EMC management and control plan for mass rapid transit railway project in Malaysia

Today, railways have numerous communication, navigation, propulsion, power and control systems. These systems are operating in a very limited space resulting in significant interference issues. Therefore, it is crucial to take into the account the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) through the project life time starting in the design stage. This paper presents briefly the EMC management and control plan of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) to ensure that the various railway subsystems can function satisfactorily in their intended electromagnetic environment. The EMC approach taken in the MRT Railway project in Malaysia is outlined in this paper. All the MRT railway communications systems should not disturb the operation of each other or the other nearby systems. These communications systems should not be also susceptible to any intentional/unintentional EMI sources in the MRT railway environment. The EMC management and control plan is helpful to avoid EMC/EMI issues of MRT such as EMI sources/ victims identification and risk assessment starting from the design to commissioning. Commonly, all the equipment on the railway must comply to the relevant EMC railway standards such as EN50121. Furthermore, cable management is significantly considered especially for very limited spaces such as tunnels. Finally, the necessary mitigation techniques are recommended to overcome the unexpected EMC challenges which may occur after commissioning.