A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) based vehicle-mounted system may include a first plurality of antennas and a second plurality of antennas, with an antenna of the first plurality having different polarization than an antenna of the second plurality, an antenna of the first plurality and an antenna of the second plurality having antenna patterns in a different direction relative to at least another antenna of the first plurality and another antenna of the second plurality, and an antenna pattern of one antenna of the first plurality and an antenna pattern of one antenna of the second plurality being directed at least approximately parallel to the path. A corresponding MIMO-based stationary system may include at least a first plurality of antennas and a second plurality of antennas, with radiation patterns of the first and second pluralities being configured to overlap within an area between the first and second pluralities.

A railroad measurement system includes a railroad track powered measurement device providing measurement signals of electrical quantities across rails of a railroad track; a wayside control device adapted to receive the measurement signals provided by the railroad track powered measurement device; and a communication network interfacing with the railroad track powered measurement device and adapted to transmit data, wherein the railroad track powered measurement device is adapted to transmit the measurement signals of the electrical quantities via the communication network, and the wayside control device is adapted to receive the measurement signals.

A method operates a track-bound traffic system which in a particularly efficient manner and at the same time with a comparably low degree of complexity allows the position of at least one vehicle end of a track-bound vehicle to be ascertained. For this purpose, the method is carried out such that a track-side device transmits first information which directly or indirectly characterizes the location of the track-side device and second information which directly or indirectly characterizes the travel direction of a track-bound vehicle. The first and second information is received by the track-bound vehicle at the location of the track-side device; and a position of at least one vehicle end of the track-bound vehicle is ascertained by the track-bound vehicle on the basis of the received first and second information.

A method and system for health assessment of a track circuit and/or of a track section, the track circuit being configured for detecting the presence of a vehicle on the track section between a transmitting end and a receiving end of the track circuit. The method, implemented by an electronic device, comprises obtaining, from a sensor device placed near the receiving end, samples of an electrical parameter of an electric signal transmitted between the transmitting end and the receiving end of the track section, forming a temporal series of received samples, applying an automatic clustering algorithm to separate the received samples in a predetermined number of clusters, selecting one of the clusters and determining, for the selected cluster, a first peak value of the received samples classified within the selected cluster, and calculating a track circuit health indicator depending on the first peak value determined for the selected cluster.

The present invention relates to a method for determining the location of a train on a track or of a broken rail of a track, the track including a first section having a first end and a second end, the method including: injecting a current into the track at one end of the first end and second end; detecting the amplitude of the injected current at the same end at which the current was injected; and determining, based on the detected amplitude, the location of the train on the track or of the broken rail of the track.

A train detection system for a railway track section placed on a track bed, the track section having two rails, the train detection system comprising at least one cable, the cable being placed across the two rails, a transmitter connected to the cable and configured to emit an emitted signal into the at least one cable, a receiver connected to the cable and configured to receive a received signal related to the emitted signal having passed through the cable, and capable of determining, according to the received signal, between an unoccupied state where no railway vehicle is present on the track section, and an occupied state where the track section is occupied by a railway vehicle. The cable is buried under the track bed.

A traffic control system (100) includes a railroad crossing control system (10) with a constant warning time device (40), a wheel sensing system (120) with a sensor (122) connected to a rail (20a, 20b) of a railroad track (20) at a predetermined position (P), and a communication network (140) interfacing with the railroad crossing control system (10) and the wheel sensing system (120) and adapted to transmit data. The wheel sensing system (120) provides speed values of a rail vehicle travelling on the railroad track (20), wherein the speed values are transmitted to the railroad crossing control system (10) via the communication network (140) for producing a preemption signal for the traffic signal control system (110). Further, a method for providing a preemption signal for a traffic signal control system (110) is described.

A train safety system comprises a cable connected to at least two conducting contacts, an electrical load between said two conducting magnetic contacts, and a DC track circuit associated with railroad tracks wherein the at least two conducting plates can be connected to each of the railroad rails in order to shunt the DC track circuit and alert oncoming trains of fouling of the tracks or crossing ahead.

The railroad track wire connection is configured for electrically connecting a first element of a railroad installation to a second element of the railroad installation, the first element and the second element being electrically conductive, at least one of the first element and the second element being a rail of a line of rails of a railroad track of the railroad installation. The railroad track wire connection comprises at least one first element wire having a proximal end for connection to the first element and a distal end, a first element connector provided at the distal end of each first element wire, the first element connector being configured for electrical connection with the second element directly or via a mating second element connector, wherein the first element connector comprises a magnetic element for generating a magnetic force with the second element for fixing the first element connector to the second element in a removable manner or with a magnetic element of the second element connector for fixing the first element connector to the second element connector in a removable manner.

An electric rail system includes a current collector mounted for movement along at least one rail of the electric rail system and a monitoring system for detecting a condition indicative of a problem with the rail system or the current collector. The monitoring system includes a detector having one or more of: a camera configured to record images of a portion of the rail system in front of or behind the current collector, at least one vibration sensor on at least one slip contact of the current collector, an optical spark sensor configured to detect sparks in a contact region between the slip contact and the at least one rail, and at least one distance sensor configured to detect a distance between the at least one distance sensor and the at least one rail.