SNCF Approves F500 Train Detector in France, Capable of Detecting Trains at 300 km/h

en.Wedoany.com Reported - French National Railway Company (SNCF) has approved ZÖLLNER's F500 train detector for use in its railway operational safety systems. Following this approval, the F500 can be integrated into ZÖLLNER's Mobile Radio Warning System (MRWS) to detect trains operating at speeds up to 300 km/h, extending the system's application scope to French high-speed rail lines. This milestone constitutes equipment admission approval, not a purchase order or volume deployment contract.

The F500-SEN in the F500 series employs inductive, non-contact train detection technology that does not rely on mechanical contact between wheels and the detection device. The equipment features a redundant design, allowing a single sensor to fulfill train detection requirements in accordance with Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL 4). As there are no mechanical contact components found in traditional electromechanical detectors, it does not incur corresponding mechanical wear maintenance during operation.

The system also includes the F500-AB connection box, which processes data collected by the F500-SEN and transmits the information to the ZFS transmission unit. The equipment supports "One Touch" calibration outside railway danger zones, with installation designed for short-term construction sites and track environments with limited space. Following this SNCF approval, the F500 can be combined with MRWS for train approach detection and personnel warning at high-speed line construction sites.

MRWS itself is designed for the safety protection of railway infrastructure construction personnel and can be configured for fixed, mobile, and moving work sites. ZÖLLNER lists application scenarios including track renewal, rail replacement, track and ballast renewal, switch renewal, and high-efficiency line renewal operations. With the F500's approval, the aforementioned systems can employ inductive detection solutions in environments where trains operate at up to 300 km/h.