ESA title

  • ESA-STAR REFERENCE AO8038
  • Activity Feasibility Study
  • Closing date 17-11-2014

The objective of the Feasibility Study is to determine the technical feasibility and economic viability of an integrated satellite navigation and satellite communication solution complementing the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).

Looking out for landslides

No one needs to be reminded that natural hazards abound. As we well know, areas with unstable geology, for example, are prone to rock falls and landslides, with potentially severe human and economic consequences. Whereas the effects of landslides and subsidence upon communities in mountainous and coastal areas is well known, less well recognised is the danger of unstable terrain to the transport infrastructure across wide areas of Europe. 

Tracking Trains by Satellite: a premiere for Europe

The incorporation of satellite communication services in railway signalling systems is now one step closer thanks to the successful test of a demonstration system on a regional railway on the island of Sardinia (Italy). It was undertaken as part of the 3InSat (Train Integrated Safety Satellite System) project, co-funded within the framework of the European Space Agency’s ARTES 20 programme.