Sifer: "The space industry can provide first-class solutions"

On Thursday, March 23, 2017, CNES is organizing a round table on the subject of advances in satellite tracking for railway signaling. Here we relay an interview conducted by Mack Brooks, the organizer of the show, with Jacques Beas-Garcia, responsible for industrial policy at CNES.

What good practices can railway companies derive from aerospace?
The logic of collaboration is part of a process of modernization and efficiency research. The space sector can provide railway operators with a number of opportunities in terms of locating trains for operational purposes, for example, but also in terms of earth observation and telecoms. On our side, we carefully observe the SNCF digital 574 concept, in order to take advantage of the SNCF’s progress on this subject of innovation.

What are the projects initiated in collaboration with the railway?
The collaboration that we have established with the SNCF suggests interesting opportunities on many subjects. One of the major challenges concerns the modernization of the network operating system thanks to the use of European satellite positioning systems, Galileo first. We are also working with SNCF on the use of satellite imagery for network maintenance needs. We work on all these subjects with partners such as Thales, IFSTTAR and IRT Railenium ...

Why did you decide to become a Sifer partner? What do you expect from this show?
We wish to both value the know-how of our industry and meet new partners with whom we can exchange our skills and experiences. Rail has become a real stake in the industry.