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Abstract
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Strong local histories have led in the past to particular local safety concepts, requirements and acceptance schemes for metro, tram and light rail systems from country to country and even from city to city. Urban guided transportation has often been the trendsetter in technology application, driverless or unattended operation projects for example, impacting the life cycle complexity for these kinds of systems. Furthermore, interchangeability of components (crossacceptance) is more and more a driving force to reduce procurement costs and commercial risks, but turns out to be technically challenging.
Recent Urban Guided Transport applications have been increasingly assessed by taking into account the existing European railway application standards. The European Commission is encouraging a harmonization drive, notably through its support of major European research projects such as MODSafe - Modular Urban Transport Safety and Security Analysis, one of the latest EU-funded projects in the European Transport sector.
The purpose of the MODSafe project is to undertake research of major steps of the Safety Life Cycle of urban guided transport systems in Europe. Even if the rail safety landscape in urban guided transport is highly diversified, the sector will benefit from some kind of harmonization. Beyond safety and security related aspects the MODSafe project deals with life cycle responsibilities as well as acceptance, approval and certification processes.
This paper presents one of the key results of the MODSafe project, namely a life cycle approach proposal for urban guided transport systems with typical life cycle phase related roles & responsibilities and key activities. Its application aims reducing the future efforts needs for new or upgraded urban guided transport systems. This paperpresents an overview of the life cycle approach proposal. |