New technologies that offer safety and efficiency benefits will define the rail system of the future. GNSS is one such technology and is already being used to track rolling-stock, and in passenger information, traffic management and predictive maintenance systems. In his speech at the ERTMS conference #CCRCC2019 “The Engine for the Digital Future,” European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Carlo des Dorides outlined how his Agency is working with the rail sector.
It’s that time of year again. Preparations are already well underway for European Space Week 2019, which this year will take place at the Helsinki Congress Paasitorni in the Finnish capital on December 3-5. The week will be packed full of exciting events ranging from keynotes, discussions and conference sessions, to the E-GNSS User Assembly, a festive awards ceremony and much more.
The sixth issue of the GNSS Market Report from the European GNSS Agency (GSA) has been downloaded over 1,000 times since it was published on the GSA website on October 15. With its comprehensive overview of the current status and future trends on the global GNSS market, the report was eagerly awaited by all market players, from global corporations and SMEs to R&D organisations and academia.
In September 2019, public authorities will have the opportunity to attend and participate in several informative webinars on Pre-Commercial Procurement and learn about the available funding opportunities on this topic.
Over the past few months, we have published a number of articles highlighting how GNSS is contributing to technological advancements in various transport sectors. Mobility Week is a good opportunity to look back at these and summarise how Galileo and EGNOS are enabling the intelligent transport applications that underpin the mobility solutions of the future.
The 2019 edition of the GSA’s GNSS Market Report will be launched in the autumn. As in previous years, the latest issue of the report will provide comprehensive information on the dynamic global GNSS market along with in-depth analysis of the latest global GNSS trends and developments. To be among the first to receive the Market Report straight into your inbox , register here.
The French national rail company SNCF is taking a lead in adopting Galileo technology to boost customer services, in particular in its high-speed TGV network. With almost 50% of TGV trains already equipped with Galileo receivers, European GNSS is enabling improved customer information and traffic management. GNSS is a crucial technology for the digitalisation of infrastructure and autonomous train developments thanks to accurate and safe localisation of trains. Solutions are currently developed through partnerships between space and railway sectors.
The European GNSS Agency (GSA) is looking for experts with a high level of expertise and professional experience in navigation satellite systems to assist it with tasks related to the implementation of the Fundamental Elements funding mechanism.
Italian rail company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), one of Europe’s leading rail infrastructure managers, was an early adopter of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). The company also realised the potential benefits of using satellite positioning early in 2012 when Hitachi Rail STS (formerly Ansaldo STS) was awarded a contract in Australia to deliver a train control system based on ERTMS technology and powered by a virtual balise module relying on satellite positioning data. They are now leading demonstration aiming to foster deployment of these technologies in Europe.
The 2019 edition of the Galileo Masters opened for submissions on May 1. Since it began in 2004, the Galileo Masters has scouted for the most forward‐thinking applications based on Galileo and EGNOS. Innovators and entrepreneurs are now invited to submit their innovative solutions to the competition by 31 July.
The first Space for Innovation in Rail conference in Vienna on 18 and 19 March brought together stakeholders from the rail and space sector in a unique event to discuss the important role of satellite-based positioning technology for the future of the European rail sector. The event highlighted a portfolio of research, innovation and deployment projects being funded by the GSA and the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking that demonstrate how satellite technologies can provide scalable positioning solutions to increase rail safety, boost capacity and efficiency, and deliver global success for advanced European technologies.
The NavPro team took the top prize at the Galileo Hackathon by H2020 project GNSS.asia, with their Rail Unfail solution, a GNSS-based maintenance system that geotags potential fault locations on railway tracks.
Stakeholders from the space and rail sectors joined with regulators and government representatives to review the benefits and make a point on the way forward for European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (EGNSS), Galileo and EGNOS within railway applications in Europe. The two-day Space for Innovation in Rail event on 18 – 19 March 2019 in Vienna was jointly organised by the Austrian Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, the European GNSS Agency (GSA), the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), and the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking (S2R JU) and highlighted the important role of satellite-based positioning technology for the future of the rail sector.
The European GNSS User Consultation Platform was hard at work in Marseille during this year's EU Space Week. Parallel panel sessions brought together users from different market segments. Each session had specific objectives aiming at profiting from the valuable contributions of users. The UCP ended with a plenary session in which the elected chairperson of each panel presented the results of their discussions to the wider community.
The European GNSS Agency’s (GSA) new MyGalileoApp competition challenges developers to design, develop, test and launch a mobile application that takes advantage of the increased accuracy and availability provided by Galileo. The winner stands to win up to EUR 100,000.00.
