A few projects
we’re proud to call ours

Jernhusen – Olskroken depot

Cactus has been tasked with developing a depot monitoring system for the Jernhusen depot in Olskroken. Using RFID readers and tags, Cactus visualizes all train movements inside the depot and automates processes within the facility.

Swedish Transport Administration – Fagersta

The Swedish Transport Administration has three pilot lines for the ERTMS system and two pilot facilities for the conventional ATC system. The interlocking in Fagersta is one such conventional pilot facility and was commissioned with Hitachi’s M11H system and Cactus CTC.

Inlandsbanan

The Inlandsbanan is a Swedish railway running from Kristinehamn in the south to Gällivare in the north, covering a total distance of 1,288 kilometers.

Train travel is gaining popularity in Sweden, both for business and leisure trips. For journeys to the Swedish mountain world, the Snow Train on the Inlandsbanan is a popular and environmentally friendly way to travel. The Inlandsbanan is a cornerstone of Swedish infrastructure, currently undergoing modernization for increased capacity, with the assistance of Cactus Rail.

For over 80 years, freight traffic on the Inlandsbanan has been crucial for the mining and forestry industries in northern Sweden. Since 1993, it has also been an important tourist route. In 2017, Cactus Rail was tasked by the infrastructure manager, Inlandsbanan AB, to introduce a modern remotely operated traffic control system along 1100 kilometers of track. Previously, our train controllers had to be physically present at the operating sites when trains were scheduled to meet.

Increased Capacity
Cactus Rail enables the initial remote operation of the seven most strategically important operating sites: Orsa, Fågelsjö, Röjan, Svenstavik, Sorsele, Arvidsjaur, and Jokkmokk. Instead of traveling between the operating sites, train controllers will be able to remotely operate them from the traffic control centers in Sveg, Hoting, and Storuman.

Extraordinary System Features
The system’s foundation consists of traditional remote interlocking functions, i.e., remote operation and indication of all stations. However, the system offers much more:

• Timetable control with reports: All arrivals and departures are logged and compared to the timetable. Delays (and early departures) are marked in the log and displayed in images.
• Automatic train route setting: Based on timetables and traffic conditions, the system automatically sets train routes for optimal traffic management. Of course, train controllers can take over and perform these maneuvers at any time.
• Reconstruction during disruptions: Everything that happens in the system is saved and archived. For example, if an incident occurs, the operating status can be studied in detail afterward. Event by event can be replayed while simultaneously checking the progression in both images and logs.

The Stockholm Metro

On workdays, half a million passengers take over a million trips on the Metro by way of the 100 or so stations. In the downtown district, Metro trains depart every 2 to 5 minutes on weekdays.

Back in the 1930s, an underground Metro was planned for Stockholm. It would be the cornerstone of the city’s rapid transit system. However, implementation was postponed due to WWII, but construction took off after the war. Today, the Metro is comprised of three lines that each have their own control centres.

It started with an alarm collection system
In 1991, Cactus received its first commission from SL (Stockholm Transit): A complete turnkey alarm collection system to monitor all the stations in the Metro system. At that time, the system’s operator workstations had excellent graphic performance. This was a feature SL’s technicians valued highly. This project had a substantial impact on future developments of the Cactus TMS system. The company’s ability to deliver the system and the features required, on time and on budget, meant that Cactus was one of the companies SL turned to when they needed to upgrade their TMS system.

Redundant fibre network
The original system consisted of three servers, one server per control centre. Nowadays, the system has been upgraded to include a centralised doublecomputer system with distributed workstations. SL’s redundant fibre network is also a vital component of the total system solution. This fibre network is immune to external electrical interference, and it is designed as a ring network to ensure operations even in the event of failures.

Shared management
Today, SL is in charge of the centralised management of both the Metro and the other technical systems connected to the operational centre.

The Cactus alarm logging system supports this operational centre by collecting important alarm data from all the Metro stations and all Cactus subsystems. The specific features have changed over the years: Today, the system provides more passenger information by way of the loudspeaker control features, and it plays a vital role with regard to safety issues as well, since it monitors stations for fire and other hazardous events.

Central statistics server
Cactus has also provided a centralised statistics server. Extensive data storage and reporting features for all the subsystems are some of the benefits.

Swedish Transport Administration – Upplands Väsby

Cactus was entrusted with the comprehensive responsibility for modernizing the local control system for the Upplands Väsby operating site. This marks the first time Cactus Rail is the main supplier to the Swedish Transport Administration.

Cactus LMS: both new and proven
Cactus’s train control system has been developed in collaboration with our customers for over 30 years.

One advantage of using Cactus LMS is that customers don’t need to replace existing infrastructure, such as interlockings, planning systems, and other ancillary systems, to streamline operations on the track. Our local control system is based on the same technology that will control Sweden’s entire railway network in the future, making it possible to implement Cactus LMS across all of Sweden’s interlockings.

Interlocking 65
In the project, Cactus LMS was commissioned at the relay-based interlocking M65. The scope of the contract included connection and configuration of Siemens S7, carried out by Cactus subcontractors.

Future-proofed
Cactus’s local control system, Cactus LMS, is future-proofed for both the new national traffic management system and the rollout of the new ERTMS signaling system.

Cactus Train Management System is proven, comprehensive, and capable of handling virtually any size of facility. It is designed to be customized for customers and consists of several components:

• Remote control.
• Automatic train route setting.
• Logging, playback functions, and alarms.
• Interlocking communication.
• Train number management.

The Haparanda Railway

Cactus has had the trust to develop and deliver a CTC system (Centralized Traffic Control) for the extension and renovation of the Haparanda Railway according to the ERMTS standard. The assignment was Cactus’s largest railway order. The end customer was the Swedish Transport Administration, where Cactus was subcontractors to Ansaldo STS Sweden.

The order entailed a large dose of future potential as the Swedish railway network is gradually being modernized according to ERTMS level 2. Concrete implementation plans currently extend until 2035. For the Haparanda Railway, level 2 applies. System development is carried out according to the Swedish Transport Administration’s standard and SS-EN 50 128.

An internationally important link
The procurement was part of the Swedish Transport Administration’s ERTMS project, which aimed to select two suitable suppliers of ERTMS Level 2 systems for the Swedish market. The Haparanda Railway stretches between Boden and the Finnish border, thus connecting the Finnish and Russian railway networks with the Swedish and Norwegian networks.

Renovation and new railway Increased freight flow with increasingly longer and heavier train sets for steel, mines, and containers was the background for the government to commission the Swedish Transport Administration to both renovate the existing railway between Boden and Kalix and build a completely new railway between Kalix and Haparanda.

A three billion investment
The new Haparanda Railway will be electrified and equipped with a new, modern signaling system. The renovation work began in 2006. The Haparanda Railway was reopened in 2013. The total cost was estimated at 3.3 billion SEK.

CACTUS Train Management System (TMS) The Cactus Train Management System is proven, comprehensive, and capable of handling virtually any size of facility. It is designed to be customized for the customer and consists of several parts:

• Remote control.
• Automatic train route setting.
• Logging, playback functions, and alarms.
• Interlocking communication.
• Train number management.

ERTMS improves railway competitiveness The EU decided in the 1990s to develop a common EU standard for railway control. The new standard is called the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). The intention is to adapt all railways within the EU/EEA to ERTMS. ERTMS exists in three levels.

Swedish Transport Administration – NTL

The Swedish railway operations are being streamlined with a new national system, led by Alstom after winning a bid against the Swedish Transport Administration in 2015. Central to this effort is the introduction of Cactus CCS, which integrates all of Sweden’s interlockings. This technology creates a unified communication platform for managing railway traffic efficiently.

From 8 to 1
In Sweden, railway traffic has historically been controlled from eight regional centers. To streamline and coordinate this operation, a procurement process was initiated for a common national system. Alstom won this procurement against the Swedish Transport Administration in 2015, and a significant part of this procurement is a Cactus CCS.

Integrating all of Sweden’s interlockings
Cactus CCS communicates with approximately 800 interlockings in Sweden. An interlocking is the safety-critical system that prevents trains from colliding with each other. The variety of interlockings in Sweden is very large in terms of both interlocking models and communication mechanisms. Here, Cactus CCS serves as a homogenization layer towards the overarching traffic management system from Alstom. That is to say, regardless of underlying data structures and protocols, a certain type of object will be presented in the same way to the overarching system.

Cactus CCS in this application is likely the largest communication platform towards railway infrastructure in the entire world.

Lokalbanen A/S

In 2001, with the main intent of increasing efficiency, the City of Copenhagen acquired a number of privately owned railway lines. Lokalbanen A/S is now responsible for the operations that include 190 km tracks, nearly 40 trainsets, and 77 stations.

The owner – the City of Copenhagen – has invested heavily in the six railway lines. This modernisation process includes a new traffic management system from Cactus, new station buildings, and 27 brand- new Coradia Lint 41 diesel trainsets.

Trimming operations
In 2004, Hovedstadens Lokalbaner A/S (HL) contracted Cactus Automation to delivery a new remote automation system for their entire network, which includes five previously privately owned lines as well as the Lille Nord line. By merging the private railways, HL was able to gain the benefits of a large-scale operation. This first step towards this was to link all six local lines in Hillerød to a single operations centre, making it possible to trim staff resources from 22 to 16.

Today, two operators supervise the railways during the day, and a single operator is required at night. Previously, four or five employees were required.

More comprehensive automation
Traditionally, dispatching included a number of manual operations. Nowadays, most of these are automated, which means that operators simply monitor and no longer actively control the system. Exceptions exist, however, such as in the event of heavy snowfall that triggers a malfunction in the interlocking systems. Another benefit is that it is now easier to add new traffic plans to the system; operators create them in Excel and input them in the system.

Traffic Management System
One of the many reasons why HL chose Cactus was the testimonials Cactus received from SL (Stockholm Transit) in Stockholm, where Cactus systems are used to supervise four local railway lines. The TMS system developed by Cactus is adapted to accommodate the specific requirements of railway traffic. HL has a twin computer system, known as a “hot stand by”, which provides a very high degree of accessibility. In addition to this, the system is integrated with an Oracle database.

Saltsjöbanan

The first time you see Saltsjöbanan, you’ll probably think the trains look familiar. And you’re right—vintage subway trains have been rebuilt to accommodate some 15,000 passengers that travel from the communities by the sea to downtown Stockholm.

Even though Saltsjöbanan is a railway, the coaches are former subway trains. Today, some 30 coaches roll along the 23-kilometre long route.

First to implement CTC
The Saltsjöbanan Railway was one of the first to embrace electricity back in 1913. They were also pioneers when it came to another innovation: the use of a CTC (Centralised Traffic Control System) which meant that the entire operations could be remote-controlled from the dispatching office.

The challenge
The true challenge for Cactus was to integrate modern technology with certain portions of the technology introduced back in1938. Cactus and SL (Stockholm Transit) have collaborated to establish communications with interlocking systems and traffic control. Here, modern fibre technology and redundant modems with continuous supervision have been applied.

Unusually smooth solution
Integrating new technology has been a smooth solution. This option ensured an uncommonly speedy and secure switchover. The trick was maintaining the same interface between the remote control station and the interlocking systems. In this case, the interface consisted of an 80-pole contact device. By connecting the new remote control system via the old interface, it was possible to ensure that operations would be in working order. The technology made it easy to test and connect new units. Station after station could be tested at night. Any failures arising could be taken care of straight away. The actual switchover was basically a formality.

Lidingöbanan

Lidingöbanan is one of Stockholm’s older railway operators and it has faithfully served passengers for nearly a century. In 1914, the very first train departed, and though many aspects are still unchanged, technology and the trains themselves have evolved.

The traffic management system used by Lidingöbanan is a great example of how operations can be modernised gradually, and by simple means, such as using a single workstation that also doubles as a server.

A mixed technical environment – in every way
In addition to this, Lidingöbanan is a great example of Cactus’ ability to merge old and new technology, and create a working blend of different makes of equipment. The system features a central relay interlocking system with a main control PLC. Along the line, there are relay interlocking stations that accept orders and submit indications via a Dupline system.

A single dispatcher
The dispatching routines at Lidingöbanan were transformed by the new Cactus traffic management system.

A single dispatcher was now able to supervise the entire Lidingöbanan line. All traffic along the line is easily monitored by way of two screens. One screen is generally used to display a general view of the entire line, while the other is generally used for more detailed information. However, dispatchers have the option to select the views they need.

Another useful feature is that the detailed views are scrollable, using a ruler feature at the bottom of the display. This enables dispatchers to easily scroll down to the section of the line they would like to obtain more detailed information about.

Tvärbanan

In 2000, Tvärbanan— which translates literally into “the Crossways Line”— opened. The line is designed to be a shortcut across the Stockholm region from west to south, and scheduling is coordinated to fit in with the Metro system. Stockholm’s newest railway connects the region’s commuter trains and the Metro.

Modern, silent and eco-friendly—Tvärbanan is a light railway; part tram, part train. In their first commission for this project, Cactus provided the traffic management system, as a subcontractor to Bombardier. This project spanned a little over two years.

Traffic management and timetable tracking
The new system manages traffic and keeps track of punctuality. The system accesses timetables from the SL (Stockholm Transit) timetable database. In addition to this, the Cactus system generates various kinds of reports. Redundant servers and operator workstations guarantee reliable, fast and easy access.

Replay feature
Dispatchers can monitor the current traffic flow status as well as any anticipated disturbances. This provides them with the opportunity to spot variations and deviations before problems occur, enabling them to take proactive measures and avoid disturbances. The right decision isn’t enough—the timing has to be right as well. The Cactus system can replay all events. This makes it possible to thoroughly
analyse incidents such as stops, alarms or other events. Historic data is logged and stored in a database for future retrieval.

Part tramway
Certain portions of Tvärbanan’s route are classified as tramways, and here SL employs AVI, a special type of detector that reports the position of the trains along the route. Each train has an individual ID number that is scanned in at various locations.

The Catcus system also collects overhead line data along the route. This helps dispatches know instantly if any sections of the track are experiencing problems.

Passenger-friendly
Tvärbanan is perceived as being passenger-friendly, and it has become very popular. The Cactus system relays data from the monitoring system to the passenger information system TRIS. Passengers are provided with instant updates as to delays and disturbances along the route.

Roslagsbanan

Roslagsbanan was Sweden’s first electric railway. It travels a route of nearly 70 km, and it has a narrow-gauge track. In the process of being closed down, its owner, SL (Stockholm Transit), decided to go for a major upgrade of the trains, a renovation of the stations, and new tracks and ties. In connection with this, the 30-year-old automation system was also traded in for the latest technology.

In the early 1990s, Cactus Automation was entrusted with the task of supplying a new traffic management system. Due to the ongoing improvements of the track, such as new interlocking systems, Cactus has been able to demonstrate their flexibility and resourcefulness.

A single location
Supervision takes place from a control room located at Östra Station. Six display screens grouped together make up an overview of the entire line.
Each station has a direct line to the central system at Östra Station. At each station there is either a PLC and a relay interlocking system, or stations will be equipped with an electronic interlocking system. In total, around 3,700 indications and 2,300 commands are processed.

A system beyond the ordinary
The base of the system consists of conventional remote interlocking features, i.e. the remote control and re-indication of all stations.

But the system is capable of a great deal more as well:

• Timetable tracking and reporting. Arrivals and departures are logged, and are compared to the pertinent timetables. Delays (as well as early departures) are indicted in the log and are shown in the display.
• Automatic routing. With reference to timetables and the actual traffic situation, the system will issue the appropriate remote control commands for the train in question. Naturally, dispatchers are able to switch to manual control whenever they deem this necessary.
• Reconstruction in the event of operational failure. Practically every move the system makes is logged automatically. In the event of an incident, the sequence of event can be replayed. Events can be replayed sequence by sequence, making it possible to review every aspect of the incident on screen and in the log.