Controls News 13
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Reference projects:
34
km Lötschberg Base Tunnel
Key tunnel data
Length
34.6
km, of which 19.5 km
is single track (2 tunnels are
bored but have not been
equipped) and 15.1 km is
double track
No. of cross tubes
104 (
connections from one
tube to another)
Temperature
35
° C
Humidity
80%
Construction time
8
years (1999–2007)
No. of trains per day
110 (40
passenger
and 70 freight trains)
Construction costs
CHF 4400 billion
The 104 cross tubes contain a total of 1500 switching cabinets for
the technical infrastructure, most of which are air-conditioned. The
cross tubes can also be used for evacuating people; one tunnel
then serves as an escape tunnel for the other.
During the construction period, between 2004 and 2006 Saia-Burgess
Controls supplied numerous Saia®PCD systems to control the ventilation
and air conditioning systems and to monitor the 1500 switching cabinets
and the fire detection and radio equipment. The switching cabinets can
be found in the 104 cross tubes and in the 8 large tunnel caverns.
The individual subsystems in the technical infrastructure
were tendered separately. In the original equipment
Saia® PCDs are used in the ventilation/air-conditioning,
radio and fire detection subsystems. The subsystems
were constructed by three different system integrators
using Saia® PCDs. However, five other control products
from different manufacturers were installed in the other
subsystems. These were generally low-cost compact
devices, some of which were dedicated devices and
could not be programmed.
Phase of operation 2007– 2010
The constructor’s top objectives were met. The tunnel
was completed on time and under budget. All those in-
volved were highly lauded and the contractor received
an award.
The constructor fulfilled its goal when the tunnel was
put into operation. It completed its work and handed
the tunnel over to the operator’s maintenance team:
BLS Netz AG.
The initial euphoria did not last long. The tunnel has ex-
tensive safety and railway equipment. It is very complex
and must also be reliably and securely available 24/7,
365
days a year. The failure of any single component
may result in an interruption to operation.
Over 1000 automation devices from different manu-
facturers are used in the subsystems for water supply,
lighting, low voltage monitoring, doors and gates. All of
them are low-cost compact devices that met the speci-
fications of the original tender. Some of them are dedi-
cated, proprietary devices that cannot be programmed.
These devices are connected somehow to the control
system via complex structures, gateways, converters
and multiplexers. Direct communication be tween the
subsystems is not possible though. Requests from one
subsystem to another always have to go the long way
round via the control level. This results in an excessively
high volume of data traffic and a lot of false messages,
together with a high risk of communication break-
downs. And this involves a proportionally high volume
of work for the maintenance team. Overall, the task
seemed almost impossible and resulted in a high level
of frustration among the staff.
During the planning and construction phase there were
hardly any meetings with representatives of the future
operator. No time was allowed for this. Everything just
came second to the objectives of «keeping within dead-
lines and budgets». The components that were installed
were those that were available at the relevant time and
could be obtained for the cheapest price. Conflicts were
therefore inevitable. The «Cheap in Mind» technology
installed is now causing constant stress for the mainte-
nance team.
After just two years of
operation, as the opera-
tor of the tunnel BLS Netz
AG found that mainte-
nance and repairs to the
structures that had been
handed over were not
economically viable in the
long term. The costs of
maintaining the technical equipment are twice as high
in comparison to the pure operating costs (manage-
ment, energy). On top of this there is the considerable
strain on staff in terms of the headaches and stressful
situations arising as a result of the deficiencies of the
tunnel technology. After examining the situation close-
ly, BLS Netz AG has identified a sizable optimization
potential of several million Swiss francs.
Fire prevention
Tunnel radio
Control centre
in Frutigen
Control centre
in Raron
Secondary ring
Air conditioning
Air conditioning control
centres
Air conditioning control
centres
Tyco
fire alarm
system
630
Saia®PCD2 devices
1470
Saia®PCD3.RIO devices
430
Saia®PCD7.D230 HMI devices
> 30000 I/O data points
Operator
Operation
Maintenance
Builder
Deadlines
Work
Costs
Intervention
Differences
Differences between
builders and operators:
conflicting interests and
priorities
Stand Saia®PCD automation
systems after the construction
phase in 2007
