Following its successful introduction in Europe, with major projects like
Copenhagen Driverless Metro and Stockholm Roslagsbanan, Microlok® II made its
entry in Finland when the Jyväskylä - Pieksämäki line in Central Finland was
resignalled. The line was part of a major investment program for the Finnish
railway network, headed by Ratahallintokeskus (RHK), the Finnish National
Railway Administration.
The contract, which included resignalling and Traffic Control Centre, was
awarded to Ansaldo STS Sweden AB in April 2004.
Line Statistics:
- Track line: 78 km
- 5 stations: Vaajakoski, Lievestuore, Venetmäki, Naarajärvi,
Hankasalmi
- Technology: Microlok II units
For vital communication, the project took full advantage of the latest advances
in the Microlok® II family. This includes the recently developed TCP/IP
protocol and the new Network Interface Adapter (NIA), which enables safe
communication over a shared network. Physically, the network is based on a
number of fibre optic ‘rings’. Each station will have its own ring,
superimposed on a larger ring, covering the whole line. This arrangement
assures unrestricted service, even if one fibre is cut or otherwise
disrupted.
Except Hankasalmi station, train detection is performed by means of axle
counters. These are interfaced with Microlok® II as if they were conventional
track circuits. For installation and supply of the Traffic Control Centre,
Ansaldo STS Sweden has entered into a cooperation agreement with a local
Finnish company.
