CBTC Signaling

benefits for the

Tram in Jerusalem
BY MICHAEL TZAHOR
The Tram in Jerusalem

 23 million annual rides in 2017

 Red line with 23 stations (with plans to extend the line)
 Additional lines planed
 Need to manage traffic and tram in the city
 Signaling: Fixed blocks that are controlled by a control center &
manually controlled blocks for emergencies
CBTC

 Communications Based Train Control

 Main objective: increase capacity by reducing headway between
trains in a safe way
 Moving block vs. Fixed block
 Bi-directional communication done by radio or inductive loops,
between trains, and between train and control center
 Realtime and accurate information about the position, speed,
direction and braking distance of a train
Fixed Blocks

 The track is divided to blocks

of a particular length
 Each block can be either
occupied or free
 There is no way to know
where exactly the train is in
the block so the whole block
is considered as occupied
 Additional block is needed
for braking distance
Fixed Blocks –
Cont.
 Potentially unnecessarily big
distances between trains due
to safety considerations
 Limits the possible frequency
of trains, which leads to
passenger overload and
waste of time and money
 Limited ability to respond to
emergencies in real-time
CBTC vs. Fixed Block Signaling

 The train constantly communicates with control center and other

trains
 Train’s exact distance and potential braking distance of the train is
calculated, additional safety margins are added
 The information above allows us to create a moving block, that
moves along with the train
 Hence, the distance between trains can be smaller, speed can be
adjusted in real time as needed
 In case of emergency, the train can be stopped or re-routed in real
time
CBTC – Additional Benefits

 Saves time and money, reduces loads

 Requires minimal equipment
 Easy to maintain and expand
 Power efficient
 Base technology to expand into a driverless train system
 Ability to provide real-time information to passengers
CBTC: Technology Overview

 Onboard and Wayside ATP (Automatic train protection) – A system

that controls the speed of the train. The onboard ATP
communicates with the wayside ATP that controls all the trains in the
area
 Onboard and Wayside ATO (Automatic train operation) – Controls
the traction and braking of the train, with regards to the information
received from the ATP
 ATS system – The interface between the system and the operator
 Communication between the system is done wirelessly (usually
2.4GHz)
Possible Challenges Implementing
in Jerusalem
 The CBTC model described before works best when the train system
is largely isolated from other traffic (such as metro or cross-country
trains)
 In Jerusalem, the tram must work in synergy with other traffic, for
example cars that can drive near or on the track at certain areas, or
passengers crossing
 Solution: additional sensors can be integrated to the system to alert
to vehicles and people
 In the future, the CBTC system can have the ability to communicate
with autonomous vehicles
Possible Challenges Implementing
in Jerusalem – cont.
 There can be an issue with integrating the wayside sensors and
antennas in the existing red line
 There might be areas where track is right next to a road with no
space for the system components
 Solution: The CBTC system components can be concentrated in
areas where they can be deployed without changing the existing
infrastructure
 Alternatively, if the solution above is not viable, construction works
may be needed which will temporarily reduce the quality of life of
the citizens in the area
The End