Proxion has been selected as the designer and expert in safety device design for the masterplan for the Espoo-Salo straight line. The project design agreement was signed on Thursday, April 4, 2019. An extensive safety device design project includes, for example, defining the requirements and the operational principles of the European access control system ETCS and the assessment of its different levels, the comparison of the functionality and implementation of ETCS and ATP access control, the development of a traditional safety device plan and the assessment of the effectiveness of safety equipment on, for instance, functionality and serviceability. This project will be implemented on the basis of a data model and will last approximately 13 months. Overall, the design includes about 94 kilometers of track line.
In its release, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency states that the Espoo – Salo straight line is part of the high-speed train connection between Helsinki and Turku, which shortens travel time between cities and expands the employment and labor market area, bringing new opportunities for growth and development. The project also supports the land use of cities and municipalities along the track, as well as the development of local transport. With the straight line, there is also an opportunity to develop the Rantarata train service. The project will have a major impact on the growth of international competitiveness and the positive development of regional train connections, as well as increasing the region’s attractiveness from a business perspective.
The masterplan project for the Espoo-Salo straight line has been divided into three parts for other technical fields. Proxion is also involved as a sub-consultant in some of the other design parts in the responsible roles of data model coordinator and cost control management.
“It is great to be involved in a project that applies and defines the preconditions of the European train system for the Finnish rail network,” says Mikko Saarinen, Business Director of Proxion’s Design Services. Mikko states that this is Finland’s first design project in which ETCS is involved in the task definition. “We will assign Finland’s best ETCS and safety device design experts to the project, and in this way we will bring our own contribution and added value to the development of Finnish rail traffic. With the project, Proxion will further strengthen its position as Finland’s leading ETCS expert,” Mikko sums up.
