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Berliner S-Bahn selects Alcatel-Lucent for IP/MPLS network solution support train dispatch via CCTV


WEBWIRE

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced that it is equipping the Deutsche Bahn AG`s S-Bahn Berlin GmbH urban railway system in Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany, with a highly available, fully IP-based communication network that will support train dispatch by the driver via CCTV. This unique installation speeds up train dispatch at the platform and improves passenger safety, and is the first of its kind worldwide for an urban railway system.

S-Bahn Berlin’s technical operations will be improved significantly by the combination of fixed and mobile communications technology in a unique new operating and information system. For the first time, train dispatch can be realized via television-quality CCTV images of the platform and car doors that are transmitted to the driver’s cab.

Four stationary video cameras on the platform transfer images directly to a monitor in the driver’s cab and to the control office via solution developed by Alcatel-Lucent. The system not only speeds up operations, but also enhances safety. Passenger information in the form of loudspeaker announcements, information kiosks on the platforms, and displays in the trains are also delivered via the new IP network.

With this investment, Deutsche Bahn AG is moving forward in its efforts to enhance customer satisfaction and win new customers by deploying state-of-the-art technology. Around 1.4 million passengers a day use the S-Bahn Berlin network in the Berlin-Brandenburg region.

“We have exact safety standards and want to keep our customers informed about rail traffic and special occurrences as quickly and reliably as possible via display boards and loudspeaker announcements. It’s essential that we introduce these measures today to ensure that our new railway infrastructure will still fulfill our requirements in the future. By choosing an IP/MPLS network, Deutsche Bahn AG in Berlin will have a multimedia platform at its disposal that can be scaled to support speeds of up to 200 Gbps and expanded nationwide, providing a solid foundation for innovative technologies of the future,” explains Erik Brych, project manager for the communication network and CTO of the overall project for S-Bahn Berlin GmbH.

“For Alcatel-Lucent, this is an international reference project that will demonstrate our system integration expertise. Our solution also fulfills the most stringent availability demands,” said Alf Henryk Wulf, board member of Alcatel-Lucent Deutschland AG in Stuttgart, Germany.

The full-scale installation of the communication network on the platforms has begun, following eight months of a successful pilot operation. As the system integrator, Alcatel-Lucent will be installing the complete IP-based information and operating system, as well as the CCTV surveillance system.

Video specialist Indigovision (Edinburgh, UK) will be delivering the video management system, a flexible and highly scalable, television-quality video-over-IP solution. Alcatel-Lucent will also be cooperating with BUG Verkehrsbau AG (Berlin) in delivering the optical-fiber network. The train dispatch system will be installed in cooperation with PSI Transcom GmbH (Berlin).

The components of the MPLS WAN include Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Routers for the backbone network, the Alcatel-Lucent 7450 Ethernet Service Switch for the edge, and the Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch 6224 for connectivity to unmanned stations. The Alcatel-Lucent 7750 SR supports service- and content-specific unicast/multicast routing and security functions. The provision of the new passenger information on stations with dispatcher personnel is realized via the Alcatel-Lucent 7450 ESS. The administration of the MPLS WAN will be handled by the Alcatel 5620 Service Aware Manager, which automates routine tasks while supporting the introduction and administration of new services.



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