Siemens receives authorization from Russian railway operator RZD to commence series production of Simis interlocking system

Erlangen, Germany – After a 1-year trial operation period, the Simis electronic interlocking developed by Siemens Transportation Systems and its Russian partner Foratec AT has been certified for operation by the Russian railway operator RZD.

Close cooperation between Russian and German specialists over a period of four years has created a product that enables Siemens TS to support RZD in its infrastructure modernization program with the latest interlocking technology. The core component of this type of interlocking is the Simis computer which comes from Siemens Transportation Systems and is being used all over the world.

Rozhdestwo, which means "birth" or "Christmas", is the name of the first interlocking to be fitted out with this system and is operating in the Jugo-Wostochnaja railway network around 450 kilometers south of Moscow.

The project also includes the interlocking logic, the operator control and display interface and the power supply, as well as adaptation of the outdoor installations made in Russia to the new technology. This work was done by Foratec AT, the Russian partner, which is also responsible for project planning and installation.

Certification of the overall system was carried out by the test center for signaling and safety systems of the state railway university in St. Petersburg (PGUPS). To obtain authorization to commence series production of the interlocking it was necessary to provide safety cases in accordance with the Russian regulations for the part supplied by Siemens.

Other projects, such as interlockings for the railway stations in Ajdyrlja and Nikulino, have already been ordered by RZD and are now in the planning phase. In addition, work is being continued on optimization of the link to the outdoor installations.