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Author: Livia In-Albon

How are PROSE and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) shaping the future of eco-friendly transportation?

PROSE is working with the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) as part of its initiative to switch to climate-neutral yellow fleet vehicles.

In this complex project, where battery operation is not yet fully regulated, PROSE has supported SBB by further developing the standard requirements catalog for the battery subsystem.

Our work included:

  • Content adaptation and extension: adaptation of requirements to operational and environmental objectives.
  • Categorisation: Differentiation of requirements into functional and non-functional to increase clarity.
  • Criteria weighting: Definition of “MUST” and “SHOULD” criteria to support the evaluation matrix of the tendering process.

Our collaboration facilitated the integration of these specifications into SBB’s requirements management system, Polarion®, and prepared SBB for a successful tender process.

This collaboration is an important step towards modernising public transport in Switzerland with a focus on sustainability. We strive to deliver effective solutions that support our partners in achieving their environmental and operational goals, shaping the mobility of tomorrow. To find out more about the project click on this link: https://prose.one/requirements-for-battery-vehicles/

PROSE at InnoTrans 2024

We are in the midst of preparations for InnoTrans 2024 – time flies by and we cannot believe InnoTrans is almost only 100 days away.  

One important cornerstone of our planning is our collaborative partnerships. They are crucial for driving innovation and creating sustainable mobility solutions for the future. These partnerships enable us to combine strengths and insights, accelerating the development of cutting-edge technologies and smart transportation systems. 

Stay tuned to find out more. Meanwhile we’ll show you a glimpse behind the scenes. Our Berlin office is getting overwhelmed with deliveries and preparing to greet you at our booth in hall 2.2 

Visit our booth at InnoTrans 2024 and find out how we are mastering the challenges of the railway business and shaping the mobility of tomorrow. We value long-term partnerships and believe collaboration is the key to success. We can’t wait to hear about your projects and discuss customized solutions for your needs.  

PROSE around the globe: shaping the future at key mobility events

In Tampere, Finland, we took part in the Light Rail Day, a gathering of experts from the light rail industry. Discussions centred on ambitious plans to expand light rail lines across Finland, reflecting the country’s commitment to improving its urban transport systems. On this occasion, PROSE was able to offer its expertise in various technical areas to support the growth and development of sustainable urban transport solutions in the region.  

In Poland, during the SWISSRAIL fact-finding mission, Christoph Gyr had the opportunity to introduce PROSE to local operators and infrastructure managers in a series of “speed dating” meetings. These discussions highlighted the potential needs that PROSE can fulfil in the Polish market and laid the foundations for future collaboration. 

Across the ocean, at the APTA conference in Cleveland, Ohio, we networked with the American rail community, gaining insights into current market dynamics and exploring new partnership opportunities with transit agencies and engineering groups. These contacts are of great value as we strive to increase our influence and develop innovative solutions for the American railway sector. 

With each of these events, PROSE has not only shared our vision, but also deepened our global impact, bringing us closer to our goal of improving mobility solutions worldwide. We are excited about the opportunities these engagements have opened up for us and look forward to what lies ahead on our journey to advance global mobility. 

Discover how we are shaping the mobility of tomorrow and contact us: https://prose.one/contact/ 

Expert report on metre-gauge flat wagons with cogwheel brake

Customer: PVF Trade, s.r.o., Czech Republic

Project tasks

  • Project management
  • Definition and procurement of input data
  • Review and appraisal of all input documents
  • Preparation of expert report

Our Approach

PROSE was commissioned by the company PVF Trade, s.r.o., to prepare an expert test report (SV report) on the test report of suspension tests of the vehicle “four-axle service – flat wagon 1000mm track with cogwheel brake”.

The report is intended to provide information on the compliance of the brake tests according to the test report “Flat wagon with toothed wheel brake suspension tests” with the provisions of the AB-EBV and their fulfilment.

All documents submitted were checked for completeness and plausibility. The check was carried out against all relevant requirements from the FOT guidelines AB-EBV.

In the event of inconsistencies and/or missing information, these were requested from the client or other project partners. On this basis, a final expert report was prepared and submitted to the client.

Customer benefit

​PROSE’s prompt preparation of the expert report guarantees a smooth and rapid handling of the authorisation procedure. The intensive review of the documents provided ensures that the report meets the highest quality standards and that the vehicle is guaranteed to operate safely. The intensive project supervision by the PROSE expert regarding adjustments and requirements for the documentation with all project partners relieves the customer of this organisational work and ensures rapid and high-quality processing.

 

 

Delivery of four dummy bogies

Project tasks

  • Project management
  • Manufacture

Our Approach

PROSE was commissioned to develop and manufacture four customised dummy bogies for the depot. The main challenge was to design robust bogies suitable for use in the demanding conditions of a workshop environment. These bogies not only need to have a high load capacity but also have to offer flexible adaptability to different vehicle types and maintenance requirements of the depot. The manufacturing process required carefully selecting materials and technologies that ensure long-term durability and resistance to mechanical stresses and environmental influences. In addition, special attention was paid to ergonomics and user-friendliness to ensure the safety of depot employees and increase the efficiency of maintenance processes. The technical specifications were worked out in detail in close cooperation with the customer to ensure that the finished bogies are optimally adapted to the depot’s specific requirements and existing infrastructure.

PROSE tackled this task with a focused approach to quality and functionality. The four dummy-bogies were manufactured under strict quality control and using high-quality materials. Each bogie was carefully designed to meet the specific requirements of the depot, with particular attention paid to durability and ease of maintenance. The noise reduction target of >1dB set at the beginning of the project was successfully achieved with a theoretical analysis.

Customer benefit

​The provision of these four customised dummy-bogies offers the customer considerable advantages. Thanks to the improved reliability and robustness of the bogies, maintenance work can be carried out more efficiently and safely. This leads to a significant reduction in downtime and an increase in operational safety in the depot. The customised bogies, therefore, not only support daily routines but also help to improve the service life and performance of the vehicles maintained in the depot.

 

   

Gearbox investigation on vehicles

Project tasks

  • Project management
  • Create a feasibility study
  • Test proposals based on the preliminary study
  • Evaluation from tests
  • Recommendations

Our Approach

The feasibility study involved testing the sealing proposals recommended by PROSE on two different gearboxes of the vehicle. One gearbox was found to have a minor leakage, while the second gearbox showed similar levels of leakage as before, despite the use of a sealing compound and a regular O-seal. These tests helped to evaluate the effectiveness of the various proposed sealing methods and provided valuable data for the further development of the solutions.

Customer benefit

​Based on the results of the tests, PROSE can now make specific recommendations for further steps. PROSE, therefore, recommends that the next step is to test the X-seal and simultaneously apply two lines of sealant to the motor output shaft. This recommendation is based on the observed performance of the tested seal variants and aims to develop a more robust solution to prevent oil leakage. This strategic approach allows the customer to make targeted adjustments and improvements to resolve the problem in the long term and improve the operational reliability and service life of the gearbox.

 

    

Expert opinion on carbody structures

Project tasks

Verification of

  • Design Concept and Philosophy
  • Carbody calculation specification
  • Carbody crash specification
  • Validation plan
  • Finite element descriptive document
  • Calculation results
  • Weldings

Our Approach

PROSE supported the established European rail vehicle manufacturer with reviews to ensure that the development of its carbody structures complies with all requirements (safety, durability, strength/rigidity) specified in the standards and is supplemented by customer requirements.

Two essential characteristics of carbody structure are crashworthiness and fatigue strength. To check these properties, design principles and calculation methods must be evaluated.

The evaluation focused on the customer’s stress report, which PROSE carefully checked. In addition to evidence of carbody straining by standardised loads, evidence of results from load scenarios in the end customer’s country is required. Such load scenarios are not directly defined in a standard but must be analysed. As this task is more complex, PROSE scrutinised this part of the report with particular attention.

Customer benefit

PROSE helped ensure the development of a cutting-edge aluminium carbody structure. The customer and the end customer highly valued its independent expert opinion as quality assurance.

With PROSE as an independent assessor, the customers had a further means of reducing design risks by using the expertise of PROSE’s seasoned engineers.

 

  

Variant study for the further development of a metre-gauge railway workshop

Customer: Compagnie du Chemin de Fer Montreux Oberland bernois MOB, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Analysis and documentation of the current situation
  • High-level requirements definition
  • Development of variants

Our Approach

The MOB operates the approximately 10-kilometre Vevey — Les Pléiades line with adhesion and cogwheel sections. The light maintenance of the vehicles travelling on this line is carried out in Vevey. As Vevey’s workshop infrastructure is insufficient for heavy maintenance, the vehicles are transferred to other workshops. Due to the small number of vehicles, the facility in Vevey is only used for around one week per month.

To reduce the maintenance costs of the vehicles concerned, MOB would like to equip the Vevey site so that heavy maintenance can also be carried out there. PROSE was commissioned to examine how the Vevey site could be further developed to meet these requirements.

PROSE documented the site’s maintenance infrastructure. The maintenance processes were then analysed to determine what infrastructure the site would need to meet the future requirements of centralised maintenance. Finally, options were developed for further development.

Customer benefit

​The MOB received a comprehensive range of variants that took into account the current and future challenges at the site and on the Les Pléiades line. The variants were assessed in terms of requirements compliance and risks. Finally, further actions were outlined, and a concrete recommendation for the next steps was formulated.

Requirements for battery vehicles

Customer: SBB AG, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Review of the standard requirements catalogue
  • Classification of the requirements
  • Categorisation and adaptation of requirements
  • Integration of the requirements into the requirements management system
  • Evaluation of the offers
  • Conversion and import of the requirements specification

Our Approach

Swiss Federal Railways SBB is preparing for the tender to procure new vehicles that replace the Tm 234 fleets of the first, second, and third series. These new vehicles must fulfil the operational requirements of both existing fleets and be climate-neutral. As the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) has yet to approve finalised regulations for battery-powered vehicles, SBB is facing challenges regarding the approval of battery operation. Therefore, SBB needs support for the battery subsystem to correctly integrate the specific requirements for the battery system into the specifications.

PROSE supported SBB in reviewing the content of the standard requirements catalogue for the battery subsystem (SAK – System Batterie). The task included not only suggesting content adjustments and additions but also classifying the requirements into functional and non-functional categories. In addition, PROSE categorised and adapted the requirements according to the “MUST” and “SHOULD” criteria and submitted proposals for weighting these criteria for the evaluation matrix.

Based on this preliminary work, the specified requirements were integrated into the requirements management system Re-qSuite®. There, the requirements were evaluated individually, and a corresponding binding force was given to evaluate the bids received in the upcoming tender. The specifications were then converted into a format that SBB could import into its requirements management system, Polari-on®.

Customer benefit

SBB received a clear catalogue of questions and an annotated requirement specification, which made the requirements more precise and easier to understand. Checking, evaluating, and identifying requirements that require a risk assessment contribute to quality assurance and minimise potential risks in the project. The risk assessment and the binding nature of the requirements enable better preparation for the tender, which improves the quality of the bids received. Converting the specifications into a compatible format for SBB’s requirements management system ensures smooth integration and utilisation of the requirements by the customer.

 

PROSE at the 25th Expert Conference TSI & ETCS 2024 in Berlin

We are proud to participate in the 25th Expert Conference TSI & ETCS, taking place on 12 and 13 June in Berlin. Our team will provide in-depth insights into the latest challenges and solutions around ETCS retrofitting and railway technical approval.

Tanja Keller and Josef Kometer, our experts in the field of railway approval processes, will share their valuable experiences and insights from a specific ETCS retrofit project for so-called “yellow machines” on the second day of the conference, Thursday 13 June in the morning.

Take the opportunity to ask us your questions at the end of the presentation. Contact us to find out more about our innovative solutions and how we are shaping the future of mobility.

We look forward to meeting you in person and having in-depth conversations!

In the meantime, you can learn more about our services and projects here: https://prose.one/all-our-services/

Freight Transport Forum

The Freight Transport Forum held on May 7, 2024, in Zurich brought together industry leaders to focus on central topics like the new framework conditions for sustainable freight transport and the future transformation of rail freight. The discussions provided insights into legislative challenges, technological innovations, and strategic policies from several European countries. 

At PROSE, we participate and contribute to groundbreaking conversations. The forum covered a range of subjects including the challenges of digital rail, the benefits of Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC), the role of data ecosystems in logistics, and the groundbreaking potential of projects like Cargo Sous Terrain and Maglev technology.  

We are shaping tomorrow’s mobility in all we do. From projects to forums, associations to events. Join us on the journey and let us support you with our customised and reliable solutions for railway technology.

 

Do you truly understand what happens in your maintenance facility?

Have you ever wondered if everyone who should understand what happens within your rolling stock maintenance facility truly does? Are the fundamental competencies, processes and capabilities documented in an easily understandable way?

PROSE supports the operators of maintenance facilities in developing “production concepts”. These concepts serve as a comprehensive guide, ensuring that everyone—from local management and new employees to internal and external partners or upper management —has a clear understanding of the facility. 

Here’s what our production concepts entail: 

  • Facility Overview: We work out an thorough overview of the facility; connecting the dots between the floor plan, processes and organizational structure. 
  • Maintenance demystified: Our descriptions outline precisely which maintenance tasks can be performed where and how. No more guesswork and nasty surprises! 
  • Key Interfaces: We identify critical interfaces within the facility and with external stakeholders. 

We tailor the content framework to your specific facility and needs. We work hand-in-hand with your internal stakeholders to develop the concept. Their insights and expertise ensure that the production concept aligns with reality and your unique context. 

Facing New Challenges? We’ve Got Answers: If you are facing new challenges, PROSE can also answer your specific queries. For instance, we conduct feasibility and cost-effectiveness studies when you’re introducing new fleets or tasks. Simply reach out to us with your request and let us optimise your maintenance operations together! 

Not yet convinced? Explore our references: 

info@prose.one

 

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