Photo: Kjetil Ree
It was back in 1999 that Infracontrol delivered the first solution for the control and supervision of tramway switches in Oslo. The solution has since been used to modernize a large number of switch controls in the city. Now that the city is upgrading its hardware, it wants to improve monitoring by connecting the installations and managing alarms and log data in Infracontrol Online. There will be a pilot project at Stortorvet to verify the solution’s stability and reliability.
Björn Johansson, Project Manager at Infracontrol, tells us there are major advantages in connecting this kind of installation to the service:
“It will improve installation safety and reliability as the city enjoys constant supervision of all the alarms and the automatic transfer of log data from the installations. What’s more, it’s easier for operators and maintenance staff to take care of the installations in that user functions are made accessible in a better, more user friendly way via Infracontrol Online.”
Tried-and-tested solution with new capabilities
Kollektivtransportproduksjon, KTP, owns, administers, builds and is responsible for the operation and maintenance of an extensive infrastructure for rail-borne traffic in Oslo, Akershus and Vestfold. Infracontrol has worked with solutions for this operation since 1999. This included everything from the control and monitoring of switches and signals in the tramway network to operational supervision of technical installations in all the underground stations.
The switch control solution is based on industrial PLC systems and is currently used in approximately 36 out of a total of 100 switches in Oslo’s tram network. Now that the city is upgrading its installation hardware, it seeks to improve and simplify supervision by connecting it to the service.
“One of the most important PLC system tasks is Infracontrol’s logging function. It means staff have full control over every sequence of events in the installations,” says Björn Johansson. “By connecting the installations to the central system, accessing log files and analyzing operational malfunctions is both easier and quicker.”
Another important function they gain access to when the installations are connected is the monitoring and distribution of alarms. The PLC system constantly monitors the various tramway switch functions and any alarms are passed on to the central system where the connection to Infracontrol Online allows staff to distribute alerts to maintenance personnel and monitor and document actions taken.
Pilot project
Before the installations are connected to the system, the solution must of course be verified as being stable and reliable. This is currently underway in a pilot project at Stortorvet in the center of Oslo in connection with a major reconstruction.
“We’ve created a reliable, safe, tried-and-tested solution for connecting the tramway switch installations,” says
Björn Johansson, Project Manager at Infracontrol. “But we are always careful to test and verify function when it concerns this type of important installations in society’s infrastructure.”
The pilot project will be carried out during May and the continuation will probably be this fall.
Increased accessibility
The use of Infracontrol Online as a tool for receiving alarms and presenting log data provides an entirely new means of accessing information whenever it is required.
“Infracontrol Online has simple, flexible user functions that can be accessed whenever they are needed from wherever you happen to be,” says Björn Johansson.
It also allows operations and maintenance personnel to submit ongoing action reports directly from the site, via the Infracontrol Online app. This means personnel enjoy a better overview and control and therefore provide better information.
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