Innovation & Impact Railway innovation
Text Rob van der Wal
© ANP/Peter Hilz
Progress on the tracks
After capacity problems on the roads and in the air, the railways in the Netherlands are also feeling the pressure. Each new timetable includes a little bit more capacity to run extra trains, says Railway Engineering professor Rolf Dollevoet: “But actually, not much has changed.”
The railways are stuck with all kinds of arrangements and rules which, according to the part-time professor of Civil Engineering and Geosciences (CEG), is a problem. Dollevoet also works for rail operator ProRail and is managing director of research institute DelftRail. He notes that this sometimes prevents real progress being made. “For safety reasons, the distance between two trains in operation should normally be 2.5 kilometres so that a train has enough space to brake. That makes sense, but as a result there is limited space on the track.” Dollevoet says he prefers not to think in terms of such restrictions. He gives an example: the timetable is currently set up to keep transfers to a minimum. So a lot of trains go via city centres, for example. “But space is limited there. You should look differently at your timetable and trains and where you should build an interchange.” You can travel back and forth on short sections, for example, which is much more efficient than the long cross-country intercity lines we currently have, says Dollevoet. “But trips back and forth are precisely what a driver doesn’t want as it’s tedious. So why don’t we rely more on automatic operation? We’ve been doing that for decades with planes. It’s easy for a train as there’s no steering wheel and all signals and level crossings are automated.”
WHAT IS DELFTRAIL
DelftRail is the partnership between Delft faculties CEG, 3mE, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) and Technology, Policy and Management (TPM) and the industry. The institute carries out interdisciplinary research into railway technology and rail operations, with the aim of creating a sustainable and future-proof rail system.
‘Why don’t we rely more on automatic operation?’
© ANP/Peter Hilz
New design for points
Another restriction on the track is caused by points. ProRail carries out points repairs around ten thousand times a year. These jobs often take all night so that no trains can run. If the number of repairs increases, we will run into problems, predicts Dollevoet. A new design for points could save a lot of time. Imagine a kind of crate containing all the parts that are easy to replace. Dollevoet: “You position a mobile workstation on a rail car over the points, take parts out, click new ones in and drive on again. It would only take five minutes.” And yes, it’s very different to how things are currently done in the rail sector, he adds. “Everyone is used to removing broken track components”, he says. “That’s how we have done it for years and how we make a living.” Despite his work being mainly ‘kicking against’ existing systems, NS [public transporter, eds] and ProRail are increasingly coming to TU Delft for help, says Dollevoet. At the end of 2022, the parties signed another collaboration agreement for the next five years which will involve further research into preventive maintenance and track measurement, for example.
DelftRail’s measurement train detects incipient cracks in rails.
© Sam Rentmeester
PREVENTIVE MONITORING WITH THE MEASUREMENT TRAIN
Track components are currently only replaced if they break. Professor Dollevoet wants to see a shift to preventive maintenance. DelftRail has its own measurement train for that purpose, equipped with a sensor that registers the forces exerted on a wheel. If there is a crack in a rail, for example, it will show up in the measurements. Even incipient cracks can be detected. One benefit of working with the measurement train is that works can be scheduled in advance, says director Jorn Pruntel of Asset Rail, the maintenance company that uses the measurement train. “It’s cheaper than deploying personnel ad hoc if a defect arises.” Another benefit: scheduled maintenance means fewer unexpected train cancellations. The most difficult thing, says Prunel, is determining the exact location of a defect. “If a measurement train passes over a broken piece of track today and then tomorrow too, you have to link the data from those two trains. DelftRail helps with that.” Conversely, Asset Rail also helps TU Delft. “If we come across unusual track defects, we let them know so that they can help us find a solution.”
FLEXIBLE COMBINED TRANSPORT
During the coronavirus pandemic, hardly anyone travelled by train, says Marc Kerkhofs. He is the owner of Mission Innovations, a company that develops patents relating to mobility. Kerkhofs is working on the TurboPlan 2030 among other things which aims to enable flexible use of the excess capacity of public transport (PT) for light freight transport. This should increase the utilisation rate and make better use of the rail network. And the intricate infrastructure will also enable freight to reach its destination quickly. The current concessions for PT via the rail network only include passenger transport. TU Delft, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and Royal Haskoning DHV are currently carrying out a feasibility study into the flexible combining of passenger and freight transport. The results are expected in July. It is important for freight transport not to hinder normal PT, says Kerkhofs. And safety is also crucial. “Sometimes when a passenger train stops, it may only be for a minute. So a system that allows quick and safe loading and unloading will need to be created.” No easy task with the existing passenger trains, believes Kerkhofs. “They are only designed to transport passengers.” Rolf Dollevoet representing TU Delft and ProRail on the project can envisage a multifunctional train: “Imagine fold-down seats and more access options.”
Interior of the Delft gauge train used by maintenance company Asset Rail.
© Sam Rentmeester
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