet.
The tram subway under Rostock Hauptbahnhof (RSAG)
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