There is growing interest and activity among railroads, suppliers, and government agencies in communications-based train control systems. These systems rely on sophisticated computers on board locomotives and at train control centers, combined with train location and navigation systems, and digital data communications links for the control of train operations. They have the potential to maximize the use of railroad track and equipment and to improve safety and service reliability. These systems would replace the conventional track-circuit-based signal systems and allow safe operations with much shorter headways between trains to improve system throughput and increase track capacity.They would also enable the monitoring of train crews for compliance with computer-generated train movement authorities using the on-board computers, and enforce compliance with automatic brake applications.
Most of the systems developed and tested to date have required a significant infrastructure investment, with both trackside and dispatch office hardware and systems. Their highly centralized approach requires implementation on a wide scale and requires a substantial data radio communications system and trackside equipment infrastructure investment.
The objective of this IDEA project was to develop and test a low-cost train navigation and communication system to enable location information to be exchanged between trains on a local area basis. Each locomotive could then compute the distance and relative direction of other trains in its proximity to warn the engineer of potential conflicts.
The proximity warning system is based on the integration of rail navigation and communications subsystems. A rail navigation system on locomotives uses on-board computers, GPS receivers, a gyro, and axle generator to determine train location and track ID using an on-board track database. Shared use of one of the end-of-train (EOT) monitor system frequencies provides direct locomotive-to-locomotive data communications. Trains periodically broadcast their current track ID, location, direction, speed, and routing plans, which are received by other trains in the area. A color graphics display provides an illustration of the engineer’s own train, as well as other trains in the area, against the track profile. The system is able to advise of potential movement conflicts based on comparison of data among trains in the area.
The final report for this IDEA project can be found at:
