Area Signalling Centre

The operating center (BZ ) is part of which are still under construction, integral system of DB Netz AG, which is to focus rail operations on a particular seat of the seven regional divisions in terms of control, protection and disposition. Prerequisite for this are electronic interlockings, whose technology enables the setting of routes for trains and shunting across great distances.

In the control center running in an emergency where everything comes together. The integrated emergency control center will notify all relevant institutions, such as fire, police, federal police, and technical relief and emergency managers.

In each of the seven operating centers in addition, is an operational simulation for training and education of employees at the electronic interlockings available.

Background

So far was and is the control and protection of railway operation task, the Dispatcher in the interlocking of the individual operating units. In addition, the agency responsible for a greater range operating line provided for a smooth operation. Their dispatchers were authorized to give instructions to the dispatchers. By the end of the 1990s at Deutsche Bahn, there was for a further 15 regional operating lines, each at the headquarters of the former Federal Railroad or Reichsbahn divisions. The national disposition of the train service was responsible until 1997 the two central lines operating in Mainz (DB) and in Berlin ( DR).

While on regional disposition of the railway operation is today, located in the network control center in Frankfurt am Main, the successor organization of the two central service lines, the regional planning tasks of the operating lines are transferred to the control centers. After her full build all regional tasks of the control, protection and disposition of rail operations in the network of the Deutsche Bahn AG will be concentrated in the seven operating centers in Berlin, Duisburg, Frankfurt, Hannover, Karlsruhe, Leipzig and Munich. Tie member which has territorial jurisdiction dispatchers and dispatchers, also the control centers of transport lines DB long-distance AG, DB Regio AG and control of DB Schenker AG, secure, monitor and support here the regional rail operations in close coordination and cooperation. Work entrusted with the monitoring, maintenance and troubleshooting of technical infrastructure facilities specialist services, which are also associated with the operations center with them.

History

As the first of an operations center out controlled stretch in the network of the Deutsche Bahn was on December 1995, the developed, 103 km long section between Werder ( Havel ) and Magdeburg in operation. This 37 signal boxes and 210 people were saved. The DB had the German railway construction company planning unit charged with planning an operations center on 3 November 1993. In July 1994, the order to implement the first stage of the operations center until December 1995 was followed. The operations center of Magdeburg was on 17 December 1995 operation. They first contributed two electronic interlocking. 1996, regulated the movement of trains to 256 km in length.

In May 1999, the pastor - Perabo - space the operating center of Frankfurt am Main in operation. They scheduled in the DB network - region mid 6400 daily trains on 3685 km of lines (as of May 2009). For operation admission about 120 people were in the BZ Frankfurt busy beginning of 2009, there were about 225 the first control area was the node Frankfurt am Main, today ( as of early 2009) there are twelve control districts. Previously, from end of September 1998, were in a preliminary stage eleven interlocking systems in the node region Frankfurt remotely ( Frankfurt Hbf station area ), which had previously been controlled by the signal box at the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. It was planned to control all the routes in Hesse from the operations center to about 2010.

The operations center of Leipzig was on 27 November 1999. Your subject 13 tax districts in Saxony, Saxony -Anhalt, Thuringia and parts of Brandenburg (as of April 2014). From the Operations Center Leipzig, among others, the node Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, Dresden Hauptbahnhof, the main train station Magdeburg, Erfurt and Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof main railway station are controlled. For 2015, the connection to the central station of Halle (Saale ) is provided. In the same building, the central control unit for control and monitoring of the nearly 6000 km long overhead line network of the DB network office is housed in the afternoon.

Also in 1999, the operations center Hanover went into operation. Since December 2001, she takes on an emergency control center. From situated on the Lindemannallee operations center Hannover approximately 240 employees in late 2009 headed away nine signal boxes.

Also in 1999, the operations center of Duisburg went into operation. It emerged from the former production lines of the Federal Railway Directorates Cologne and Essen. 250 employees operate from here 15 Electronic interlockings in North Rhine -Westphalia (as of 2009).

Effects

With operating centers, DB Netz AG hopes, not least to reduce the running costs of the operation. However, whether this effect occurs as expected, is partly controversial in the scientific world. The reduction of staff and the benefits of concentration of forces are high costs ( for example for the construction and maintenance of the technology) and a lack of presence in the face opposite. In the event of a fault as long fault clearance may result.

After the sale of BASA network through which the data communication of operating centers was settled with the interlocking initially fell for the duration of occupancy of the lines initially high costs, so that the remote control turned out more expensive than locally occupied operating points. In 2002, the German railway network bought the back and runs it itself since

Advantages arise, however, for example, for lines due to high personnel costs had a nighttime operation in the rest locally actuated operation. They can be used after the connection to the central office without incurring significant additional costs for nocturnal diversions or night freight.

By decision of 25 February 2010 committed the Federal Railway Authority and the Federal Network Agency, the German railway to open their operations centers with effect from 1 September interested competitors, after these had been denied earlier access to the operations centers. This should in particular previous competitive disadvantages of DB external railway undertakings are limited. At the same time introduced the Federal Network Agency finds that DB Netz AG is obliged, in accordance with § 14c AEG office unannounced investigations to verify whether there are such inequalities, tolerate and not to hinder. DB network and the railway companies, the DB had initially appealed against that decision, but this later withdrawn.