In2Rail is structured around three technical sub-projects and are complimented by three transversal work packages:
- Three Technical sub-projects - Smart Infrastructure, Intelligent Mobility Management, and Rail Power Supply and Energy Management;
- Three transversal work packages – Project Management; Technical Coordination and System Integration; and Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation – provide the structure, governance, coordination, integration, and communication interfaces that will maximise the benefit of the research and innovation activities and ensure successful project delivery.
Technical sub-projects and work packages (WP)
The In2Rail project builds on a structure of technical and cross-cutting sub-projects, all which include a number of work packages, tasks, and sub-tasks. These are a number of dependencies, relationships and links between sub-projects at various levels. Details of the subprojects and the work packages within them can be found below.
Sub-project - Smart Infrastructure
Smart Infrastructure adopts a whole system approach which addresses the fundamental design of critical infrastructure assets - S&C, and the track system. It will research infrastructure components capable of meeting the demands of future rail transport and will utilise modern development technologies such as rapid prototyping and integrated virtual testing in the process. Risk and condition-based LEAN approaches to optimise RAMS and lifecycle costs in asset maintenance activities will be created to tackle the root causes of degradation and target known problem areas.
- WP2 – Smart Infrastructure - Innovative S&C Solutions: Improved performance, safety and reduced life cycle of S&C are investigating through technologies including mechatronics, self-inspection/correction/adjustment, embedded sensors, and novel locking mechanisms. The performance and safety critical S&C asset and its reliability are targeted. Failures associated with S&C currently account for some 25-30% of all infrastructure failures on European railways. Top
- WP3 – Smart Infrastructure - Innovative Track Solutions: Fast and efficient railhead repair methods, optimised ballast track system, solutions to decrease noise and vibration, and a radical hybrid track system are areas of research. The track system has significant safety, efficiency and costs implications for European railways. WP3 targets key aspects to deliver cost effective solutions. Top
- WP4 – Smart Infrastructure - Bridges & Tunnels: Improved knowledge on bridge and tunnels asset condition and rates of degradation is required to reduce cost, and improve performance. Better information and intelligence to create predictive capabilities. The challenge is to develop inspection and monitoring methods that can be used with minimal traffic disruption. Top
- WP5 – Smart Infrastructure - Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) Monitoring (thermal stress and track geometry): Technologies, combined with LEAN procedures and intelligent analytical methods to achieve an integrated monitoring concept for track geometry and thermal stresses: Consisting of on-board and wayside measurements, data processing, transmission and storage. The new monitoring concepts should result in enhanced predictive capabilities, reducing costs and improved reliability. Top
- WP6 – Smart Infrastructure - Maintenance Strategies & Execution: This WP delivers a consistent and holistic approach to asset maintenance improving the reliability of the railway system reducing recurring maintenance costs. The research focuses on an asset maintenance framework, a dynamic model for track system maintenance, and condition and risk based maintenance planning. Top
Sub-project - Intelligent Mobility Management – I?M
I?M researches advanced traffic management systems that are automated, interoperable and inter-connected; scalable and upgradable. Utilising standardised products and interfaces enables easy migration from legacy systems. The research targets the wealth of available data and transforms it into harmonised, useable information to improve and fully exploit network capacity. Currently the data is distributed over a wide range of information systems of differing standards. A standard ICT environment supporting transport operations with standard interfaces and protocols will be developed, enabling an open, integrated TMS. Advances will be made to the state of the art of asset information management systems, adding the capability of ‘nowcasting’ and forecasting of critical asset status:
- WP7 – Intelligent Mobility Management (I2M) - System Engineering: using the CENELEC 50128 V-cycle to define the functional specification of the future TMS/dispatching system, specifies the Standardised Operators Workstation and implement and validate the proof-of-concept that integrates the outcome of WP8 and WP9. Top
- WP8 – Intelligent Mobility Management (I2M) - Integration Layer: Based on the findings of WP7 it addresses and develops a standardised integrated ICT environment capable of supporting diverse TMS dispatching services and operational systems. WP8 includes standard interfaces to external systems outside TMS/dispatching (for other railway management systems and transport modes) with a plug and play framework for TMS/dispatching applications. Top
- WP9 – Intelligent Mobility Management (I2M) – ‘Nowcasting’ and Forecasting: WP9 focuses on the design and development of an advanced asset information system with the ability to ‘nowcast’ and forecast network asset status with the associated probabilities. This should allow TMS/dispatching systems to seamlessly access heterogeneous data sources. WP9 bases its work on the findings of WP7 and complements the standardised integrated ICT environment of WP8. Top
Sub-project - Rail Power Supply and Energy Management
Rail Power Supply and Energy Management sub-project provides solutions to improve the energy performance of the railway system. The research focuses on new power systems characterised by reduced losses and capable of balancing energy demands, along with innovative energy management systems that enable accurate and precise estimates of energy flows within the railway. This should result in reduced energy consumption and costs, optimised asset management and better use of the railway capacity:
- WP10 – Energy Management - Intelligent AC Power Supply System: It focuses on the design of an intelligent traction feeding system for AC rail power supply. This allows a controlled energy flow inside the rail distribution network and also optimises the interface with the transmission grid. The work package covers the research and design analysis for the “Intelligent AC Power supply system” defined in the master plan of Shift2Rail. Research will focus on intelligent digital substations to allow control of interfaces between transmission and railway distribution grids. These activities should result in definition of use cases, test procedures and design specifications. Top
- WP11 – Energy Management - Smart Metering for a Railway Distributed Energy Resource Management System (RDERMS): It focuses on the design of a solution combining measurements taken at different locations and by different sub-systems, including location and temporal information, used to derive energy use and consumptions. Existing specification and standards for Smart Grid interoperability energy measurements are considered. WP11 should deliver a proof-of-concept prototype with emulated devices to evaluate the design and any interfaces identified. Top
Transversal work packages
- WP1 – Project Management : This WP takes care of the coordination of the project and overall administrative and financial management activities. Top
- WP12 – Technical Coordination and System Integration: This WP is to coordinate the technical sub-project specific objectives and create a single and coherent project that addresses the whole subject of innovation in In2Rail. WP12 will develop synergies from the different sub-projects towards Shift2Rail. Top
- WP13 – Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation : This WP will ensure proper dissemination and promotion of the project and its results, in a way which is consistent with the wider dissemination and promotion activities of Shift2Rail. It ensures that the outputs of the project are delivered in a form which makes them immediately available for use by the Innovation Programmes 2 and 3 within Shift2Rail. It will also ensure that all important actors in the European railway sector are informed about In2Rail, its objectives , content and results. It will also facilitate acceptance of the project outcomes by the standards and regulatory bodies as well as by the main actors of the EU rail sector. Top
Links between and amongst sub-projects and work packages
