The High Speed / High Capacity system currently under construction by Italian Railways consists of a new network of railway lines running from west to east and from north to south of the country.
 
To date, the following have been built and opened for commercial use: the Rome-Naples section (in service since December 2005) and the Turin-Novara section (in service since February 2006). These represent a total of approximately 270 km of double-track line, in addition to the pre-existing Florence-Rome Direttissima line.
 
The Novara-Milan, Milan-Bologna and Bologna-Florence lines, covering around a further 300 km, are still under construction.
 
The High Speed / High Capacity lines, electrified at 2x25 KVca, allow for a maximum operating speed of 300 km/h with trains every 2.5 minutes and a maximum frequency of trains travelling at the same speed of five minutes.The new stretches of line provide a non-stop connection between the stations of Italy’s largest cities, and interconnect with the main existing lines through specially-created links.
 
In terms of the command and control and traffic monitoring systems, each line is organised through a central satellite post, which carries out the functions of managing and supervising the signalling and automation equipment for the line, and a series of fixed peripheral posts, spaced 12 km apart, for local control and interface with the individual line and trackside equipment.
 
As part of the supply of technology systems assigned to a pool of companies grouped in the Saturno Consortium, Ansaldo STS is responsible for the development, design and manufacture of the following systems for some High Speed lines:
 
Route Management Systems
 
The system includes all the signalling security functions, and comprises, in its most recent form, a single central static apparatus, located in the line’s central post, which governs the peripheral posts located in the stations; the central post, linked to the service locations through a high-speed fibre-optic geographical network, enables the management of local operating interfaces and the distribution of diagnostic information in all technological sites of the line.The signalling uses new technology designed and produced by Ansaldo STS, adopted for the first time in 1999 when Rome Termini station was upgraded, and subsequently supplied to local and international transport operators, both for rail and metro applications.It is based on securely-configured computers that interface with signalling components (switch blocks, signals, etc) built according to solid, state-of-the-art technology patented in Europe.
 
Separation System
 
The system comprises one or more Radio Block Centres (RBC), wholly located at the central post, which following safety criteria, manage distances between trains according to the specifics of the ERTMS/ETCS system (European Rail Traffic Management System/European Train Control System) level 2 defined for the EU and intended to ensure the interoperability of trains on European railway lines.Depending on the status of the line recorded by the station equipment and the information sent by the trains for which it is responsible, the RBC determines their movement authority and sends it through the GSM-R ground-to-train system, ensuring continuous rail traffic control and protection.
 
With respect to the signalling systems applied to Italian High Speed Railways, Ansaldo STS also:
 

• supplies ground sub-systems consisting of the interoperable components (Eurobalise®, Encoder) for the ERTMS/ETCS level 2 system and the functions provided for the interface and management of transitions between this system and the national signalling systems (Rail Traffic Management System - SCMT, Coded Current Block - BACC).
• supplies signal box and trackside equipment for the audio-frequency track circuits with which the High Speed lines are fitted
• designs and produces onboard systems for the management of ERMTS systems, ensuring integration with the command and control of domestic systems.

 
Ansaldo STS is also solely responsible within the Saturno Consortium for the development, design and construction of the centralised traffic control system and the electric traction equipment, consisting of a central post, area maintenance sites, deposits and peripheral posts. These are linked together by a data transmission network, constructed using the transmission channels of the long-distance telecommunication sub-system.
 
The main functions carried out are the supervision and diagnostics of rail traffic, safety equipment, auxiliary technological equipment and the equipment of the system itself as well as the remote monitoring of peripheral installations, through the following sub-systems:
 

• Traffic
• Mimic Panel
• Electric Traction
• Diagnostics and Maintenance
• Remote Monitoring and Security
• Telecommunications.

 
Among the activities for which the Saturno Consortium is responsible, Ansaldo STS also develops part of the power supply for the equipment:it coordinates the creation of all substations and parallel posts that comprise the power supply system of the 25 kV High Speed line, and produces part of the power supply and distribution systems.
 
The line power supply system comprises electricity substations, spaced approximately 50 km apart, which from a dedicated primary station (132 or 150 kV a.c.) generate a voltage of + 25 and -25 kV a.c.; this tension is distributed to the line through the + 25 kV contact line and a –25 kV a.c. feeder. Parallel posts enable drops in voltage on the line to be reduced through autotransformers between the contact line and feeder with the centre tap on its winding permanently earthed.
 
The power supply and distribution equipment is intended to power all consumption on the high-speed line.
 
Through the centralised traffic control system, this innovative equipment provides all information on the status of the equipment and the ancillary maintenance equipment.
 
A case apart is the power supply and distribution equipment for the tunnels, where all recent safety regulations are applied.