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Author: Prose

Gauging analysis

Project tasks

  • Gauging analysis of railway vehicles according to EN 15273
  • Gauging analysis of vehicles according to BOStrab
  • Calculation with special simulation programs cMotion or DIMA
  • Simulation of complex articulated vehicles, e.g. light rail vehicles
  • Consideration of national requirements (e.g. EBO resp. BOStrab in Germany or AB-EBV in Switzerland, etc.)
  • Consideration of requirements from network accesses (e.g. SBB I-20030 in Switzerland)
  • Gauging analysis of narrow-gauge vehicles according to AB-EBV
  • Analysis of special vehicles (e.g. suspended railways)

Our Approach

At first a verification concept is developed based on the customer’s specifications as well as requirements from infrastructure and standards. This can include the following, depending on the specific task:

  • Simple delta analysis (e.g. design adaptions or interoperability concerns)
  • Regular construction gauge calculation with static or kinematic methods
  • Calculation of gauging demand by means of accumulation of critical positions of the bogies in the track gauge, design tolerances, plays, etc. with distinction of random and non-random contributions
  • Simulations by means of the tool cMotion to model arbitrary vehicle configurations and track routing
  • Application of dynamic methods supported by simulations (e.g. swinging characteristics for suspended railways)
  • Development assisting analysis with continuous assessment and consulting
  • Validation via simulation or measurement (e.g. multi-body simulation or field test runs with attached blocks)
  • Compilation of input data, procedure and results to a report, ready to be submitted to Technical Authorities

Customer benefit

Due to the wide range of available methods and the long-standing expertise of the PROSE-experts arbitrary vehicles and requirements can be investigated. Potential problems will be anticipated and prevented. Manifested problems can be furthermore solved by experts of other disciplines. Additionally, a special focus on efficiency lies in our DNA as a service provider. Combined with a tailor-made concept for the customer and project this overall ensures that technical risks in development, homologation and operation as well as commercial overall efforts will be minimized.

Ad interim locomotive fleet manager

Customer: SBB Cargo, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • ​ECM Migration
  • ANSF Approval Re484
  • Re484 Analysis power converter, compressor, emergency stop
  • Planning R2 Re484
  • Planning R2 Re474
  • Midlife measures Re482
  • Technical Mentoring Obsolescence Manager: Competence Matrix ECM2
  • Leadership Coaching ECM2 Manager: White paper and concept for Life Extension Re620

Our Approach

In addition to ensuring operational safety within the framework of the ECM2 function compared to the upstream and downstream ECM functions, PROSE took care of the sustainable improvement of the availability of the new fleet. The integration of PROSE experts in technical questions considerably increased the expertise available on site.​

Customer benefit

With this ad interim solution, the customer SBB Cargo received a flexibly deployable expertise with broad technical support from PROSE, who quickly and filled this specific personnel assignment. In addition to the operational security function within the framework of ECM2, this solution provided increased benefits in terms of availability, development and regulations. In addition, PROSE led the newly appointed obsolescence manager in the establishment of the competence matrix of the ECM2 team for the auditcapable mapping of competence management within the framework of technical mentoring.

Leadership Coaching ECM2 Manager for life cycle extension locomotive Re620

Customer: SBB Cargo, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Review of contents Re620
  • Technical Mentoring old Locomotives Fleet Manager
  •  Leadership Coaching ECM2-Manager in Conceptualisation

Our approach

PROSE developed a three-stage concept as part of a professional coaching phase for the current ECM2 manager of SBB Cargo; taking into account the stabilisation of reliability and availability up to 2035 at the level of 2020 and the completion of revision R2 with a defined content, a planned annual mileage up to End of Life (EoL) of 120 thousand kilometres p.a. or 1.8 million km and a removal of the separation between light (SBB Cargo) and heavy maintenance (SBB-P, Bellinzona industrial plant), which had arisen as a result of the organisational split-up within the SBB Group.

Customer benefit

This concept gave SBB Cargo a sustainable opportunity to operate the strategically important Re6/6 fleet for a further fifteen years. The current ECM2 manager received management coaching at the appropriate level for the conception of a fifteen-year life extension for the Re620 (SLM) old locomotive from the 1970s.

 

smartrail 4.0 – Program Management COAT / CCS Vehicle Equipment

Customer: Industry program smartrail 4.0, SBB Infrastructure, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Management of the COAT / vehicle equipment sub-programme
  • Project planning, project controlling
  • Staffing and onboarding of internal and external project resources, together with PMO
  • SR40 Exchange with other programmes /projects / individual facilities
  • Weekly coordination with the organisational and technical smartrail 4.0 core teams
  • Quarterly coordination with smartrail 4.0 STASS vehicle
  • Coordination with the international cooperation OCORA
  • Coordination with stakeholders, including rail transport companies, suppliers / industry, national / international authorities BAV / ERA, and other stakeholders (CER, S2R, DG Move, RCA,…)

Our Approach

PROSE was commissioned by smartrail 4.0 with the program management and the PMO for the sub-program COAT / vehicle equipment. First the program was defined in terms of costs, benefits, content, and schedule and submitted for approval. Then the program management is responsible for the development of the program organisation and the establishment, planning and management of the international cooperation OCORA with the railway companies NS, SNCF, DB, ÖBB and SBB.

Customer benefit

With the commissioning of PROSE, the industry program smartrail 4.0 benefits from the wide-ranging experience of PROSE in the fields of On-board Signalling, ETCS and ATO in the procurement of new rolling stock as well as in the modernisation of existing vehicles.

 

Feasibility study for passenger coaches with standardised length and introduction of an automatic coupler system across the entire fleet

Customer: Rhaetian Railway, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Strategy support
  • Gauging analysis
  • Independent second opinion​

Our Approach

The space requirements of the various vehicles (main network cars, Bernina cars) on the corresponding routes were determined and compared by means of gauging analysis. In a second step, the general introduction of the automatic coupler was analyzed. For this purpose, PROSE carried out a product analysis of the common coupling systems and contacted different railway operators to contribute their experiences.

Customer benefit

The knowledge shown by PROSE regarding the length of the car body and the automatic coupler enables the Rhaetian Railway to proceed with its next procurement and to make the necessary decisions. PROSE was able to bring in its own independent view on the facts and thus to help the Rhaetian Railway to a well-founded decision-making.

Market innovation strategy consulting

Customer: CURTISS-WRIGHT DRIVE TECHNOLOGY, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Strategy tool training for the management team
  • Strategy analysis workshop at the customer
  • Two market innovation workshops with strategic customers (integrators)
  • Two market intelligence workshops with strategic transport planners
  • Strategy Canvas Workshop with the client

Our Approach

In a joint workshop, CURTISS-WRIGHT DRIVE TECHNOLOGY and PROSE jointly assessed the marketability of the service portfolio based on the railway engineering references of CURTISS-WRIGHT DRIVE TECHNOLOGY on the one hand and the industry experience of PROSE on the other hand.

Customer benefit

The credibility and persuasiveness of the business case crystallized from the understanding of the motivational factors of the demand generators, and thus whether a demand for the product and service portfolio of CURTISS-WRIGHT DRIVE TECHNOLOGY can be generated at all among the integrators.

 

Risk management at SBB Cargo

Customer: SBB Cargo, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Development of the LTS RM board tool
  • Presentation to the management circle
  • Training of SBB Cargo employees
  • Interface management with operators and corporate management

Our Approach

To fulfill the challenges in application of the EU Regulation 402/2013, Article (18), Paragraph (3), PROSE developed an operational risk management tool for SBB Cargo. All other asset management departments were trained by PROSE to meaningfully integrate the RM tool and the K250 procedure into their daily work.

Customer benefit

In terms of the application of the EU Regulation 1078/2012 at SBB Cargo as an overall company, this tool developed by PROSE and its regular application ensures the strategy, priorities and implementation plan of the control processes.

  

 

Support for the procurement of trams

Customer: HeiterBlick GmbH, Germany
End customer: Würzburger Straßenbahn GmbH, Germany

Project tasks

  • Concept development
  • Tram concept including car body, bogies and Interior
  • Preparation of offer documents

Our Approach

PROSE developed a promising, technically high-quality vehicle concept in close cooperation with HeiterBlick, the E-Partner and the suppliers. After the approval of this concept, the detailed elaboration of the required offer documents including vehicle concept and description of all important main components was carried out. After submission of the detailed offer, PROSE also supported HeiterBlick in the negotiations with Würzburger Straßenbahn GmbH.

Customer benefit

HeiterBlick was able to submit a technically mature vehicle concept with high quality bid documents due to PROSE’s broad tram-specific expert knowledge. This made it possible to win this tender.

Development of next Generation CCS as open CCS onboard reference architecture, OCORA

Customer: Swiss Federal Railways SBB, Infrastructure Division, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Project management OCORA / vehicle equipment
  • Project planning, project controlling
  • Staffing and onboarding of internal and external project resources
  • Exchange with other programs/projects/individuals Facilities
  • Weekly coordination with the international cooperation OCORA
  • Coordination with stakeholders, including rail carriers, suppliers / industry
  • Authorities national / international BAV / ERA, as well as other stakeholders (CER, S2R, ER JU, DG Move, RCA,…)

Our Approach

PROSE is mandated with the project management for the SBB project OCORA / Vehicle Equipment. First, the project is defined in the dimensions costs, benefits, contents and schedule and submitted to the Federal Office of Transport for approval. Subsequently, the project management deals with the set-up of the project organisation and the establishment, planning and management of the international cooperation OCORA with the Railroad undertakings NS, SNCF, DB, ÖBB and SBB. In the further course, the mandated project management includes planning, reporting, demand-oriented reporting and communication within and outside the project and thus also with national and international stakeholders

Customer benefit

With the assignment of PROSE, the customer benefits from the extensive experience of PROSE in the field of on-board signalling, ETCS and ATO for new rolling stock procurements as well as for the modernisation of existing rolling stock.

 

Setting requirements for ATO on the Betuweroute

Customer: DB Cargo AG, Germany

Project tasks

  • Project coordination across two suppliers
  • Development of a high-level operating concept
  • Creation of a test concept and derivation of the requirements
  • Creation of a training concept and derivation of the requirements
  • Creation of an operational benefit analysis
  • Analysis of the operational processes, also for reduced operation
  • Hazard analysis
  • CENELEC System Definition
  • Safety Plan / Safety Concept
  • System Architecture
  • System Integration
  • Project Schedule
  • Functional requirements diagram ATO Onboard GoA2 + GoA4
  • Functional requirements diagram Remote Supervision & Control
  • Requirements HMI
  • Non-functional requirements catalog ATO Onboard GoA2 + GoA4
  • Non-functional requirements catalog Remote Supervision & Control
  • Use-Case Analysis
  • Human Factors Analysis and derivation of requirements

Our Approach

PROSE was commissioned by DB Cargo to provide a Set of Requirements for Freight ATO GoA 2 and GoA 4 + Remote Supervision & Control in close collaboration with Ricardo Rail in a design-to-timeline approach. This Set of Requirements will be used to evaluate an ATO technology partner for the development, installation, integration, commissioning, certification and testing of such an ATO solution. The tests for the 1-year test trial operation until 2025, will take place on the Dutch part of the Betuweroute (from Kijfhoek to Valburg).

Customer benefit

The customer benefits from PROSE’s extensive experience in the fields of ATO, sensor technology and architectures. For this, profound technical knowledge, but also very good knowledge of the market and railway operations are indispensable. Thanks to PROSE’s structured approach, a well-founded result from a broad analysis on the technical possibilities and business implications of automation is ensured.

 

Strategy consultancy for Common Safety Method CSM

Customer: Plasser & Theurer, Austria

Project tasks

  • Safety assessment report
  • Identification of significant changes
  • Definition of system boundaries
  • Creation of “Requirement Capture“
  • Creation of the security plan

Our Approach

In a hybrid workshop moderated and conducted by PROSE experts, questions will be discussed. Different topics like the safety assessment report, efficient decision bases and tools for the identification of significant changes will be addressed. The optimization of the system boundary definition, the optimization of the requirement capture and the optimization of the safety plan are also discussed in detail. The issues are underpinned with practical examples.

Customer benefit

Thus, processes and methodologies are optimized at Plasser & Theurer to the extent that the effort is reduced, and the lead times are shortened, but always in compliance with the requirements of the CSM EU VO 402/2013. The results of the workshop including recommendations for the further procedure were summarized by PROSE in a short report after the workshop.

 

Harmonization of modular freight wagon concepts

Customer: BASF/WASCOSA (Germany), DB Cargo/VTG (Germany), RCA (Austria), SBB Cargo (Switzerland)

Project tasks

1st phase:

  • Neutral collection, analysis and evaluation
  • Comparison and evaluation

2nd phase:

  • Creation of a common experimental description

3rd phase:

  • Evaluation of the safety techniques
  • Recommendation for a future standard

4th phase:

  • Cluster development
  • Force application point

Our Approach

The technical innovation group for rail freight (TIS) sees the modular design of carrying wagons in conjunction with innovative container concepts as an approach to solving the problem outlined. Innovative container solutions are also becoming increasingly popular for bulk goods.

Customer benefit

The securing techniques developed in the various concepts of modular construction and container concepts were evaluated with regard to their effect on the forces and accelerations measured in the sequence tests. Furthermore, a recommendation for a possible future standard for a securing system, possibly for different classes of accelerations and forces, was developed. PROSE developed different clusters for the classification of transport goods/containers.

 

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