Analysis of the possibility of implementing interoperability tests on Polish railways

Ensuring the greatest possible interoperability of rail transport, especially for railways in Europe, is one of the key projects to be implemented using the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), including the European Train Control System (ETCS) and the Global System for Mobile Communications-Railways (GSM-R). The ERTMS system aims to replace many different rail traffic control systems with one, common and unified European solution (Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/919, 2016), (Directive (EU) 2016/797, n.d.). Its creation was dictated by the desire to standardize the traffic control systems present in the territories of various European countries, at the same time extending their functionality and eliminating the existing technical barriers. The aim of this article is to present the possibility of implementation interoperability tests - IOP tests, on Polish railways. These tests are intended to provide a faster, more accurate and less costly demonstration of compliance with the ETCS interoperability requirements compared to field tests. The work defines the concept of interoperability tests as well as the purpose of their application. The general principles and procedures for conducting interoperability tests are presented. In the further part of the work, the operation of laboratories in the European Union is analysed. The laboratories functional in Switzerland and Spain were selected for this analysis. Following, the paper presents the validity of implementing interoperability tests on the territory of the Republic of Poland. On the basis of the pan-European procedure of conducting interoperability tests and the experience of foreign independent laboratories, conditions for the implementation of tests in the Polish railways were developed, which could be used in the future to introduce IOP tests in Poland.

Passing rail traffic reduces bat activity

Rail transport is expanding, with a global increase in infrastructure of up to one-third predicted by 2050. Greater reliance on rail is expected to benefit the environment at a planetary level, by mitigating transport-related carbon emissions. However, smaller-scale, more direct consequences for wildlife are unclear, as unlike roads, railway impacts on animal ecology are rarely studied. As a group, bats frequently interact with transport networks due to their broad distribution and landscape-scale movements. Additionally, their nocturnality, and use of echolocation mean bats are likely to be affected by light and noise emitted by trains. To investigate whether passing trains affect bat activity levels, we monitored the two most abundant UK species using ultrasonic detectors at 12 wooded rail-side sites in southern England. Activity fell by ≥ 30–50% each time a train passed, for at least two minutes. Consequently, activity was reduced for no less than one-fifth of the time at sites with median rail traffic, and two-thirds or more of the time at the busiest site. Such activity changes imply repeated evasive action and/or exclusion from otherwise favourable environments, with potential for corresponding opportunity or energetic costs. Hence, disturbance by passing trains may disadvantage bats in most rail-side habitats.

Accumulation of heavy metals and antioxidant defense system in the gametophyte of Didymodon rigidulus Hedw. in areas with high traffic loads

Background. Various modes of transport are among the main sources of environmental pollution with heavy metals and other pollutants. Bryophytes are known to accumulate heavy metals; however, metabolic changes in mosses under conditions of metal accumulation have not been extensively studied. The aim of this article was to analyze the accumulation of heavy metals, the process of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and the activity of enzymes of the antioxidant system in Didymodon rigidulus Hedw. moss collected in urban areas with an intense load created by road and railway transport. Materials and Methods. Gametophyte shoots were collected at three sampling sites in the city of Lviv (Ukraine). Site 1 was selected in a park zone, which was considered a control one; sites 2 and 3 were selected in areas with heavy road and rail traffic, respectively. Concentrations of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the moss material were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The levels of LPO products, namely lipid hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities, were determined by standard methods. The results were processed using the methods of variation statistics. Results. Moss D. rigidulus growing in the park area (site 1) accumulated metals in the following order of decreasing concentration: Zn> Cr> Ni> Pb. Gametophyte shoots of D. rigidulus collected at site 2 accumulated higher levels of Pb, Zn and Ni (by 2.27, 1.78 and 1.45 times, respectively), and at site 3, higher levels of Pb and Zn (by 1.8 and 1.67 times, respectively) compared to gametophytes collected in the park zone. In the moss samples from these sites, no significant differences in the Cr content were found as compared to the control. Concentration of lipid hydroperoxides in the moss sampled at sites 2 and 3 was 4.26 and 3.75 times higher, respectively, compared to the control, and TBARS production was more intense in plant material from site 2 than from the control site. SOD and catalase activities were considerably increased in D. rigidulus moss from site 2 compared with those from the control area; however, the activity of both enzymes in the moss samples from site 3 did not significantly exceed the control levels. Conclusions. Both road and rail traffic loads contribute to the accumulation of heavy metals, especially Zn and Pb, in D. rigidulus moss growing in the surrounding areas. Under such conditions, LPO process is stimulated, which is more pronounced in moss growing in area with heavy road traffic. The increased activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and catalase) in moss growing in this area can play an important role in protecting bryophyte cells against metal-induced oxidative stress under conditions of intense metal accumulation.