Italian transportation company Ansaldo STS has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Copenhagen metro authority Metroselskabet to develop a Proof of Concept for a new Dynamic Headway solution utilising Hitachi technologies for the Copenhagen Metro M1 / M2.

The new Dynamic Headway solution will be designed using Ansaldo STS’s train control systems and Hitachi’s digitalisation and IoT (Internet of Things) technology.

It will be able to detect congestion via sensors installed at stations in order to analyse the level of customer demand for various rail services.

The frequency of train services will then be adjusted automatically on the basis of the data gathered by the system, which will facilitate real-time reponse to sudden changes in passenger numbers.

Metroselskabet CEO Henrik Plougmann Olsen said: “Exploring ways to optimise delivered capacity to make it as efficient as possible is critical to minimising the cost of provision of public transportation. 

“Metroselskabet is keen to encourage and participate in activities that can yield economies to our services. 

“We are happy to contribute to this initiative with Ansaldo STS that will combine the latest advances in data management and control systems to create a solution that could improve the services we provide.”

The dynamic responsive solution will be helpful in identifying sudden increases in demand due to events along the route.

It will also assist in avoiding passenger congestion, as well as allowing the operator to optimise its services to save energy and operational costs.

"Exploring ways to optimise delivered capacity to make it as efficient as possible is critical to minimising the cost of provision of public transportation."

Hitachi Rail Group CEO and Ansaldo STS Board chairman Alistair Dormer said: "Hitachi's Dynamic Headway Solution combined with Ansaldo STS's driverless technology is developed based on our joint Digitalisation strategy by utilising Hitachi's IoT platform 'Lumada'.

"In the long term, we plan to integrate the Dynamic Headway technology in our CBTC offering.

"As a global technology provider, we bring innovative solutions like this to our customers, combining the world-class know-how of Ansaldo STS and its majority shareholder Hitachi."

A prototype of the solution is expected to be installed by the end of this year.


Image: DR Concert Hall and the metro tracks in Amagerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo: courtesy of Frank B. Daugaard via Wikipedia.