BUDAPEST METRO LINE 4 FEASIBILITY STUDY

Oktober 1996

Other Technical Equipment

Fire Safety and Fire Signalling

All the facilities of the metro should be implemented in consideration of the Hungarian fire safety regulations. Fire safety solutions applied to the European metro systems should be considered as well.

In the first stage of the design work, a separate design for approval for the fire safety should be prepared whereby the following issues are covered:

• fire hazard classification of each of the rooms and facilities;
• fire resistance of the materials applied;
• lay-out of the possible fire sectioning;
• the paths of evacuation and escape with their indication;
• locations where the fire brigade can be mobilised on the surface;
• water connections and water supply locations on the surface, station platforms and in the tunnels;
• fire extinguishing systems of the operational equipment, both automatic and manually operated;
• fire protection of cabling;
• ventilation of the underground space for the case of flooding by smoke.
  

There should be a high reliability fire signalling network on all of the metro stations allowing accurate determinations of location and consisting of manual an automatic transducers.

The alarm signal generated by the system should provide an accurate definition of the location:

• in the station inspection room;
• in the dispatcher centre of the line.

Electromechanical equipment

Escalators and Passenger Lifts

For the passengers of the metro, escalators should be installed in if the difference in height exceeds 4 metres upstairs or 6 metres downstairs. Number of escalators should be defined based on the passenger traffic data and the carrying capacity of the escalator.

In the metro stations only escalators designed specifically for public transport services could be installed. When escalators are installed, the specifications of the MSZ 04-84-87 Hungarian standard and the European normative EN-115 shall be complied with.

The escalators should be started and stopped as a normal operation :

• from the upper and lower level,
• from the Equipment Supervision and Communication Centre (ESCC) part of the Central Control Room (CCR).
  

Control of the operation should be designed so as the escalators could only be started from one location at any one time. The operational escalators shall have an emergency stop button to stop them when emergency situation arises.

For the service of disabled, one passenger lift of not less than 10 passenger capacity should be installed in each of the stations. The passenger lift should be suitable to accommodate wheelchairs and/or a stretcher. The upper departure or arrival level should be the floor level of the pedestrian underpass or the walkway or the surface. At the upper level the opportunity to buy or validate tickets should also be ensured.

Water Supply and Drainage

The stations and the tunnels of the metro line should be supplied with drinking, industrial and fire extinguishing water according to their intended use.

Water supply of the stations should be ensured from the urban water supply network, from own water resources or a combination of both.

The network of the fire extinguishing water, the quantity of such water should be preliminary agreed with the Fire Brigade according to the Section "Fire Protection".

The underground tunnels and engineering structures shall be equipped with drainage systems to drain the operational waste waters and groundwater seepage. The wastewater with organic matter (sewage water) and the seepage water entering through the tunnel structures should be treated separately from each other.

On all the bottom points of the line and stations a main water pump equipment shall be installed. The wastewater should be forwarded from the main sump station into the surface sewerage network. Electrical switching apparatus of the main water pump stations should be protected from flooding.

In the deeper operational rooms automatic pump stations should be installed from which the wastewater can be transported into the main pump station through closed pipelines.

Main water pump stations of the line and the stations should be equipped with three (1 operational and 2 standby) pumps.

Operation of the pump stations should be automatic. The operational status at any time shall be indicated on the service posts of the stations.

Over the pumps installed in the pump stations adequate lifting mechanism should be mounted to perform the necessary maintenance works. Further, the route of transporting in the pumps and other heavy weight material should also be designed.

Ventilation

• Normal ventilation

The underground stations and the line section should have a reversible ventilation system along its full length. Ventilation of the underground spaces should be designed so as to comply with the general objective to have the dry air temperature not less than +5°C in winter and not more than +27°C in summer.

The stations, line and reversal track section at the ends of the line shall have their own ventilation systems. Performance data of the selected fans should be evidenced by appropriate calculations.

The noise reduction in the main ventilation shafts shall be solved so as the noise level would not exceed 60 dBA measured horizontally at a distance of 3 m from the surface outlet of the system.

A controlling automatic system should accompany the main ventilation equipment whereby the transported air quantity is regulated automatically depending on the outside and inside air temperature. Remote indication and control of the fans should also resolved.

An appropriate load bearing capacity lifting equipment should be installed into each main ventilation shaft for each of the main fans. The path for transportation of these machines should also be designed.

The underground operational and service rooms of stations and tunnels should be equipped with air intake or blow-out ventilation according to the specific activities and technology applied at the given site.

Service rooms located underground should be equipped with air conditioning if there is a personnel staying there continuously. Also, those rooms where equipment requiring air condition is located (e.g. computers, electronic equipment, etc.) should be appropriate air conditioned

• Emergency ventilation

The main ventilation system should be suitable for quick cleaning of the air if the stations or tunnels are flooded by smoke.

The design of the emergency ventilation system will be prepared so as to offer to the users of the metro a level of safety at least equivalent to the one corresponding to the last international standards.

In particular the system must be sized and its efficiency demonstrated using relevant computer simulations so as to take into account fire smoke special effects (buoyancy, backlayering).

Operation Principles

Operation principles are briefly described hereafter. First of all they include the design of the required rolling stock fleet to operate and comply with the passenger demand forecasts set out within section B. Operational considerations and reliability and maintainability aspects are then summarised.

General operational considerations

In accordance with the above chapters, the specifications of the operation of the Metro line is an integral part of a project and can never be irrespective of the type of lay-out and geometrical characteristics along the route and at stations. Coherence is indeed called for in between the anticipated performances (as regard commercial speed, service regularity and carrying capacity), and the selected features, e.g.:

• Between commercial speed and interstation distance;
• Between layout of stations and vehicle flow;
• Between track lay-out and type of operation.
  

The following items are not classified neither by importance nor by any kind of criteria. All of them have to be taken into consideration during the selection and when the system is selected.

Comfort and convenience

Comfort is found at several levels in the transport system. The first level concerns the information and post-signing related to the 'how to use it', where to find stations, etc, in fact all the environmental parameters which indicate that facilitate the use of the system and make the passenger comfortable.

The second level concerns the stations where easy access, right and accurate information should be provided to the passenger, through a well-distributed public address system allowing for broadcasting of general-interest instructions or information relative to specific events (such as running disturbance) and get an impression of confidence.

The third level concerns the inside of the rolling stock, which is another important element for passenger comfort. Accordingly, a good design of rolling stock provides efficient suspension, comfortable seats, ventilation or air conditioning, etc... The number of passengers per m² and the number of seats are also determinant. If during the peak hour period it can be accepted for the most crowded interstation an « high passenger density » of 6 passengers/m², the density should be lower in the other interstations, so that during the off-peak hours it can be arranged for every passenger to get an excellent prospect to be seated. This point is a fundamental issue as far as it will size all the metro system : size and number of vehicles, size of infrastructures, signaling and power equipment...

Ticketing system can be considered as a comfort element by the simplicity to use it : payment, use of the ticket itself, integration with other modes etc.

Passenger safety

Safety takes a priority importance for a public transportation agency. A Mass Transit system managing the transport of thousands of passengers must be totally safe. Particular attention must be drawn for exceptional safety measures and rules. This concerns not only train operation, but also passengers movement when circulating in stations, and boarding or leaving trains.

Operational Flexibility

Operational flexibility demands that the rolling stock be double-ended. When service interruptions occur on fixed-guide way systems (and it should be noted that interruptions may be due to extraneous events such as fires, water main breaks, police activity, etc. as well as train failures, power problems, etc.), it is often necessary to short-turn trains at intermediate points so that some semblance of service can be continued.

Speed and trip duration

Speed of service is important in attracting passengers from other modes of transportation. It is not necessary that the maximum speeds be very high ; more time is lost in operating at very low speeds because of curves, entry/exit movements within terminals, etc., than can be gained by raising the maximum speed. Therefore, extremely severe speed restrictions must be permitted only where they are absolutely unavoidable. Unnecessary stops should also be avoided. The point-to-point operating time should be minimised to the greatest extent possible to enhance the attractiveness of the service.

Acceleration/Deceleration Characteristics

The acceleration and deceleration characteristics of the rolling stock help determine the running times that can be achieved. Generally speaking, the braking capability of rail rolling stock is limited only by the available wheel/rail adhesion and the ability of riders (especially standees) to tolerate high deceleration rates. Acceleration, on the other hand, is a variable that can enhance performance of the system. It should be mentioned that a high acceleration rate requires a high installed power output which, in turn, entails increased energy consumption and cost (both capital and operating). High acceleration rates and, especially, high jerk rates (i. e., rapid changes in the acceleration or deceleration rate) can also produce passenger discomfort.

Headway

The service headway (theoretical and scheduled) that may be achieved with the control system associated with a technology type are important determinants of the system's capacity. Spacing trains closer than the scheduled headway may result in a degradation in reliability (i. e., an increase in delays) while spacing trains closer than the theoretical minimum headway of the signal system will definitely degrade reliability and slow the service down. The conventional steel wheel on steel rail type of technology has a tremendous advantage in that trainsets can be coupled together to increase capacity (assuming that platforms are built long enough to handle the longer train consists). Alternatively, headway can be lengthened appropriately; the decision as to which approach to use will be based upon the operator's service and operating philosophies.

Another important policy issue is that of the number of hours of the day during which service is to be provided (at present, it is assumed that service is to be operated 18 hours per day, from 5.30 am to 11.30 pm.

Station Spacing and Dwell Times

The achievable running time is driven to an extent by the number of stations to be served and by their average spacing. High acceleration/deceleration capabilities help to mitigate (but can never eliminate) the impact of frequent station stops. Preliminary studies indicate that station spacing on the Budapest system would vary from 410 meters to 1.38 kilometres.

Dwell times at stations are determined in part by the ease of entry and exit to/from the vehicle involved (a characteristic of the technology) and partly by the traffic characteristics of the individual stations. Long dwell times have a deleterious effect on achievable train headway. One factor that enters into the dwell time at each station is whether the station has high-, medium-, or low-level platforms.

Human/Equipment Interface

The human/machine interface must not be ignored. A user-friendly technology reduces training requirements for operating personnel and also enhances safety. Confident employees project a positive image to the travelling public and can help increase patronage.

Regularity

Obviously, regularity is probably one of the most important criteria for a transportation system.

Vehicles have to leave the terminal stations at a regular headway, complying with the allowed running and dwell times in stations, in order to provide a good level of service. Regularity is attractive. A regular headway between trains provides a steady capacity inside vehicles, thereby avoiding overcrowding in terms of passengers per m². This also is linked with the criteria of comfort.

Regularity is obtained by :

• Using permanent organisation rules in connection with the required reserves for the scheduling of employees, rolling stock roster and fixed equipment,
• Centralising information so that employees can quickly react should disturbances or incidents occur,
• Automating equipment in order to limit disturbances due to human error,

Maintaining a high level of availability of the rolling stock and of the fixed equipment. This is the result of the reliability of the system, of a rational maintenance organisation and appropriate means to operate in down-graded mode (i.e. failure of one or several motor coach, one main track obstructed , etc...).

Fleet requirements

Estimation of the trip duration

The commercial speed, i. e. average speed over the whole operated line as seen by the passengers, is an input in traffic assignment, in the determination of the trip duration and in the calculation of the rolling stock fleet. At the level of this feasibility study, commercial speed is estimated on the basis of the system characteristics and operating conditions.

The estimated commercial speed depends on both the rolling stock and own characteristics (maximum speed, acceleration, deceleration) and the project features (curves, spacing between the stations, dwelling time in stations). Considering the characteristics of the project, the commercial speed used in the determination of the estimated trip duration is 28 km/h, as already used for Stage 1.

Trip duration from a terminal station to the other one and back, including a twenty seconds dwell time in the intermediates stations and 5 seconds/km of time flexibility, is 2,095 seconds.

Rolling stock fleet requirements

Based on the rolling stock capacity defined in the above Chapter 1, the trip duration and on the rounded maximal passenger flows, peak hour, peak direction described hereafter, the required fleet are estimated in Table C-10:

Staging alternative	Maximal flow	Required fleet
		Total veh (4 Car train sets)		Total veh (5 Car train sets)
		4 pax/m²	5 pax/m²	4 pax/m²	5 pax/m²
Kelenföld-Keleti	18 000/21 000 *	100/-	84/-	95/115	80/95
Kelenföld-Kálvin	12 500/ 15 000 *	48/64	40/52	50/6(	40/55
Budaörs- Kelenföld	21 0000	-	-	140	120

* Year 2005 / Year 2020

The estimation was based on the possibility of operating only 4 Car train sets when opening the line, based on 2005 demand assumptions, and according to level of comfort, 4 or 5 standees per m². Figures for the year 2020 are also provided. The practical headway considered will be 2 minutes.

Whatever the technology that will be chosen, it should have an optimum capacity near the high end of the upper range of the demand. In fact, should the patronage estimates prove to be somewhat lower than actual experience in some future year for reasons that cannot now be foreseen (e. g., development trends differ from those that are obvious now), the technology should be capable of growth to some higher patronage values. In addition, this would permit some demand growth beyond the year 2020, an important consideration since much of the transit infrastructure of the selected system will have a service life extending well beyond 2020. As described within Chapter 1, the design rolling stock included capacity reserve for far future.

Related siding positions

Train siding facilities are to be constructed as part of the Metro system, these will serve a number of functions including the storage, inspection and maintenance of vehicles. Two location were envisaged, to build a maintenance site and storage zones, at the extremities of the line.

For the lines the proposed maintenance yard will have the capability to perform major repair and maintenance in addition to vehicle testing and inspection. A site will be forecast for the vehicle washing inside of the storage and maintenance yard.

RELIABILITY AND MAINTAINABILITY

High reliability is an important characteristic of any transportation system. The more reliable the service is, the more likely patrons are to use it. When system components are easily maintained, then reliability will be enhanced. Also, high reliability and maintainability can permit a reduction in the size of the rolling stock fleet, thus reducing capital costs. Similarly, highly-reliable ticket vending and collection machines can help reduce costs as well as speed up the movement of passengers and reduce the number of machines required.

Service-Proven Technology

In developing standards for reliability and maintainability for a transit system, components and technology with a proven service history should be chosen. Mean times between failures for specific items should be a matter of record. Repair and overhaul cycles should have been demonstrated in actual revenue service. Where possible, unit replacement of parts and subsystems should be used to reduce the down time experienced by major system components.

Standardisation

Standardisation of systems can help improve reliability. If only one type of rolling stock is used, if just one type of ticket vending machine is in service, etc., maintenance personnel will become more familiar with them and will be better able to make repairs. No less important, training requirements will be simpler and there will not be as great a need for specialised parts and tools to be kept in inventory.

Training

• Choice of a recruitment policy

When a company is in its initial stage, there will be a temptation to recruit young people, because they are more qualified educationally on the manpower market.

However such a policy would be short sighted for the BKV as its qualified experienced staff would reach retirement age at approximately the same time and deprive the company of most its acquired competence.

Therefore, it would be advisable to pursue a policy of recruitment at different age levels, so as to prepare a well phased turnover or replacement of staff.

It is considered if such a policy is not attainable, young graduates should be recruited when the level of training/education has reached the required level.

• Staff training

The construction and operation of any large industrial project, particularly a transportation system network, requires a large investment. In fact the investment has two main form:

The first is the technical and financial investment. This is the form which is most directly felt by Public authorities who can, fairly accurately, appreciate the costs and returns on the new installation. Frequently, the idea of "investment" is only considered from this angle. In fact, there is a second form which although less easy to quantify, nonetheless plays a fundamental role in drawing the maximum advantage from the expenditure granted by the public.

This second form of investment could be known as "human investment". It is hardly possible to appreciate it purely in term of financial returns, but it is, nonetheless, certain that even the most sophisticated equipment and the most modern tools can only give satisfaction if qualified personnel, capable of operating the equipment and maintaining it under the best possible conditions, is employed. This is a statement of immense importance to staff training;

The importance of staff training increase as a function of the complexity of the techniques used and, therefore, of their sensitivity to the quality of implementation. A transportation system is, by definition, constrained to achieve high operational regularity and is subjected to very strict safety rules; any slackness in maintaining staff qualification levels rapidly leads to equipment availability, deterioration in operating conditions or even to accidents.

When incidents occur, it is the transportation system's image which can be damaged if the quality of his staff is not up to that of the equipment. In the longer term, the very development of the transportation system could be jeopardised if a sceptical or even hostile current of opinion arises due to individual inadequacies.

The basic options

Training is aimed at changing individuals by increasing their knowledge and their ability and by modifying their behaviour. It should never be forgotten that this initial function can be neither complete nor final, and that much knowledge and many attitudes can be acquired with maturity and long practical experience, which implies that the initial training must be extended and complemented even while exercising the allotted function, which, in its turn implies stability of employment.

Because a person's self-training capacity is relatively low, the initial training courses are aimed at giving him the basic elements to allow to face up to routine situations with which it will be presented.

Frequently, staff, when taken onto the payroll, have no knowledge of their future job, and their ability to adapt is relatively limited. Therefore, careful thought must be given to the content of the instruction and its duration to allow him to acquire the basic knowledge.

A large part of training consist in conferring simple reflexes to the personnel and basic notions concerning safety.

It is nonetheless, important that the person likes his job and, to this end, he must be motivated by, for example, the acquisition of a basic appreciation of his training using simple systematic diagrams.

The staff must be trained to be able to recognise the symptoms of a failure ( for example reading the train indicator board); he must also be taught to dialogue with his counterparts, this being particularly important for the links between the driver and the Central Control Room.

Care must be taken to keep the knowledge acquired up to date by inaugurating dialogues with senior staff and the worksite and this becomes more important as the operating system becomes more complex. Therefore, in addition to the basic training, a structure must be set up which allows this function to be systematically continued throughout the person's career (staff availability).

It should be noted that the activities of the line senior staff, when added to those of the training centre to motivate the operational staff in adding to their knowledge to improve the quality of service, can only be effective if the two group communicate frequently; this has consequences on the grading structures.

This communication will have its optimum effect if the senior personnel are drawn from the transportation system's operational personnel and have, therefore, been given the ability to self-train; in addition, such promotion creates a more willing and assuring atmosphere. Moreover, self-taught senior personnel allow ex-university staff to benefit from their knowledge acquired during life on the line.

A high standard of training is mandatory for all personnel who deal with the maintenance and servicing of rolling stock, signal and communications equipment, track components, the electric traction system, etc. There is no substitute for training in enhancing system reliability and safety.

Operating mode and systems concepts

• Operating mode

For the definition of the number of trains and as far as the study is not more detailed , the normal operating mode for each of the BUDAPEST lines will be trains operating between the two end stations of each line, on separate tracks, all trains will be of « local » type (i.e stopping in all the stations).

This operating mode has the advantage of being very simple, for both the operators and the passengers.

At the terminal station, the trains shall crossover to the other track for the reverse run, the trains being necessary double-ended (possibility to « turn trains » on the crossovers distributed along the line), this manoeuvre will be done with the classic system of crossover between the two tracks.

Failure operating mode shall be :

• Short turn back mode ; one or two part of the line are operated independently, the trains changing of track and direction in the intermediate stations equipped with crossovers

Operation aid in the control Centre

The supervision of a network operation ; the respect of availability, safety, maintenance and quality of service require that monitoring and controlling operating processes be centralised in a rational manner.

These purposes can be achieved only through a strong centralisation which relies on the following means:

instantaneous overall view of all kinds of events allowing the operator to get all useful information gathered in a single location and accessible from a central point

immediate and suitable decision process taking, through highly qualified permanent personnel (though small in number) looking after the operation.

quick execution of taken decisions through direct remote control / monitoring tools of equipment on site and thanks to a fickle telecommunication network providing either internal links with the operational and technical staff concerned, or external links with the Police, emergency services and outside subscribers

On site staff in charge of the railway transport system naturally retains his own responsibility. The implementation of a rational operating strategy does only result from appropriates exchanges between centralised control staff and on-line staff. Both of them must be fully qualified to achieve a very high standard of service.

The control centre includes all equipment necessary to provide supervisory control and communications functions for dispatchers to accomplish the following :

Monitor and control the operation of trains throughout the main lines of the system.

Monitor and control the operation of all substations and power distribution equipment.

Provide information regarding train operations to the public.

Monitor the security at passenger stations and provide supervision during emergencies.

Monitor and control tunnel ventilation.

Monitor and control additional station and tunnel facilities equipment such as lighting, pumps, elevators, etc.

A control console will be provided for each dispatcher. Each control console will have one or more workstations for performing specific functions - Train Control, Communications, Power Control, Management Information System, etc.

One overview display board can be provided for the entire system, or an individual display for each line can be provided. The purpose of the overview display is to show the location of all trains on a schematic display of the line that shows locations of stations, interlocking, substations, and other pertinent landmarks. The overview display also shows the status of signals, switches, and contact rail or catenary power, and will indicate summary alarms for equipment.

Alarms will typically be displayed on the overview display and console displays in flashing red until they are acknowledged. After acknowledgement, alarms will be displayed in solid red until the alarm condition clears. Audio signalling of major alarms will also be provided.

All consoles will include a communications workstation, as described under the Dispatcher Communications Control section of this report.

A Management Information System will be utilised for recording information relative to train operations and maintenance