Trains of the future
Railways are the greenest of all modes of transport. As cities around the world renew their regional and urban fleets, train systems engineering is an increasingly buoyant area of innovation. ALTEN works to develop equipment or renew it as it ages, to extend lines, and to create new ones.
ALTEN train systems engineering covers the entire system, from design to operations. Design includes all aspects of the train interior including partitions, seats, floors, cabs and tables. Operations, on the other hand, focuses on functional systems, such as command controls, doors, air conditioning, brakes, etc. The metros emerging from plants in France are used not only in cities throughout the country, as well as in other major cities around the world.
“We are growing and developing our business,” says Benjamin Le Fablec, Project Manager – ALTEN in France. “We’re helping to renew the Paris metro and RER lines, while transforming our activities into work packages to include the offshore component.”
The key to success
The key to ALTEN’s success is its highly qualified people. While ALTEN designs the systems that make up the train, the parts are often outsourced to external suppliers. The ALTEN engineers act as system integrators, driving the development of the parts they are purchasing and offering a privileged interface between the supplier and the other stakeholders. To accomplish this, the engineers must have a strong technical background as well as good communication skills; they must also be well-versed in customer-defined requirements, as well as in the relevant norms and standards.
“They have to be as agile as possible,” says Maxime Lefort, Senior Project Leader at ALTEN in France “capable of carrying out action plans, collaborating with suppliers, ensuring results, giving instructions, whatever is needed. They are specialized but are also able to understand the customers’ needs and accompany them over time.”
Thinking ahead
Many trains have to be adapted or renewed to meet evolving demands in terms of comfort and functionality, as well as technical requirements. For example, some metro lines delivered with a driver’s cab may eventually be converted to fully automatic operation. In terms of engineering, this means thinking ahead.
The acquisition of a train represents an average of some 30% of the cost over its 20-or-so-year lifecycle; maintenance, operation, modernization and dismantling account for the remaining 70%. For this reason, buying new trains is sometimes a better option than renewing ageing equipment. Today’s new generations of trains are more efficient, less energy-hungry and more reliable; this has an impact on operating costs and lowers the final cost to customers over the long run.
“This green aspect defines our engineers’ mission,” insists Maxime. “They are immersed in technology that’s evolving to respond to environmental concerns.” The implications for design are numerous. “We’re looking for materials that are less polluting – eliminating more and more controversial substances. But it’s not always easy. We want lighter trains that require less energy to move, but safety concerns – such as fireproofing – can mean incorporating insulation materials that may impinge on the mass.”
Life onboard
Much of the innovation in train design has to do with improving the onboard experience for the passenger: questions of colors, lighting, space and layout; USB ports for charging phones and computers; tables, seats, places to put bicycles.
“These are the things we see,” says Maxime, “but there are also things we don’t see. Things like the flow of passengers onboard, the way you’re seated, the space around you, the heating system or air-conditioning. Often, it’s what you can’t see that makes the difference.”
Part of the challenge involves ensuring that people with physical impairments or mobility issues can get around easily. Different materials may be used to offer tactile contrasts. Emergency call buttons lend added security. “We’re developing a lot of things – like better and more numerous spaces for wheelchair users,” concludes Maxime.
The challenges of opening up
Train systems will become even more complex in the future as the market opens up to private investors, with national railways privatize operations, lessening their control. Manufacturers will need to work with a greater diversity of players, as is happening already in many European countries. “We need to be able to design trains that can be adapted to different operators fairly quickly,” says Maxime. “Modularity is key to ensure economies of scale in manufacturing and design.”
There are also interoperability challenges with high-speed international lines. Operators in different countries, even within the European Union, may not have the same standards or even the same voltages. Also, when you have several operators on the same line, their information systems have to be able to communicate with each other for traffic control, scheduling, and many other aspects of operations and safety.
“The complexity grows when the technical nature of the trains themselves is viewed within the environment in which they operate,” concludes Benjamin. “It’s our job to meet these challenges. We bring solutions.”
