Rail Systems - Crossrail Learning Legacy

Rail Systems comprise the many electrical, electronic and other systems necessary for trains to run, they include permanent way (track), traction power (the electricity supply to the train), signalling, communications and several others. Each of these needs to be designed and installed so that they work together safely and effectively. This topic area includes papers and good practice documents on how these systems were designed, installed, tested and commissioned.

RAIL SYSTEMS DOCUMENTS

Document Types

Summary	Publication date	Document Type
Digital Railway – Telecoms Technologies for the Elizabeth Line – An Infrastructure Manager’s Perspective Topic area: Rail systems The construction of the Elizabeth Line by the Crossrail project and its operation by the Infrastructure Managers has brought together a whole new set of technologies for Operating and Maintaining a railway, never seen together before in London, the UK and further afield. This paper describes the communications technolo...	02/12/2021	Technical Paper
Digitisation of Signalling and Train Test Log Observations Topic area: Rail systems At the beginning of the Testing and Commissioning phase Crossrail anticipated 6 months of Dynamic Testing, 5 days a week, and required quick insights to testing observations on site. Existing processes were archaic and it wasn’t easy to get visibility of testing observations from site to management in a timely manner...	05/10/2020	Micro-report
Crossrail Integration Facility and Test Automation Topic area: Rail systems Systems integration has gained a higher level of importance as complex railway projects operate under tighter schedules than ever before and with limited access to tracks to run tests. This paper demonstrates how a fully automated off-site testing facility is extremely valuable to increase efficiency, cost-effectivenes...	02/10/2020	Journal Publication
Installation of rigid overhead catenary in Crossrail tunnels Topic area: Rail systems The Overhead Line Equipment works for the C610 Systemwide Main Works Project concerns the design, procurement of plant, materials and equipment, installation, testing and commissioning of the elementary system installed in the Crossrail Central Operating Section which includes new twin bore single track tunnels, interm...	09/07/2018	Technical Paper
Rigorous assessment of existing overhead line gantries for the Elizabeth line Topic area: Rail systems The Elizabeth line will use above-ground sections of existing Great Eastern and Great Western tracks between Stratford and Maidenhead where new overhead line equipment (OLE) and traction power supply will be installed. The OLE is supported by gantries of various types and configurations. In the case of the Great Easter...	02/07/2018	Journal Publication
Validation of the Tunnel Pressure Signature of the Crossrail Class 345 Train Topic area: Rail systems When a train enters a tunnel, it creates a pressure pulse which is experienced by passengers on the train and which propagates along the tunnel. The pressure pulse results in loads being generated on items of infrastructure, such as platform screen doors and tunnel ventilation equipment. The tunnel pressure signature i...	31/08/2016	Technical Paper
Delivering a Safety Justification and Navigating Closure of Dependencies (from an Earthing and Bonding Perspective) Topic area: Mechanical, Electrical & Public Health The earthing and bonding (E&B) on the Elizabeth Line is everywhere, consequently it is extensive and highly integrated, it is essential as a primary safety system to prevent electrocution and fire. Development of the E&B Safety Justification was time consuming and involved creation of a spreadsheet of reference...	02/12/2021	Technical Paper
Managing Reliability Growth in Practice Topic area: Technical Assurance and Integration Delivering the Elizabeth Line service that customers value and choose to travel on requires a network that is fully integrated, reliable, safe, and sustainable. To make Elizabeth Line the transport mode of choice, the network needs reliable systems and assets that deliver levels of performance consistent with a highly ...	02/12/2021	Technical Paper
The Role of Rolling Stock Approval and Assurance within Major Railway Programmes Topic area: Technical Assurance and Integration In the UK, the rail industry must comply with the requirements of the Railway and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations which sits alongside the European Interoperability Directive 2008/57/EC. New or modified trains cannot be operated unless the Office of Rail and Road has issued an Authorisation for the ...	02/12/2021	Technical Paper
A People Centred Design: Human Factors Integration of the Crossrail Route Control Centre Topic area: Operations Management Pivotal to the safe, reliable and efficient running of Crossrail is the Romford Route Control Centre (RCC). The RCC is a dedicated control suite responsible for command and control of the Elizabeth Line Central Operating Section (COS). The infrastructure will be operated by Rail for London Infrastructure (RfLI) and the...	02/12/2021	Technical Paper
Integration, Testing and Commissioning at Crossrail Topic area: Technical Assurance and Integration Crossrail’s Central Operating Section is characterised by high performance requirements of a metro system with high specified train service throughput. This is realised via multiple interdependent electronic systems which control the movement of trains together with station systems, traction and auxiliary power suppl...	09/07/2018	Technical Paper
Engineering Design of the Platform Edge Screens for Crossrail’s Mined Stations Topic area: Mechanical, Electrical & Public Health This paper covers the engineering design of Platform Edge Screens for the five mined Crossrail stations in central London. Full-height platform edge screens are a signature feature of Crossrail’s mined station platforms, but are unprecedented in London’s tube and rail network. Consequently, their design pr...	09/07/2018	Technical Paper
Maintenance and Cost Analysis on Major Subsurface Rail Projects – Crossrail Topic area: Technical Assurance and Integration The purpose of this case paper is to highlight the maintenance and cost analysis principles on a mega subsurface metro railway project. The paper identifies how crossrail delivered the maintenance through the project life cycle. Its objectives are also to illustrate some of the technical and programme challenges on the...	09/07/2018	Technical Paper

Summary

Publication date

Document Type

Digital Railway – Telecoms Technologies for the Elizabeth Line – An Infrastructure Manager’s Perspective

Topic area: Rail systems

The construction of the Elizabeth Line by the Crossrail project and its operation by the Infrastructure Managers has brought together a whole new set of technologies for Operating and Maintaining a railway, never seen together before in London, the UK and further afield. This paper describes the communications technolo...

02/12/2021

Technical Paper

Digitisation of Signalling and Train Test Log Observations

Topic area: Rail systems

At the beginning of the Testing and Commissioning phase Crossrail anticipated 6 months of Dynamic Testing, 5 days a week, and required quick insights to testing observations on site. Existing processes were archaic and it wasn’t easy to get visibility of testing observations from site to management in a timely manner...

05/10/2020

Micro-report

Crossrail Integration Facility and Test Automation

Topic area: Rail systems

Systems integration has gained a higher level of importance as complex railway projects operate under tighter schedules than ever before and with limited access to tracks to run tests. This paper demonstrates how a fully automated off-site testing facility is extremely valuable to increase efficiency, cost-effectivenes...

02/10/2020

Journal Publication

Installation of rigid overhead catenary in Crossrail tunnels

Topic area: Rail systems

The Overhead Line Equipment works for the C610 Systemwide Main Works Project concerns the design, procurement of plant, materials and equipment, installation, testing and commissioning of the elementary system installed in the Crossrail Central Operating Section which includes new twin bore single track tunnels, interm...

09/07/2018

Technical Paper

Rigorous assessment of existing overhead line gantries for the Elizabeth line

Topic area: Rail systems

The Elizabeth line will use above-ground sections of existing Great Eastern and Great Western tracks between Stratford and Maidenhead where new overhead line equipment (OLE) and traction power supply will be installed. The OLE is supported by gantries of various types and configurations. In the case of the Great Easter...

02/07/2018

Journal Publication

Validation of the Tunnel Pressure Signature of the Crossrail Class 345 Train

Topic area: Rail systems

When a train enters a tunnel, it creates a pressure pulse which is experienced by passengers on the train and which propagates along the tunnel. The pressure pulse results in loads being generated on items of infrastructure, such as platform screen doors and tunnel ventilation equipment. The tunnel pressure signature i...

31/08/2016

Technical Paper

Delivering a Safety Justification and Navigating Closure of Dependencies (from an Earthing and Bonding Perspective)

Topic area: Mechanical, Electrical & Public Health

The earthing and bonding (E&B) on the Elizabeth Line is everywhere, consequently it is extensive and highly integrated, it is essential as a primary safety system to prevent electrocution and fire. Development of the E&B Safety Justification was time consuming and involved creation of a spreadsheet of reference...

02/12/2021

Technical Paper

Managing Reliability Growth in Practice

Topic area: Technical Assurance and Integration

Delivering the Elizabeth Line service that customers value and choose to travel on requires a network that is fully integrated, reliable, safe, and sustainable. To make Elizabeth Line the transport mode of choice, the network needs reliable systems and assets that deliver levels of performance consistent with a highly ...

02/12/2021

Technical Paper

Photo of a Class 345 train at Paddington Station

The Role of Rolling Stock Approval and Assurance within Major Railway Programmes

Topic area: Technical Assurance and Integration

In the UK, the rail industry must comply with the requirements of the Railway and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations which sits alongside the European Interoperability Directive 2008/57/EC. New or modified trains cannot be operated unless the Office of Rail and Road has issued an Authorisation for the ...

02/12/2021

Technical Paper

A People Centred Design: Human Factors Integration of the Crossrail Route Control Centre

Topic area: Operations Management

Pivotal to the safe, reliable and efficient running of Crossrail is the Romford Route Control Centre (RCC). The RCC is a dedicated control suite responsible for command and control of the Elizabeth Line Central Operating Section (COS). The infrastructure will be operated by Rail for London Infrastructure (RfLI) and the...

02/12/2021

Technical Paper

Integration, Testing and Commissioning at Crossrail

Topic area: Technical Assurance and Integration

Crossrail’s Central Operating Section is characterised by high performance requirements of a metro system with high specified train service throughput. This is realised via multiple interdependent electronic systems which control the movement of trains together with station systems, traction and auxiliary power suppl...

09/07/2018

Technical Paper

Engineering Design of the Platform Edge Screens for Crossrail’s Mined Stations

Topic area: Mechanical, Electrical & Public Health

This paper covers the engineering design of Platform Edge Screens for the five mined Crossrail stations in central London. Full-height platform edge screens are a signature feature of Crossrail’s mined station platforms, but are unprecedented in London’s tube and rail network. Consequently, their design pr...

09/07/2018

Technical Paper

Maintenance and Cost Analysis on Major Subsurface Rail Projects – Crossrail

Topic area: Technical Assurance and Integration

The purpose of this case paper is to highlight the maintenance and cost analysis principles on a mega subsurface metro railway project. The paper identifies how crossrail delivered the maintenance through the project life cycle. Its objectives are also to illustrate some of the technical and programme challenges on the...

09/07/2018

Technical Paper