New Control Technology for the Essen Citybahn

As the mobility service provider for the cities of Essen and Mülheim, Ruhrbahn GmbH transports around 125 million passengers annually, making it one of the largest local public transport operators in the Ruhr area. By Patrick Gwosdek

One key forward-looking project underway at the moment is the new “Citybahn – future lines for Essen” tram route, with a roughly five-kilometre-long metre-gauge line.

HANNING & KAHL GmbH & Co. KG is providing technological support for this project. A total of 38 points will be installed on the new line, including 20 electrically operated point machines. These will be gradually equipped with innovative HVIP control systems between 2026 and 2028. Fourteen single point controllers, two sequential point controllers and one dual point controller will be used to reliably control complex track connections such as intersections and wyes.

One particular feature of the technology used here is the enhanced operational and safety concepts. For example, the single point controller considers different emergency situations. Take a scenario in which signal transmitters are damaged due to external influences: the operator can then flexibly adjust the operating mode and largely maintain operations. This increases line availability and directly benefits passengers.

The new system architecture will also allow for clear separation of safety-related and non-safety-related functions. While safety-critical processes up to SIL4 will run via the HVIP control system, less critical functions will be managed through the HLUmulti controller. The benefit of this is that it will be possible to make adjustments to the non-safety-related software without extensive external approvals – which means a considerable gain in flexibility.

The new HVIPAssist software is a powerful, expert-level tool that goes far beyond existing solutions. Functions such as spectrum analysis, impedance matching and (specifically for the SBC blocking circuit) transimpedance matching as well as capacitor calculation allow for detailed analysis of systems. For example, interfering frequencies can be detected at an early stage and targeted countermeasures taken. The software can be used on site and remotely, helping to maintain efficient ongoing operations.

The SIL3-certified point controllers used in the project set new standards for safety and flexibility in tramway operations.

HANNING & KAHL GmbH & Co. KG is thereby impressively demonstrating how advanced technology, sustainable urban development and efficient public transport can go hand in hand – and is sending a strong signal about the future of urban mobility.