A report released yesterday from the European Railways Agency increases the likelihood of Deutsche Bahn being able to run services from Frankfurt to London, through the Channel Tunnel.
The report was written after the Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission asked the ERA to review its results on safety operating rules in the Tunnel which were outlined in March last year, including proposed changes.
The ERA report approves of plans by the ICG to amend their safety rules on the kinds of rolling stock and locomotives which can be used in the Channel Tunnel.
The report states that there is ‘no justification for a study comparing the merits of different traction design configurations.’Â This means that trains with distributed traction (such as DB’s ICE) could be allowed to run through the Tunnel.
DB announced their plans to transport up to 1 million passengers a year through the Channel Tunnel by 2013, although this faced objection in a row over Channel Tunnel safety. The French Government thought the ICE trains, manufactured by Siemens to be unsafe due to fire safety regulations in the Tunnel, as the motors are distributed under each carriage rather than at both ends of the train. France’s Alstom was previously beaten by Siemens for a large rolling stock order by Eurostar.
The IGC is expected to come under further pressure to allow the Siemens Velaro trains to operate through the Tunnel.
The report by the ERA advised that ‘consultation appears generally to support accepting trains with distributed power.’ It also said that this was in co-ordance with there being ‘a driving position at each end, equipped to operate with the tunnel signalling. However, to maintain the ability to drive through in 30 minutes and not lower safety standards, an automatic fire detection and suppression system for motors would need to be specified as a requirement.’
