Cable Solutions for Railway

MARKETS / TRANSPORTATION & MOBILITY

Railway

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Overview

As the world continues its rapid urbanisation, planning strategies, most notably for public transport lines, must adapt to meet demand.

Alongside the infrastructure challenges posed by the development of new megacities, the railway industry must also consider escalating customer expectations, fierce competition and frequent advancements in technology.

Railway systems themselves have undergone an intense period of modernisation with complex automation developments such as driverless trains and on-board communication systems. These advances demand cables with increasingly high levels of performance, reliability and safety.

Prysmian have developed new cable designs and materials to provide the latest in chemical and mechanical resistance, fire resistance, EMC behaviour and enhanced transmission capacity. We offer medium and low-voltage power cables, communication cables (also with optical fibre), and control and signalling cables and a full range of products ranging from central and distributed architectures, to CBTC, ETCS and interlocking technology.

We offer medium and low-voltage power cables, communication cables, and control and signalling cables, fibre cables, data cables and a full range of products to fulfil the requirements of different specifications of the authorities and/or contractors in the different parts of the world. As an example; the ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) – both ETCS (European Train Control System) and GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications - Railway) - and the CBTC (Communication Based Train Control) railway operational management approaches.

Prysmian is able to offer also a comprehensive range of cable accessories, including the renowned Bicon accessories brand - featuring FlexoTM Modular Power Systems, LV Joints, Cleats and other products, such as the Connecta Tunnel Lighting System -  all designed with the cable in mind and therefore offering a robust system.

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With an extended footprint in more than 50 countries, a fully comprehensive portfolio of products and services and undisputed technological leadership, Prysmian can address the fast-changing needs of its customers and is the perfect partner for railway and underground operators.

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The Prysmian Advantage

Our comprehensive range of railway and underground cables covers all functionalities and can be used to operate in nearly all railway cabling infrastructures.
 
They are suitable for any power and communication system, as well as signalling and control devices that operate - amongst other functions - track switches and optical signalling systems, the backhaul of actuators and the control loops in conventional or electronic track-control centres.
 
From basic telephone services to more complex applications like axle counter loops, linear or point-wise train information exchange and the use of advanced European train control systems, our cable networks cover the broadest range of applications.

Bicon's product range of cable glands, cleats, joints and cable terminations, represents over 140 years of cable accessory development and quality engineering. Prysmian Group's Cable Components products are the perfect installation accessory for the Company's vast range of quality, approved cables. Prysmian's comprehensive cable accessories range includes:

  • Flexo Modular Power Systems
  • Other Products (Connecta)
  • LV Joints
  • Cleats

Il massimo in fatto di sicurezza antincendio

 

Nelle applicazioni del settore ferroviario i cavi sono spesso installati in ambienti estremamente complessi, come gallerie e linee metropolitane a grandi profondità. È pertanto fondamentale che i cavi non incrementino i rischi collegati a incendi e che permettano ai dispositivi di sicurezza di funzionare correttamente in circostanze estreme.

I cavi LS0H di Prysmian rispettano i più stringenti standard internazionali quali la CPR (Regolamento sui Prodotti da Costruzione) in Europa o l’NFPA 130 (standard statunitense per i binari di guida fissi nei sistemi ferroviari di transito e trasporto passeggeri). Offriamo una gamma completa di cavi sviluppati appositamente per gallerie e linee metropolitane. In questo tipo di installazioni le uscite di emergenza e l’insieme dei servizi di emergenza di base devono operare correttamente in caso di incendio, fornendo alle persone il tempo necessario per l’evacuazione e agevolando l’intervento dei vigili del fuoco.

Per queste applicazioni Prysmian offre una gamma completa di cavi che superano gli standard più rigorosi in materia di resistenza al fuoco, anche quando sono impiegati per finalità di comunicazione.

 

Conformità alle specifiche tecniche

 

Prysmian Group realizza cavi e soluzioni su misura per primari operatori ferroviari, quali Deutsche Bahn AG (Germania), RENFE (Spagna), SNCF (Francia), RFI (Italia), SBB (Svizzera), Irish Rail (Irlanda), MÁV (Ungheria), Bane Nor (Norvegia), Banedanmark (Danimarca) TCDD (Turchia) e New York City Transit (Stati Uniti).

Inside Railway

Power cables used in Railway and Underground applications include:

  • Medium Voltage feeding cables according to the country of the project
  • Medium Voltage cables for Traction Power and Lighting Power Substations
  • Medium Voltage cables for the supply of signalling and auxiliary circuits
  • Medium Voltage cables used for track feeder circuit, with special fire performance
  • Low Voltage cables 0.6/1 kV used for lighting, platform doors, escalators’ low voltage circuits, also halogen free
  • Low voltage for distribution network and traction systems
  • Earthing Cables
  • Tailor-made solutions

Signalling cables used in Railway and Underground applications include:

  • General signalling (light signals, point machines) - Multicore or multipair cables, with or without armouring - Optional: protection against inductive interference and LS0H-FR for tunnel or underground use
  • Special interlocking devices (axle counter devices) - Multipair or multiquad cables, with or without armouring - Optional: protection against inductive interference and LS0H-FR for tunnel or underground, special requirements on electrical characteristics
  • Train influence and safety device (balises, linear train influence) - Pair or quad cables, with or without armouring - Optional: protection against inductive interference and LS0H-FR for tunnel or underground, special requirements on electrical characteristics

Railfoot applications - Multicore or multiquads cables, with special mechanical characteristics, vibration resistant

Communication cables used in Railway and Underground applications include:

  • General communication (telephone, long-distance telecommunication, etc.) - Multipair or multiquad cables, with or without armouring - Optional: with protection against inductive interference and LS0H-FR for tunnel or underground use
  • Special coaxial cables (video surveillance, etc.) 75 Ohm coaxial cables
  • In-house telecommunication (LAN networks, etc.) Cat. 5, 6, 7 data cables for local area networks
  • Railfoot applications (GSM-R installations, etc.)
  • Fibre optic cable, vibration resistant
  • GSM-R Fibre optic cables

Prysmian is able to offer also a comprehensive range of cable accessories, including the renowned Bicon accessories brand, all designed with the cable in mind and therefore offering a robust system.

Bicon's product range of cable glands, cleats, joints and cable terminations, represents over 140 years of cable accessory development and quality engineering. Prysmian Group's Cable Components products are the perfect installation accessory for the Company's vast range of quality, approved cables.

Prysmian Group's comprehensive cable accessories range includes:

  • FlexoTM Modular Power Systems
  • Other Products (e.g. Connecta Tunnel Lighting System)
  • LV Joints
  • Cleats

Today’s industrial world recognises the competitive advantage of “system solutions”, as they give more benefits and added value than the raw materials alone. FlexoTM lighting modular power cable systems have integral socket outlets, which are factory produced throughout the length of the main supply cable. This allows simple plug-in connections that remove the need for junction boxes and time-consuming on-site glanding and termination. The plug leads can be connected to the lights prior to their being secured. The main cable system, with integrated sockets, supplied on standard drums can then be installed as simply as a cable. When installed, the sockets align with the light fittings, as they are customised based on users’ needs, and connections are made by a simple plug-in action. This solution has multiple benefits:

  • Installation Cost: cost savings of up 30%
  • Speed: Typically, 250 m can be installed in only 90 minutes
  • Flexibility: Selectable phase loading easily achieved
  • Reliability: Factory produced and tested to ensure highest quality connections
  • Simplicity: Maintenance free, simple light fitting replacement

Connecta is an alternative lighting modular system, with features similar to FLEXO, offered by Prysmian Group. The main difference between these pre-harnessed systems is the manufacturing process. While FLEXO is a cast resin solution (filled with our proprietary JEM resin for mechanical protection and safe enclosure), Connecta is an injection-moulded solution, shaped with Prysmian’s state of the art LS0H compounds.

The other two main accessories product families that Prysmian can supply, ideally in conjunction with cables, are LV joints and cleats. In a perfect scenario, LV cables should not need jointing, as standard manufacturing lengths should suffice for any given installation design. The reality is that in some cases cables need joints, that must have certain characteristics, mainly resistance to impact and fire, or at least low smoke emissions. Prysmian can combine both features into a cable system package, and complement it with customer post-sale service.

Cleats or fixings can be an alternative in tunnels where cable trays are not used, either for space restrictions, or simply because the standard specifies different fastening systems. Prysmian can offer a large variety of plastic and metallic cleats, for both single and trefoil applications, suitable for any kind of environment. Engineering services can be supplied on demand.

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