Bombardier - VLU

A case story: VLU, Victoria Line Upgrade preparing for the 2012 Olympics

Focon has two decades of experience as a supplier to rolling stock in London Underground delivering several projects for refurbishment of existing rolling stock as well as new builds. Customers such as Alstom and Bombardier chose Focon for Jubilee Line, Bakerloo Line, Victoria Line and D-stock. The most recent project is the passenger information system for the new trains built as part of the Victoria Line Upgrade programme. The project includes 47 8-car trains of Bombardier‟s Movia platform. These trains will increase the capacity of Victoria Line in peak hours by more than 20% before the 2012 Olympic Games.

Overview – Focon supplies

For the Victoria Line Upgrade project Focon is the supplier of the passenger information system including Public Address, Intercom, Passenger Emergency Communication and Passenger Information Displays. There are special challenges in supplying electronic
equipment and components to London Underground rolling stock. The strictest standards secure that the equipment fulfils the safety requirements in London underground. The standards implies e.g.

Design with protection against single-point- failures
IP65 enclosures; Special mechanical designs to fit the trains profile

Focon‟s experience enusres a high quality system in compliance with these standards

Public Address

Automatic announcements as well as messages from the driver transmit audio information to the passengers via loudspeakers in the trains interior. This information includes information about progress on the journey, next station, connecting services as well as other service information.

Emergency PA enables the London Underground control centre to make an announcement in the train via the trains radio system.

Intercom facilities

Communication between the driver's cabs is possible by means of a separate driver-driver communication.

VLU

Passenger Emergency Communication

Custom Emergency Communication Units were developed for the Victoria Line Upgrade project.

Passenger Information Displays

On the front of the trains one display shows the line number and another display over the cab shows the train destination.
On the train's sides, External Side Displays show the train destination, but can also show information about the train's calling pattern.
Internal Saloon Displays in the curved ceiling gives information about the progress of the journey and other service information.
All displays uses yellow/amber LED technology on a dark/black background.
All displays are in compliance with the regulations for passenger accessibility, which among other things require the text to have a certain minimum height, text contrast to be high and audio and visual messages to be synchronised. Focon follows “best practice” for the industry.