On The Frontier Of Advanced Technology Solutions

Although it has been ranked the lowest cost heavy-haul railway in the world, Spoornet's COALink line in South Africa still needs to improve its operational efficiency and service predictability to grow. Engineers at Spoornet knew the physical limits of pneumatic brakes were the major threat to increasing productivity. So with the help of Wabtec Railway Electronics, Spoornet became the first railway in the world to successfully test the use of wireline integrated Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) braking and Distributed Power (DP).

In March 1999, Wabtec Railway Electronics was contracted by Spoornet to develop wireline integrated ECP and DP for a 200-car test train. In theory, it was expected that the combined use of these technologies would alleviate chronic problems such as overheated wheels when braking on long downgrades, stressed couplers and drawbars, and derailments. Here's why:

Traditional pneumatic air brakes are initiated from the locomotive and applied to one freight car at a time in a domino-like sequence. This causes the cars to push and pull against each other during the braking process. These opposing forces strain the equipment and can cause derailments, especially in long, heavy freight trains. The application of ECP, which uses microprocessor and networking technologies to apply the brakes to each car in the train simultaneously, and DP, which deploys locomotives at more than one point in the consist, would reduce the inter-equipment tension and improve braking efficiency.

The test train was equipped with EPIC® locomotive electronic air brakes and PowerLink® Distributed Power units, while the freight cars utilized ECP freight car brakes. Initial testing has been successful. At an event in South Africa in July, Spoornet announced that this leading-edge technology has demonstrated improved train handling and capacity, and decreased service disruptions.

"Early impressions have confirmed our expectations with regard to service predictability and throughput," said Zandile Jakavula, chief executive officer of Spoornet. "Subject to further evaluations to demonstrate economic viability, our intent is to retrofit a fleet of approximately 6,500 wagons and 110 locomotives with wireline integrated ECP and DP."

Specifically, test results of wireline integrated ECP and DP reveal that the time it takes to bring the train to a complete stop can be reduced by 68%, and a time savings of 10% to 12% on round trips can be achieved.

"ECP and DP are considered the world's most advanced technologies for freight operations," said Tim Logan, Wabtec's vice president, international. "As an innovator and developer of new technologies, Wabtec often depends on customers to demonstrate the benefits of untested equipment. We applaud Spoornet for its courage to meet today's operational challenges with a bold, trend-setting decision."