HITACHI Rail has announced the completion of a project to install ETCS on the 110km Szajol - Debrecen section of the Budapest - Debrecen main line, a key freight route handling traffic towards Ukraine and Romania as well as serving a major car plant in Debrecen.
The electrified double-track Szajol - Debrecen line serves eight stations, where 250 points are controlled by signalling equipment previously installed by Hitachi Rail, including electronic interlockings.
Installing ETCS has enabled the maximum speed to be increased from 120km/h to 160km/h. Hitachi Rail has supplied trackside equipment for ETCS Level 2 from Szajol to Ebes, where movement authority is transmitted directly to the train by radio, and ETCS Level 1 from Ebes to Debrecen, combining balises with lineside signals.
Work included integrating ETCS with the existing signalling system, configuring data, preparing safety measures, and securing regulatory approval.
To ensure the ETCS Level 1 section performs nearly as efficiently as the Level 2 section, Hitachi Rail has coupled lineside electronic units (LEUs) to enhance driver awareness of upcoming movement authorities. The LEU acts as an interface between the interlocking and the balise for the transmission of movement authorities, acting in conjunction with lineside signalling.
Operations on the Szajol - Debrecen line are managed remotely from a control centre in Püspökladány, using a centralised traffic control (CTC) system supplied by Hitachi Rail. The supplier says that it features highly automated processes and rapid conflict resolution, improving train punctuality.
Point machines along the line are monitored to enable data-driven predictive maintenance, improving reliability and reducing operating costs. It is planned to expand this digital system in order to monitor other assets.
“This ETCS system ensures that the route meets the demands of international freight transport while positioning Hungary as a vital link in the Trans-European rail network,” says György Mikics, managing director of Hitachi Rail in Hungary.
