Siemens Mobility and Ruhrbahn GmbH will digitalize the control and safety technology in Essen and Mülheim an der Ruhr by 2031. This will make the system fit for the future. The contract, which includes the digitalization of Europe's largest urban railway interlocking system at Essen Central Station, was recently signed by the partners and is worth around €180 million. The upgrade will make the interlocking system more reliable and energy efficient. Sixty percent of the cost of renewing the interlockings will be covered by the City of Essen's Railway Modernisation Programme, which includes state and federal funding and is currently expected to total around €96 million.
„Our aim is to make the existing network more efficient and reliable. When the renewal project is completed, there will be fewer disruptions and downtimes, making the use of public transport even more attractive for our passengers,” said Michael Feller, CEO of Ruhrbahn.
“Reaching the goal of climate-neutral mobility will require a significant increase of passenger capacity in public rail transport. Smart cities are tackling and solving this challenge with modern technology. We are delighted that Ruhrbahn is converting its rail system to be fit for the future,“ commented Guido Rumpel, Head of Rail Infrastructure Germany at Siemens Mobility.
The five interlockings at Essen main station will be modernized in five project phases by 2031, including Europe's largest relay interlocking for trams and underground trains. Passenger traffic in individual sections of the system will only be restricted for short periods during the project. The relay technology will be completely replaced. The system's control and safety technology will be converted to digital control
A special feature of this major project will be the integration of the metropolitan region's three- and four-rail systems. The challenge here is the use of the different track gauges in the system and the seamless operation with state-of-the-art technologies.
