A new safety system which has been installed on London Tramlink vehicles for over a year to prevent overspeeding incidents has received Safety Integrity Level 2 certification (SIL2). Developed by DB ESG the system aims to physically prevent the overspeeding of trams, and was introduced following the tragic accident at Sandilands which was caused by a tram running over the line speed.
DB ESG were awarded the contract to develop, design, install and commission a device which would prevent overspeeding on board trams in January 2019. They worked alongside Sella Controls to develop the equipment which has was first installed on trams in 2021.
Since installation the equipment has demonstrated exceptional performance including 100% availability and no system failures. In February 2023, the Independent Safety Assessor certified the overspeeding protection system, including both hardware and software, as being safety assured at Level 2 (SIL2).
Nick Goodhand, Managing Director for DB ESG, said: “We are absolutely delighted that this system has received this mark of safety quality. Protecting a tram network with the highest possible level of safety gives operators the peace of mind that they are doing their uttermost to keep their passengers safe.“