Holmestrand train station is a new station engineered into the mountainside of the Holmestrand municipality
Norway - Sousan Azimrayat, commercial director and Peter Stewart, technical director from ASL - Application Solutions (Safety and Security) Ltd, joined the Prime Minister of Norway, local dignitaries and media at official opening event for Holmestrand train station in Norway.
Arriving by train at Holmestrand station guests were greeted by the local Mayor of Holmestrand and Knut Edmund Knutsen, project manager for Jernbaneverket (Bane NOR), the Norwegian government agency for railway services.
Holmestrand train station is a new station engineered into the mountainside of the Holmestrand municipality along a tunnel 12km in length. The celebratory events in December marked the completion of more than six years of constructions works, numerous transport interruptions and regular noise pollution to the residents of this otherwise rural town in Norway.
Sousan Azimrayat, director for ASL comments, “It was a fantastic experience to be told by the Bane NOR project manager that the ASL Voice Alarm System was the first of all the telecommunication systems to be fully commissioned and working and the system sounds good.”
ASL partnered with Innotronic of Scandinavia and SAC Sweden AB to deliver a comprehensive EN54 certified public address and voice alarm (PAVA) system at Holmestrand station. Engaged by Jernbaneverket (Bane NOR) the design, supply, installation and commissioning of the new EN54 compliant PAVA systems harness many of the disciplines ASL offers customers.
Holmestrand station was the first to utilise ASL’s new VIPEDIA range of products which includes audio routers, amplifiers and microphones, are all certified to safety standard EN54-16 and internationally recognised by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB).
Peter Stewart, technical director for ASL comments, “Everyone at ASL works incredibly hard to develop and deliver our EN54 certified voice alarm products, so we’re genuinely proud to be chosen as a supplier to one of the most prestigious railway projects in Europe.”
Henry Rawlins, application manager for ASL adds, “In consultation with Bane NOR, ASL developed the standard IPAM range to meet all of the requirements for the Bane Nor project, which has successfully been implemented in more than 300 stations. ASL then introduced the VIPEDIA range of EN54 certified solutions in 2015 and this was chosen for the new-build project at Holmestrand station.”
The solution at Holmestrand station, designed around ASL’s VIPEDIA-12 range of hardware, provides audio routing between 12 analogue inputs and 12 analogue outputs. The VIPEDIA-12 also includes provision for 64 internally stored Digital Voice Announcement messages and hosts ASL’s VIPA long-line public address software.
Integral to the operation of the PAVA system at Holmestrand station and across Bane Nor’s network of train stations is ASL’s VIPA software suite. Running on ASL hardware at every train station with ASL IPAM installed, and now also VIPEDIA installed hardware, VIPA software provides audio-over-IP, routing control and fault reporting capability between Bane Nor’s Control Centre and all of the remote train stations, including Holmestrand station.
Roy Strand, department manager for Bane NOR comments, “Application Solutions (Safety and Security) Ltd has been a key supplier to Jernbaneverket (Bane NOR) for around ten years, delivering over 300 stations using the Vipedia and IPAM ranges of PAVA equipment. Their customer focused approach to design, manufacture and maintenance ensures we continue to work together.”
(Jim Evans)

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