GEC Alsthom Transport

Institute Name: GEC Alsthom Transport

Description: The GEC Alsthom Signalling Systems Division in Paris is a market leader in the supply of Signalling Systems for railway applications. The technical department employs about 300 engineers working on projects about 60% of which are for the export market. The department collaborates closely with the other technical departments of the Signalling Group in the UK and in Belgium. It also collaborates with the other large European Signalling Systems Suppliers within a framework to specify new standardised European Rail Traffic Management and Automatic Train Control Systems. Members of the department are part of the GEC Software Engineering Technology Group and the Alcatel Alsthom Software Technology board. They also contribute to many national and Industry Standardisation groups in the domains of safety and Systems Engineering. The Division has wide experience of collaborative projects. It has specific expertise in several areas of IT methods and has participated in ESPRIT projects, notably Requirements Engineering (REAIMS), formal specifications (PROCOS) and software metrics (AMI). It is a world leader in the industrial application of formal methods in safety-critical systems developments using the B method for re-expressing the specification and refining it into code. The method is supported by mechanised proof. Examples of industrial applications are : SACEM system (Driving, Operation and Maintenance Aid) for Paris's busiest express subway line ; the Automatic Train Protection systems for the Calcutta and Cairo metros ; and Speed Control System for the RATP and SNCF. Other large Systems Engineering Projects include the Railway Traffic Control Centres for the Channel Tunnel and for the Korean TGV High Speed Train, and the Automatic Train Control Systems for the Athens, Hong Kong, and Santiago Subways.

Researchers associated with the project:

Mr. Chapront, Technical Director Mr. Shirlaw, Project Manager Dr. Mejia, Formal Methods Manager

Brief CVs of Key Researchers:

Name: Mr. Stephen Shirlaw

Nationality: French

Academic Qualifications & Experience: Mr. Shirlaw is at present Project Manager for the ESPRIT REAIMS project. He is a graduate in Engineering and Applied Sciences from the University of Sussex in England (1981) and has an MSc in Computer Aided Engineering from the CESI in Paris (1988). Since joining the Signalling Systems at GEC Alsthom in Paris in 1988, Mr.Shirlaw has been the Quality Manager on several Systems Development projects including the Los Angeles and Cairo Subways. These projects involve the specification and development of many sub-systems including the Centralised Control Centres and the safety-critical Automatic Train Protection systems. He has also participated in projects to specify On-board Train Control Systems architectures and Secure Transmission Systems by radio. Mr. Shirlaw has also been involved in process improvement actions as the initiator of the Divisions Software Metrics programme and as a participant in the companies ISO9001 certification. He has also led the companies participation in the ESPRIT AMI project and was one of the main co-authors of the AMI Metrics handbook. Previous to this he has been involved as an engineer then as Project Manager in the development of industrial control systems first at Thorn-EMI Automation in England then at Bull company in France.

Name: Mr. Pierre Chapront

Nationality: French

Academic Qualificatons: Mr. Chapront is at present the Technical Director of the GEC Alsthom Signalling Systems Division in Paris. He is a graduate of Ecole Centrale in Paris and has 30 years experience in the development of Control systems. As Technical Director, Mr. Chapront is responsible for supervising all the companies Systems Engineering Projects and R&D actions. He has been Project Manager for the SACEM System development (a 100 MECU project) where he introduced the use of formal specifications. He has supervised many other projects including the Channel Tunnel Traffic Control Centre and has piloted the Technical Department's ISO9000 certification. He has participated in many National and International standards groups.

Name: Dr. Fernando Mejia

Nationality: French

Academic Qualifications & Experience: Dr. Mejia is the Formal Methods Manager. He is a Graduate of the University of Paris VII and has a PhD in Computer Science. Dr. Mejia has a total 13 years experience of Formal methods use in Industry at Thomson CSF Research Laboratories, BULL Systems and the Signalling System Division of GEC-ALSTHOM. At GEC Alsthom, he has been responsible for the Industrial application of the B formal specification method for safety-critical Automatic Train Control systems developments. With J-R.Abrial, he has participated in the development of the B method and its supporting tool set,which is now being commercialised. Dr. Mejia has published many papers on the technical issues and industrial application of Formal Methods.

Contact Details:

Principal Investigator: Mr. S. Shirlaw

Address:SIF. PC, GEC ALSTHOM, 33 Rue Des Bateliers, P.O Box 165, Sain-Ouen, 93404, FRANCE

Telephone number: +33 1 40 10 65 04

Telefax number: +33 (1) 40 10 65 55

EMail: s.shirlaw@gasl.co.uk

List of Members