BLS AG – Safety & environment
Trains operations always involve a risk of accidents. This residual risk is something that we have to accept. In order to keep it as low as possible, however, we sensitise our staff to possible hazards and support their personal responsibility. It is, and will remain, our goal to continue to promote safety culture throughout our company. For this reason, a broadly based sensitisation campaign has been planned for the coming years.
Risk assessment
In the context of the operations permit for the Lötschberg base tunnel, the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) demanded a risk assessment in accordance with the RAMS standards for the entire construction. In this assessment, all the planned criteria to be satisfied by the construction were compared with the project as it had been realised. Evidence was provided that the Lötschberg base tunnel meets all the requirements and thus allows for safe operations. The vehicles that run on the Lötschberg base route were assessed for ETCS components. This comprehensive procedure is intended to guarantee that all the systems are attuned to each other, complete and without inherent contradictions.
Rescue exercises in the base tunnel
In view of the start of operations in the Lötschberg base tunnel, three large-scale intervention exercises with up to 1,000 participants took place in 2007. The point of these elaborate exercises was to conduct as realistic a test as possible of the alerting system, of the cooperation between all the rescue organisations involved in the base tunnel, and of the rescue trains of BLS and the Swiss Federal Railways, and to discover any weak points. This objective was attained. The rescue forces that come into operation in an emergency in the Lötschberg base tunnel are well prepared.
New train control facilities
In spring 2007, we launched test operations with the prototype of a profile location system. This facility near Heustrich scans the vehicle profile of passing trains and compares the values with the permissible profile. If the system notices a difference, the train is stopped at once.
The start of regular operations of this profile location system, which is new for Switzerland, has been scheduled for mid-2008. If it proves successful, such measuring systems are intended to be installed throughout Switzerland.
To ensure that in future, defective pantographs (current collectors) can also be discovered and any trains thus affected can be stopped, the European research project Catiemon (Catenary Interface Monitoring) has been set up, to which BLS AG is also making a significant contribution. The measuring facilities were installed near the profile location station near Heustrich. Tests will be ongoing until mid-2008. If they prove successful, a regular use of this system on our transit route will be reviewed.
To be able to adhere to the tight timetable in the Lötschberg base tunnel, heavy freight trains must also be able to run at a speed of 100 km/h. Because this is not yet permitted in Switzerland, the FOT has called for wheel load checkpoints to be installed in the Lötschberg base tunnel. Such facilities are used to identify possible cases of load deflection, which can be caused by high speeds and provide a hazard to train operations.
Environment: simple measures, great effect
In cooperation with the Energy Agency for the Economy (EnAW), BLS AG launched a pilot project with the objective of saving energy at selected locations of our company and of reducing CO2 emissions at the same time. A tailor-made list of energy saving measures was drawn up for each location. These measures include the insulation of pipelines, a reduction of the operating hours of the ventilation and lighting systems, and the replacement of conventional illuminants. If all the measures were to be implemented, we would be able to save 1.9 gigawatt hours and cut CO2 emissions by 425 tonnes every year. The aim of the project is to realise at least 60% of possible energy savings within 10 years.
Safety
Keeping safety culture at a high level: one of our company's major aims.
Rescue exercises
Realistic exercises optimally prepare the rescue forces for possible incidents.