7.3 Signaling and Communication System
To guarantee efficient operation of ELRT based on the operation plan described in the Chapter 5, we designed the signal and telecommunications plans in Phase I as follows.
7.3.1 Design Concept
To guarantee safe and efficient train operation and provide passengers with comfortable services, ELRT signal and communication systems will be designed to ensure high reliability and ease of maintenance. The centralized control equipment shall be designed to allow future expansion of the system through added facilities and minor software changes, in case the ELRT network is expanded in the future.
(1) Signaling System
The signaling system will be designed to control and monitor the train movements between and within stations, and on the branch line sections to and from vehicle depot, remotely from the Central Control Room. If the equipment and systems at the Central Control Room and/or information transmission facilities fail, these train movements will be controlled and monitored locally with the interlocking control panels at the stations concerned.
An automatic train protection (ATP) system will be designed to apply the emergency brake to secure the safety of train operation in both remote and local operation modes, if a train has exceeded an authorized speed limit.
According to BMRTL system requirements the signaling and control system will be designed for full bi-directional train operation along the entire route.
Although trains will be operated at headways of 180 seconds in Phase I, the signaling system will be designed to enable train operation at headways of 120 seconds to cope with the ultimate transport demand without changing the system installed in the Phase 1.
(2) Communication System
The communication system will be designed to provide information for passengers on trains and at stations and enable the exchange of information required for train operation, station duties and maintenance work for ELRT. Transmission facilities used for train operation, control and power supply, and signaling systems will be highly reliable to efficient train operation even in any emergency and accident envisaged.
