Sifa is a type of
deadman's control system used on German-influenced European railways.
[{{cite web , url = http://www.virtualmarket.innotrans.de/index.php5?id=1022238&highlight=&fid=523&offset=0&Action=showProduct , title = Deadman's control system UDB , accessdate=2008-12-24] Although
deadman's pedals are commonly used on railways worldwide, Sifa systems are specifically those codified by
German Industrial Norms VDE 0119-207-5.
In
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
the equivalent system is called 'safety control' (''Sicherheitssteuerung'').
[Eidgenössisches Departement für Umwelt, Verkehr, Energie und Kommunikation]
''Ausführungsbestimmungen zur Eisenbahnverordnung (AB-EBV)
', as at: 01July 2016
Description
Sifa is short for ''Sicherheitsfahrschaltung'', German for "safety driving circuit". It is usually a pedal and/or large press button, which monitors the alertness of the driver. The driver has to repeatedly press a button after a fixed interval; if they fail to do so, the train will carry out an emergency stop. It complements the external train safety systems:
PZB,
LZB
Linienzugbeeinflussung (or LZB) is a cab signalling and train protection system used on selected Deutsche Bundesbahn, German and Austrian Federal Railways, Austrian railway lines as well as on the AVE and some commuter rail lines in Rail transpo ...
and
ETCS.
[Ernst Anderegg: ''Sicherheitssteuerungen für Triebfahrzeuge''.]
Schweizerische Bauzeitung, Vol. 68 (1950), Issue 15
(E-Periodica, pdf3.0 MB)
In
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
the ''Zeit-Zeit-Sifa'' (time-time Sifa) is common. In this system, the engine driver holds a pedal or button down for 30 seconds and must then briefly release the pressure. Thus the system can confirm that the driver is still able to react. If the driver does not react after 30 seconds, the system warns the driver, at first optically, then for a few seconds acoustically. After a further short period of time without any reaction the train is automatically stopped. The ''Zeit-Weg-Sifa'' (time-distance Sifa) system takes account of the distance travelled, as well as time, since the last activation.
In electric trains such as those working on
U- and
S-Bahn
The S-Bahn is the name of hybrid urban- suburban rail systems serving a metropolitan region in German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit systems, while smaller ones often resemble co ...
lines the Sifa has for a long time been combined with the
driving switch
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and bicycles. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to follo ...
. This is where the concept of the dead man's switch first arose. If the button was released (due to the driver becoming incapacitated) the train was automatically stopped.
Drivers must carry out a Sifa test before using a train, to check that the automatic braking is functioning correctly.
Following some serious accidents in which drivers fell asleep but somehow the pedal was still being activated, the
Deutsche Reichsbahn in
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
introduced a special type of Sifa (''Sifa86''). Here the driver has to acknowledge, by pressing a button, an optical signal given at random times and distances.
See also
*
Automatic train protection
Automatic train protection (ATP) is a type of train protection system which continually checks that the speed of a train is compatible with the permitted speed allowed by signalling, including automatic stop at certain signal aspects. If it is ...
(ATP)
*
Dead man's switch
*
Dead-man's vigilance device
*
Train protection system
*
Watchdog timer
*
Emergency brake
*
Hand brake
References
External links
Why it's safe to take the train
Occupational safety and health
Railway safety
Safety switches