SD
SIGNAL+DRAHT | Ausgabe 07-08/2015

New SIL 4 PLC interlocking reduces lifecycle costs

August 2015 | Thomas Bell, Peter Musters, Frits Makkinga

ProRail, the state-owned Dutch railway infrastructure enterprise, commissioned consulting and engineering firm Movares with implementing a PLC interlocking based on industrial COTS (commercial off-the-shelf ) hardware. Based on a HIMax controller system, the new interlocking concept satisfies central ProRail requirements for supplier independence, safety, availability, easy operation and maintenance, and lower lifecycle costs – a minimum 30 % lower than other electronic interlocking solutions. A pilot project was successfully implemented at the Santpoort Noord railway station. Santpoort Noord is the first PLC interlocking for main lines that satisfies the requirements of the highest safety level, SIL 4, in accordance with CENELEC.