Metro & Suburban Rail: Automation and digitalisation
Automated metros first emerged more than 50 years ago when the Victoria Line opened using attended ATO in the late 1960s. Since then, new-build metro projects have increasingly standardised on automation, often enabling driverless operation in the process. But migrating existing lines to leverage the benefits of automation has proved much more challenging, in both the urban and main line sectors. We are only now seeing the first examples of automating suburban routes, led by the Thameslink corridor in London using ETCS over ATO, the EOLE project in Paris and København’s S-Bane resignalling programme.
In our latest interactive live debate, our panel of specialists will explore the potential benefits of rail automation, how emerging technology can ease the process, and set out the challenges which are still hindering progress internationally.
November 23, 2023 9:00 - 10:00 GMT
Key topics to be covered include:
- Making the case for converting legacy metros to automated operation
- Making the right train control choices, and integrating this with legacy systems
- Maintaining services while upgrading work takes place
- Examples of best practice in automating existing lines
- The differing challenges when automating metros and main line suburban services
- Future technology trends that could lead to greater service automation
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Corentin in the Head of Rail Unit in UITP’s Knowledge & Innovation Department. The Rail Unit oversees the Association’s global Metro, Light Rail and Regional & Suburban Railways Divisions. Corentin is active also in other groups and initiatives involving operators, organising authorities and the supply industry, reflecting the multi-stakeholder composition of the UITP’s membership. He joined UITP in 2010 from a background in communications and journalism.
Markus Ossberger, 53, brings over 20 years of expertise as an infrastructure manager in urban transport. With a background in civil engineering and a doctorate, he progressed through roles at Wiener Linien's Infra division. His journey culminated as Head of Construction and Facilities Management, overseeing 1400 employees and a 10-billion-euro portfolio until the early 2030s. Now, as #InfraManager, he's charting innovative paths in the transport and railway sector.
Dr. Matias Sevel Rasmussen is the Signal Systems and R&D Manager at The Copenhagen Metro. He is currently responsible for the Transportation System part (rolling stock, railway infrastructure including all systems and the depot) of the new M5 metro line in Copenhagen. Prior to that he was leading the re-signalling investigation of lines M1-M2 and leading the design of other capacity increasing solutions. During design, testing and commissioning of the newer M3 circular line and the M4 line, he was involved from the client side. His responsibilities also include the company’s participation in various R&D projects, and he is a member of the UITP Automated Metros Platform. Formerly, he has been working with advanced decision support algorithms in routing and scheduling software systems. He holds a Ph.D. degree from the Technical University of Denmark in operations research. He has a M.Sc. degree in computer science and a B.Sc. in mathematics from the University of Copenhagen.
Chris Jackson is Senior Editor of the Railway Gazette Group at DVV Media International.
Chris joined Railway Gazette International in April 1982, and held a variety of posts including Production Editor and Deputy Editor before being appointed Editor in April 2006. He also served as Editor of Metro Report, Managing Editor of Rail Business Intelligence and webmaster for www.railwaygazette.com. He was named Editor in Chief for the Railway Gazette Group in 2007.
Brought up in south London, Chris studied Business Administration & Transport Planning (Combined Honours) at the University of Aston in Birmingham. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport & Logistics, an Affiliate of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers.