Railtec Systems, based in Switzerland, is currently outfitting 14 locomotives and railcars and about 60 passenger carriages operated by MOB Railways with networked Annuncicom 155 devices. The devices are integral to the configuration of MOB Railways' pioneering passenger information and announcement system. The Annuncicom 155 is responsible for the bidirectional exchange of live announcements as well as priority, monitoring and control information over a TCP/IP network.
"The Annuncicom 155 is a very robust, flexible Audio over IP device and fits perfectly into our information systems," said Lorenz Trachsel, managing director of Railtec Systems.
In Railtec's system concept, the Annuncicom 155 components will typically be used for informational and emergency two-way communication between a passenger and a train conductor or guard. In the case of an emergency call, the Annuncicom 155 can open a two-way channel with an external destination only accessible via radio transmission.
The system can also assume the functions of a public address system in addition to the intercom function. It enables live and pre-recorded announcements, in manual or automatic mode. Possibilities include selective announcements in individual zones or to groups of devices; or all-call announcements broadcast to all connected systems.
"We can program Barix devices ourselves, enabling perfect tailoring to customer requirements," said Carmelo Dimotta, project leader at Railtec Systems. "Crucial in our decision in choosing Barix was the fact that we can monitor all inputs and outputs in the system. Every Annuncicom 155 also checks continually for short circuits and line breaks. These readings are displayed in the locomotive or control car, providing the train conductor with a continuous overview of system status. In addition, prioritizing of announcements is programmable, giving automatic priority to safety announcements. The systems are certified for emergency calls through this level of safety."
The first installations were delivered to MOB Railways in August 2010. Most of the carriages have been in service for years and have been or will be upgraded to support Audio over IP. Some new carriages are being ordered and outfitted as comfortable panorama carriages.
(Jim Evans)
