As part of the Digirail project, the current train control and Control Command and Signalling system will be gradually upgraded to a system based on the European ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System). The goal of the project is to improve the safety, reliability and capacity of rail traffic and to lay the groundwork for the digital rail traffic of the future.
Achieving these goals requires precisely defined system requirements, on the basis of which new solutions can be procured, implemented and deployed. A significant milestone was reached in this project when the requirement specification for the Centralized Security System (CSS) and the Object Controllers (OC) was completed as part of the Implementation Plan project within Digirail’s Implementation Phase.
The finalised requirements form the basis for the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s future CSS and OC procurements and enable the procurement to proceed according to schedule. This is one of the most critical elements of the Digirail Implementation Phase, and its success will affect the progress of the entire project.
The requirement specification defines what is expected of the system. These requirements serve as the basis for procurement, system verification, qualification and approval for deployment. A carefully drafted requirement specification reduces ambiguity and the need for changes in later phases, which supports the project’s smooth implementation.
“The work has been a broad and long-term effort, built upon previously prepared technical specifications, an operational concept and operational scenarios. This work has also drawn upon, among other things, the Tampere-Pori/Rauma requirements, TSI regulations, including ERA subsets, guidelines from the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, and Digirail’s own policies and decisions,” says Jan Tiri, Head of Digirail’s Technical Entity area of responsibility.
The goal has been to develop a national set of FIR-A requirements that supports the practical implementation of the Digirail project’s objectives through procurement, system implementation, verification and deployment.
“The completion of the requirement specification is a testament to the strong collaboration, technical expertise and dedicated work of Digirail’s experts in achieving a common goal,” says Tiri.
The Digirail project is making rail transport in Finland safer, smoother and more efficient. The project is reinventing the outdated train control system and introducing a shared European radio-based train control system across the entire rail network. Digirail will enable safe transport, an improved service level and growth of capacity, and it will create a long-term technical foundation for Finnish railway traffic. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, Fintraffic and the Ministry of Transport and Communications are collaborating in the project with other actors.