Smartlock Interlocking

Safer traffic

As networks tend to become more complex with higher traffic flows, infrastructure operators must be able to guarantee safety while ensuring maximum traffic density. Everything depends upon reliable and available interlocking. Its basic role is to prevent or authorize trains to continue to cross points according to the global condition of traffic on the network. It therefore ensures a safe journey and avoids all risk of conflict between train paths.

The Alstom solution

With more than 1,500 installations in over 25 countries, the safety and reliability of Alstom's new generation of Smartlock electronic interlocking products has more than proven itself. Interfacing with the Automated Train Control (Atlas) system and conventional track equipment (Smartway), Smartlock interlocking guarantees safety for traffic on all types of network.

Model Driven Approaches in System Development (MDASD)

For many years, various approaches in system design and implementation differentiate between the specification of the system and its implementation on a particular platform. People in software industry have been using models for a precise description of systems at the appropriate abstraction level without unnecessary details. Model-Driven (MD) approaches to the system development increase the importance and power of models by shifting the focus from programming to modeling activities. Models may be used as primary artifacts in constructing software, which means that software components are generated from models. Software development tools need to automate as many as possible tasks of model construction and transformation requiring the smallest amount of human interaction.

Formal Specification for Design Diversity: Two Case Histories, One Approach

Cydney Minkowitz of Alstom Ferroviaria S.p.A., Information Solutions presented a workshop on software development aspects of SmartLock Interlocking at the Advances in Databases and Information Systems conference (ADBIS 2010) in Novi Sad, Serbia.

The Alstom Transport group supplies a family of interlocking systems, known as SMARTLOCK. Each interlocking system is a computer based railway signalling system, whose purpose is to ensure the safe movements of trains. Different hardware and software solutions have been used for the systems, but each is characterized as having a central subsystem containing generic software that processes code describing the interlocking logic for a specific signalling area. The logic for each system is configured using software tools, also developed by Alstom.

Diverse programming is a recommended approach in the preparation of logic used to drive railway control systems, whereby different representations and processes are used to configure and validate the logic. This paper describes how two formal specifications have been used for the construction of a precise model of the logic, alternative to those represented using the user and machine notations, and for the construction of software tools to process the logic, following a rigorous refinement approach. The first specification was used to develop a redundant tool to check the results of a logic generator. The second specification was used to verify a logic compiler, both as an abstract representation, to compare against the compiled code, and as the design of a diverse code checker.

You can read the full paper that was presented here.

Why Lisp and Allegro CL?

All the ACL-based software is used with other software as part of one application suite, which is a 'generic' system used for the preparation of configuration data for two of Alstom's railway signalling interlocking products.

There are two applications of the ACL-based software, because there are two instances of the configuration system. The distinction between the ACL-based applications is that, when the system is 'instantiated' for one of the interlocking products, one ACL-based tool is used in place of another. The 'stepper' is one of the functions of one of the configuration system 'instances' - i.e. the system used for preparing configuration data for the Alstom interlocking product used by the UK's railway authority.

About Alstom

Alstom, a world leader in transport infrastructure, power generation and electrical grid. The company is the world leader in integrated power plants for the production of electricity and air quality control systems. Alstom has solutions for all energy sources (coal, gas, nuclear, fuel-oil, hydropower, wind) and is a leader in innovative technologies for the protection of the environment (reduction of CO2 emissions, elimination of pollutant emissions). The Group is also developing CO2 capture processes and has integrated this technology in pilot plants in Germany and USA. Electrical grids need to deliver more energy, with greater flexibility, and in a more complex environment. Alstom is leading the way with solutions to make grids 'smarter'

Alstom supplies rolling stock, transport infrastructure and signalling, maintenance equipment and global rail systems. From the very first TGV* delivered in 1978 to the AGV, the fourth generation of very high speed trains, Alstom has developed a world leading position in this market sector. Alstomҳ technological advances allowed the company to achieve the world rail speed record at a speed of 574.8 km/h on 3 April 2007.

To learn more about Alstom, please visit here .

To learn more about the Smartlock Interlocking System, please visit here .