Consistency Across a Complex Programme
On behalf of Banedanmark, the national infrastructure manager, WSP Assurance was appointed in 2010 to perform various assurance roles, including Assessment Body and Notified Body services, as well as acting as the Independent Safety Assessor.
One of the main complications in a migration programme of this scale is that the network must continue to operate legacy systems to ensure traffic can still safely move. Much of the engineering and testing work is therefore undertaken overnight, or during restricted possession periods when commercial operations are closed. Thus, with ERTMS used during the night before switching to the legacy signalling system for day-to-day operations, daily system changeovers for safety critical assets - such as point machines and level crossings - must be carefully managed.
The work has also progressed alongside Denmark’s electrification of its mainline routes, a programme that has also required the procurement of new electric rolling stock which will also need to safely interface with the ETCS technology. The multiple interfaces affected when migrating to new a signalling system, as well as from diesel to electric vehicles, has added to the complexity.
To meet the task, WSP Assurance has provided locally-based industry experts as well as an international team of specialists who can provide specialist support as and when their insight is required.
As a result, we have ensured a consistent team of assessors is available and working to a clear methodology. This provides an important source of continuity across a programme that will eventually span more than two decades.
