The fully
automated cabin train "Sky Train", used at the Düsseldorf Airport,
has hardly been mentioned in recent years. After the initial start-up in 2002,
the Sky Train usually hit the headlines due to its lack of reliability and
frequent interruptions in operation, causing some passengers to miss their
flights because of temporary breakdowns.
As part of an improvement
concept agreed upon between the installation company and the operators, the Sky
Train vehicles, driveways and processing, together with the service management
has been improved.
The main focus was
to decrease the interruptions of operation on open route. As the cabin train
commutes automatically between the stations, there is no train operator on
board, who could control the train manually in case of an interruption;
therefore, the main effort was to find a quick solution to this problem.
The solution was
provided by the use of a radio remote control system by Cattron-Theimeg Europe
GmbH & Co. KG (CTE) from Mönchengladbach,
Germany, which
is mainly used in railway and shunting systems. The system, is certified by the
German Railway Authority (Eisenbahnbundesamt = EBA) is designed to comply with
the European Standard EN 50239 for high safety standards for passenger traffic.
The system
comprises of transmitter/receiver in all five trains of the elevated railway,
which are permanently active, integrated to the safety loop of the train,
should any interruptions occur, via radio remote control, the operation is
automatically switched to manual control. The operator, then drives by car,
alongside the tracks and controls the train by radio. The malfunction message
on hand has to be confirmed and the train stop of the radio remote control has
to be cancelled. After selecting the direction of the train it can then, via
joystick, be driven at slow speed.
Clearing the
tracks is now possible within a few minutes, so, there is no danger of passengers
missing their flights.
Transmitter and
receiver are designed with a dual-processor system. Fail-safe monitoring
electronics compare all received telegrams for verification and only execute
the signals when the evaluation of both processors matches.
Due to this and
other measures an availability of 99% has been reached and a breakdown in
operation is now seldom.
One can speak of a positive success story of the "Sky Train", by the use
of a radio remote control system TH-EC/LO® by CTE.
