Historic Funicular in Porto
The “Funicular dos Guindais” is a historic funicular in Porto that has been reliably transporting tourists from the banks of the Douro River to Batalha Square since its completion at the end of the 19th century. As part of a general overhaul, the control and safety communication systems for the funicular’s two cars had to be modernized.
- Client
- Metro do Porto S.A.
- Cooperation partners
- LIFTECH S.A.
- Project area
- Portugal, European Union
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Project Scope
The funicular’s originally installed control and safety technology was no longer providing the desired communication stability. As a result, there were frequent safety stops, which were inconvenient for both passengers and operators. In response, the system integrator LIFTECH turned to R3 Solutions to redesign the application and develop a wireless control network capable of meeting the funicular’s operational demands. This was no trivial task, as the route consists of very diverse sections, ruling out solutions such as slip rings or powerline communication.
Implementation
Following an initial project assessment in Berlin, we conducted on-site test measurements using battery-powered Bridge-E devices to determine the actual layout of the Bridge-E network. In the spring of 2024, all necessary components arrived on site and were put into operation. Following a long-term test and an analysis of network stability in the summer, final adjustments were made in November 2024.
One Bridge-E device is installed on each of the two cars, and six are mounted along the track, supporting deterministic, delay-free roaming. PROFIsafe data is transmitted with a cycle time of 50 milliseconds.
“As a systems integrator, we rely on dependable partners. R3 Solutions has an impressive product and provided us with reliable and trustworthy support during implementation. We look forward to continuing our collaboration!”
André Guerra
Director of Operations, Liftech
Result
The funicular, which has now reopened, improves public transportation in Porto 24/7 and transforms everyday trips into exciting experiences. Since its overhaul, the funicular has been operating smoothly thanks to its state-of-the-art radio and safety systems. R3’s monitoring solution provides the operator with complete transparency into the status of the radio network and alerts them to potential issues that could impact performance.
Project Data
| Network size: | 11 devices |
|---|---|
| Real-time protocol: | PROFIsafe |
| Other Data Transmission: | TCP/IP, UDP |
| PLC cycle time: | 50 ms |
| Coverage: | 350 m |
| Roaming: | Yes (3 subnets) |
| Monitoring: | Yes (SNR) |
Daniel Thiel
Wireless Solutions Expert
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