A vehicle communication system includes a central device and an on-vehicle device. A path determiner of the central device determines an information transmission path between a plurality of vehicles for consolidating information in a vehicle that performs a wireless communication with a terrestrial communication device out of the vehicles based on at least operating information on the vehicles. An on-vehicle communicator of the on-vehicle device acquires the information transmission path directly from the central device via the terrestrial communication device or indirectly from the central device via the terrestrial communication device and a second vehicle, and transmits and receives predetermined information to and from the terrestrial communication device or the second vehicle based on the acquired information transmission path.

A method for object monitoring of a rail vehicle using a video monitoring system includes capturing a measurement signal of a video camera and determining image data of an environment of a vehicle interior according to the captured measurement signal. A piece of luggage in the vehicle interior is identified according to the determined image data. The identified piece of luggage is personalized. A manipulation of the identified piece of luggage is determined according to a predefined manipulation condition. A notification signal is sent according to the determined manipulation and according to the personalizing of the identified piece of luggage. A device for operating a video monitoring system for a rail vehicle for object monitoring and a rail vehicle are also provided.

A method may include detecting a first pressure and a second pressure of a fluid in a brake pipe of a vehicle system that includes a plurality of vehicles and extends from a lead vehicle to an end vehicle. The first pressure may be measured in the lead vehicle and the second pressure may be measured in the end vehicle. The method may further include determining a pressure differential signature between the first pressure and the second pressure and evaluating the pressure differential signature with a machine learning model to determine whether a blockage or a leak exists in the brake pipe. A system may include one or more processors configured to detect a first pressure and a second pressure of a fluid in a brake pipe. The one or more processors may be further configured to determine a pressure differential signature between the first pressure and the second pressure and evaluate the pressure differential signature with a machine learning model to determine whether a blockage exists in the brake pipe.

An example remote control locomotive (RCL) system includes a consist having at least one locomotive and at least one pneumatic brake pipe, and an RCL controller. The RCL controller includes a memory configured to store at least one pressurization reference including correspondence relationships between pneumatic brake pipe pressurization time periods and pneumatic brake pipe air volumes, and a processor configured to monitor a time period to pressurize the at least one pneumatic brake pipe of the consist. The processor is also configured to compare the monitored time period to pressurize the at least one pneumatic brake pipe to the pressurization reference, and determine a fault or a number of locomotives in the consist according to the comparison of the monitored time period to pressurize the at least one pneumatic brake pipe to the pressurization reference.

Systems and methods are provided for worker protection system with ultra-wideband (UWB) based anchors. One or more wayside units placed on or near a track may be configured to form a work zone network, based on ultra-wideband (UWB) communications, corresponding to a work zone in an area surrounding or in proximity to the one or more wayside units. When the work zone network is formed, at least one wayside unit of the one or more wayside units may be configured to obtain ranging information to a train traversing the track, based on communications of UWB signals with at least one train-mounted unit deployed on the train, and the one or more wayside units are configured to generate, based on the ranging information, notifications relating to the train and/or the work zone.

A method and associated system for determining a maintenance status for a pantograph arranged on a vehicle and/or a contact wire intended to be in electrical contact with the pantograph. Monitoring at least longitudinal, vertical or lateral accelerations of the pantograph. Detecting an acceleration pattern based on the monitored accelerations of the pantograph. Determining accelerations in a direction above a predetermined value in the detected acceleration pattern. Determining a maintenance status for the pantograph and/or the contact wire based on the detected acceleration pattern, and wherein the maintenance status indicates a level of wear on the pantograph and/or the contact wire.

A system and method for detecting the operational status of a brake system on a railcar. The system receives from a sensor an indication of the magnitude of a braking force applied by the braking system in response to an instruction to increase or decrease the braking force. It compares the response to possible responses of the braking system in view of the instruction provided. Based on the comparison, the system generates at least one of a message and/or an alert indicating the status of the brake system. Additional sensors, including a pressure sensor on a brake pipe of the railcar, can be added for additional functionality.

A switch control method and apparatus, and a storage medium are provided, which relate to the field of urban rail transit technologies. The method includes: in a process that a train requests a target object for a switch resource, determining that the train is a train before and nearest a switch in combination with switch information sent from an object controller; when the switch is in an idle state, requesting the object controller to move the switch if it is determined that a current switch orientation of the switch is inconsistent with a switch orientation required by the train for the switch, so that the object controller controls to move the switch, and adjusts a status of the switch to a locked state after the switch is moved; and controlling the train to pass through the switch according to a response message returned by the object controller.

A method for operating a rail vehicle includes transmitting an identifier for a software component and/or an identifier for a hardware component of a control system of a rail vehicle. The identifier is transmitted from a computation unit of the rail vehicle to a stationary central computation unit, at least at one predetermined point in time.

A method includes generating movement signals indicative of sensed movement of a powered system in one or more directions and generating fluid level signals indicative of a sensed amount of fluid in the powered system. The method also includes, with one or more processors, receiving the movement signals and the fluid level signals from one or more accelerometers and a fluid level sensor, wherein the one or more processors also configured to filter at least some of the movement signals based on a speed at which the powered system operates. The method also includes, with a first antenna of the sensor assembly, wirelessly communicating one or more of the movement signals or the amount of fluid to a remote location.