Czech company safeguards railway level crossing in the U.S.A.

Specialists from AŽD Praha have completed safeguarding of a railway crossing in Nashville, where they installed a modern signalling system with barriers. It is a pilot project on which US authorities will assess whether the Czech technology is reliable in the operation and whether it meets all their requirements. If the trial operation proceeds smoothly AŽD Praha, in co-operation with the Nashville & Eastern Railroad Corp., is planning to fit more crossings in the USA with its systems.

AŽD Praha is the largest Czech producer of signalling, telecommunication and information technologies, mainly focused on rail and road transport. The largest part of its production consists of electronic signalling and control/command systems especially designed for railways. In the Czech Republic the company participates in the modernisation of the country’s national corridor mainlines, as well as of regional railway lines. During the last year AZD Praha started successfully its activities on the US market by installing there its first electronic safeguarding railway crossing system.

Pilot level crossing in Nashville

The Czech-made safeguarding equipment protects a crossing on the private Nashville & Eastern Railroad, which crosses a double-flow road. The project consisted of two parts: the core electronic system, including the barrier drive, was supplied by AŽD Praha, while the local partner provided the signal device, gate arms, block-signal box and traffic signs - so as to ensure that the crossing visually complies with American standards. The level crossing system is controlled automatically by the passage of trains and it is fully compatible with other track and station safeguarding equipment.

“As this is a very important pilot project for our company, our electronic level crossing system was designed so that the criteria it meets are much more demanding than those set by the US Federal Railroad Administration,” states Mr. Petr Žatecký, director of AŽD’s Foreign Marketing and Trade Department.

AŽD Praha targets for US market

The first installation of AŽD technology is opening the door to a completely new market for the Czech company. Therefore the new level crossing system will be introduced to a number of potential customers from US railway companies during its six-month trial operation.

 

The Nashville & Eastern Railroad Corp. plays an important role in ensuring freight and passenger railway transportation between Nashville and Monterey. It also participates in the renovation and reconstruction of the mainlines and subsidiary lines in the area.

Author: Jiří Dlabaja
Mobile phone: +420 606 650 834
E-mail: dlabaja.jiri‌‌M‌‌azd.cz

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