The capital of Romania is the main railway hub of the country. As such, the railway network around the capital is quite extensive, with main cities around it being directly connected by rail. Despite this, there are no regular train services for commuters, similar to other large European cities. This paper aims to analyze the current state of railway passenger transport in the region surrounding Bucharest, to highlight the weaknesses of the network and to present a guideline for the implementation of an efficient commuter service. 100 stations in and around the city were evaluated with regard to their degree of accessibility (DoA), defined as the location of the station relative to the nearest settlement. Train frequency, travel times and journey costs were determined for each line originating in Bucharest. These variables were compared to their road equivalents to highlight the differences between these two modes of transport. Low train frequency and the remoteness of many stations were determined to be the main obstacles in establishing an appropriate commuter service. Reworking future timetables to prioritize commuter trains is proposed as a short-term solution, while line improvements and better integration with existing public transport are set as priorities.
Interlockings are an essential element of the railway system. They are necessary to command and control devices, such as points and signals in order to route trains within the bounds of railway stations. Their design must ensure the highest level of safety for all involved parties. The European continent has an extensive railway network which has slowly grown over more than 150 years. Interlockings have evolved over the same period from large mechanical devices requiring physical force to operate to computerised systems capable of complex operations. Despite the technological leap, many interlockings using older technologies are still in use in the present. This review aims to paint an accurate picture of the current state of interlockings in Europe by evaluating the share of each interlocking generation (mechanical, relay and electronic). The study covers 15 countries and over 200,000 km of railway tracks, representing over two thirds of the entire EU railway network. A brief presentation is given for each country, while comparisons made between the researched countries highlight certain key findings. The focus is only on station interlockings, not including line signalling. The conclusions of this analysis include recommendations for current and future development of the railway sector.
Rail interlocking systems follow the progress of technology and train speeds. Nowadays, new systems are designed based on microcontrollers and reliable software, requiring many hours of testing to ensure their proper functionality and bug-free coding. However, in many countries, there are still older relay solutions implemented that are not envisaged to be upgraded in the near future partially due to costs but mainly due to the fact they function very well, being based on a highly reliable element: the relay. However, specialized maintenance personnel are becoming more difficult to find, so automation systems that check the proper relay functionality are a key element to ensure a longer lifetime of existing systems. In this article, the authors present a monitoring solution based on magnetic sensors that proved capable of provide reliable information about the relays, hence revealing the first step in a relay automated control system.
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