About trains and digitization: “A monster with thousands of heads can’t be controlled with paper and pencil”.

With a fleet counting thousands of wagons and locomotives, Amedeo Neculcea, deputy general manager of the Romanian Railway Group (GFR), the largest private railway operator in Romania, speaks in an interview with wall-street.ro about the technological progress of local industry, but also about its limitation caused by the existing infrastructure.

Wall-Street.ro: What are the most important advances made globally for the computerization and automation of locomotives? What is the situation in Romania?
Amedeo Neculcea: The computerization of locomotives has expanded in three areas of interest.
First of all, we are talking about ensuring a safe transit together with the other trains in motion. This involves the integration of an optimized interface for communicating circulation orders for railway infrastructure by providing access to traffic signals inside the locomotive, the continuous control and the automatic regulation of the train speed (through ERTMS or similar systems).

Without such complex computer systems located in both areas of responsibility (infrastructure and locomotives), we can’t think about an increase in speed above 160 km/h.

Regarding this type of equipment, we did not take any action, because neither CFR SA took steps in this regard, and the low speed of freight trains does not justify such investments.

Secondly, we talk about parameter control. At present, through our electronic systems, we have permanent and real-time control over the position and speed of the locomotive (TRAKER PROF), diesel consumption (DMCC), electricity consumption (CEL), data transmission being ensured with a mobile electronic device – TMD. All the equipment in its final form is designed in Romania, most at The Institute for Computers (a member of Grampet Group).

”To control the wagon fleet, this monster with thousands of continuously changing heads, with only a pencil and paper is not a path to follow.”

Last but not least, we must refer to the optimization of engine performance. In the case of newly motorized locomotives, the level of computerization increases substantially. In the last 15 years, all the locomotive engines are built having an electronic control module (ECM) that controls the fuel injection and monitors all the sensors located on the engine (for pressure, temperature, consumption, etc.). It diagnoses the engine status and communicates on an on-board display of operating errors, malfunctions, also acting to adapt the engine’s operation to the problems that might arise. To date, GFR has engineered, according to a concept of our specialized engineers, 19 hydraulic diesel locomotives.

WS: What does the development of digitization solutions mean for the Grampet Group – Romanian Railway Group?
Amedeo Neculcea: It’s been 15 years since GFR started developing the first computer application for managing and mastering a constantly growing and constantly moving wagon fleet, both in the country and across borders.

To control the wagon fleet, this monster with thousands of continuously changing heads, with only a pencil and paper was a path already known by our exploitation engineers, but not the path to follow.

”There was no strategy for invention and innovation, but only professional value, spontaneity and intelligent support of all good ideas.”

The application was a success and was followed by 16 other applications (already implemented) and another 10 in development.

Although paradoxical, there was no dedicated team for designing computer applications, and the situation is explained as follows:

• new ideas and applications projects were usually generated by operating engineers, with solid experience and knowledge in the field, who most often had manager status in the company.
• the particularities of the transport activity make it impossible to be stored or perfectly controlled. The transport service is delivered simultaneously with its production and it requires an essential organizational effort, therefore intelligent information management is vital. Thus, the “space” with the potential for digitization was a huge one. All the good ideas came to life and developed one by one in the form of expanding computer products until 4-5 years ago when the need for their interconnection was naturally spotted.

Therefore, there was no strategy for invention and innovation, but only professional value, spontaneity and intelligent support of all good ideas.

On the other hand, once The Institute for Computers entered the Grampet Group, it catalysed the digitization process of the GFR by implementing most of the projects proposed by our specialists.

It should be mentioned that in the last years we worked with a project manager who deals with the interface between GFR and ITC. He’s involved and useful in harmonizing this relationship and also dedicated to ERP implementation in the areas of Financial, Accounting and Stock Management.

Also, the IT Department of the GFR provided all the necessary hardware architecture for the smooth functioning of the computer applications (servers, networks, terminals, computer security systems, etc.).

WS: What IT solutions have GFR implemented so far within the company and for its partners?
Amedeo Neculcea: There is a category of “classical” IT solutions, integrated in an ERP system that solves the problems of the Financial and Accounting departments, but which requires a big customization effort, resulting once from the particularities of the field of activity, and secondly from our goal of using a single integrated ERP system for the whole Grampet Group.

Another category of computer applications is those that simplify the internal processes of the company (monitoring of wagons on sections, stations and industrial lines, locomotive monitoring, ordering train service personnel, train scheduling, transportation cost
pre-calculation, document management, etc.).

The third category of applications aims for a transparent, simplified and automated informational relationship between GFR with its clients and already has verified and proven effects in improving the comfort of the beneficiaries of our services. These computer products manage processes such as empty wagons management, using consignment notes in electronic format, monitoring shipments, accessing various nomenclatures, providing automatic reports, etc.

”All European countries have developed their own information systems and therefore, at present, one of the main challenges at the continent level is the interoperability of these systems and the development of new ones.”

 The digitization of the relationship with our beneficiaries is first and foremost a categorical and indisputable expression of our orientation towards the client. We always try to pleasantly surprise them.
Digitalization also simplifies our and our clients’ efforts to fulfil the legal and contractual obligations without any derogation from the established quality standards.

WS: What projects are currently being developed and which projects will be launched in the future?
Amedeo Neculcea: Currently, we are running 10 IT projects consisting of new modules of existing applications or in some autonomous systems for simplifying the operational activity of the itinerant categories of employees (mechanics, train managers, technical review personnel), developing international electronic consignment note (CIM), interconnection of current applications and implementation of artificial intelligence elements.

WS: What does digitization mean for the rail transport industry in Romania? Where are we now and what are the most important challenges?
Amedeo Neculcea: Rail transport involves moving to a network where access is most regulated. In addition, the low level of freedom that rail vehicles enjoy in their movement (compared to water, air or even road transport) makes the railway field the one with the greatest potential from the perspective of digitization.
In Romania, the beginnings of computerization are closely related to the railway field. In the 1970s the first computer applications for the railways appeared with the automation being already present long before that. Unfortunately, all European countries have developed their own computer systems and that is why, nowadays, one of the great challenges, not only of the European rail system but also for UE is the interoperability of these systems and the construction of new ones according to certain standards.
In 2010 the European Railway Agency received a mandate to revise the technical specifications for interoperability (“TSI”) regarding the subsystem “telematics applications for freight transport” (“ATTM”), and in 2015 the EU regulation entered into force with regarding the ATTM subsystem, which covers parameters such as network collaboration and communication, transfer reports, data on consignment notes, train traffic forecast, information on service interruption, etc.

Thus, it is possible to speak of a huge field of action in the field of digitalization, and its new sub-domain, artificial intelligence offers opportunities not yet explored.
For all these possibilities to not be just mere fantasies, the specialists of several fields must coagulate their ideas in realistic projects, which to become reality need to involve minimum costs and major benefits in terms of optimizing flows, facilitating decisions, facilitating communication and good work ethics.