TBL1+ Train Protection System Approved for Belgian Rail Network
The Signalling Company (TSC), part of the Škoda Group, has announced the certification and release of its new TBL1+ automatic train protection system for use on the Belgian national rail network.
The Signalling Company (TSC), part of the Škoda Group, has announced the certification and release of its new TBL1+ automatic train protection system for use on the Belgian national rail network.
Developed in collaboration with rail freight operator, Lineas, the system is based on TSC’s universal digital railway platform, iEVC-RailOS.
The new system will enable a series of upgrades to the HLD77 locomotive fleet, equipping them with TBL1+ and preparing them for a smooth transition to ETCS functionality in the coming years.
The TBL1+ system is powered by TSC’s iEVC-RailOS, an operating system that runs on off-the-shelf computing hardware. This platform is the first in the rail industry to achieve Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL4), the highest safety standard for critical railway applications.
“This is an important validation milestone for us and our leading customer and close collaborator, Lineas. This is the start of a serial upgrade cycle for their HLD77 fleet, which will see the installation of TBL1+ on these locomotives, their recovery and subsequent return to service. This will be carried out after obtaining authorisation from ERA/DVIS. As the platform already includes BTM and odometry functionality, the fleet will be ready for the software upgrade to ETCS in 2025-2026. Certification of our ETCS solution should be ready within the next year.”
The TBL1+ installation is part of a broader vision to simplify fleet upgrades by leveraging digital technology. The iEVC-RailOS platform reduces hardware requirements, optimises space usage, and lowers maintenance costs. It also provides seamless integration for ETCS upgrades, including support for future developments such as ETCS Baseline 3 to 4.
“The vision is to move away from sole-source vehicle upgrades that create the need for additional hardware and software that is disproportionately expensive, takes up valuable space, increases locomotive downtime and increases maintenance costs. Instead, we now have a digital railway platform that consumes a tiny amount of space and is therefore easier to integrate. In addition, it gives us access to ETCS and a large number of other applications that can be supplied by TSC or their certified RailOS development partners.”
TSC is currently progressing with the certification of its ETCS solution, expected to be finalised in 2025. This next step will allow operators to transition seamlessly from TBL1+ to a fully ETCS-compliant system, enhancing the safety and interoperability of rail networks across Europe.
