A method for operating a rail vehicle includes, at least to some extent, using a secondary ETCS device which travels along with the rail vehicle but is not used for its operation, if a fault occurs in a primary ETCS device. A secondary EVC takes over the role of a primary EVC and, in many applications, at least some train control functions. The advantage is that train control can, at least in some fault cases, be continued in an automated way in the case of a failure of a component of the primary ETCS device. A rail vehicle and an apparatus for the operation of a rail vehicle are also provided.

A positive train control system and method comprises a plurality of RFID devices embedded in a track way and having data representing location stored therein, and an RFID reader/detector mounted on a train for reading the location data from the embedded RFID devices. The location data is processed on the train and/or at a central facility for determining whether the train location and/or time is consistent with a train routing order. Messages, alerts and/or warnings may be generated for an alert device and/or for automated response, e.g., via a train control system.

A train control system that can be integrated into a locomotive having a distributed power mode. The train control system includes a router interposed in a communication link between the locomotive computer and the distributed power module that is responsible for telling the locomotive computer whether distributed power mode is active or inactive. The train control system controls the router to obtain any locomotive operational data sent from the locomotive computer to the distributed power module for use by the train control system. The router may additionally intercept and block communications from the distributed power module to the locomotive computer and replace the communications with messages that cause the locomotive computer to provide locomotive operational data that is would not otherwise output in a particular distributed power state.

A system for pacing a train having a plurality of locomotives is disclosed. The system may include an signaling system onboard component configured to receive a signal indicative of a requested time of arrival (RTA) of the train, a locomotive health system configured to output one or more health signals indicative of a health status of each of the plurality of locomotives, and an energy management system in electronic communication with the signaling system onboard component and the locomotive health system. The energy management system may be configured to generate driving command signals based on the RTA and the one or more health signals, generate an RTA confirmation signal based on the one or more health signals, the RTA confirmation signal being indicative of whether the train will achieve the RTA, and communicate the RTA confirmation signal to a train signaling system via the signaling system onboard component.

A locomotive wireless multi-heading remote distributed power traction operation control system. A set of differential multi-heading control unit (8) is added to a train control and management system of an original locomotive, and is combined and fused with a train control and management system (21), a brake control unit (24), a train safety monitoring device (20), a locomotive logic control unit (23), and a locomotive third-party device (25) to implement wireless multi-heading distributed power traction control operation of locomotives in a heavy haul combined train, and adapt to train multi-heading traction control operation of differential locomotives of a heavy haul combined train or multi-heading operation of different railway locomotives. Also provided is a multi-heading locomotive.

The invention relates to a mobile network subscriber (10) for use in a cabled network (1), particularly in a collector wire network of an electric telpher, wherein the cabled network (1) has at least one first segment (S1) and at least one second segment (S2) and wherein the mobile network subscriber (10) has a first slave modem (SM1), a second slave modem (SM2), a first contact arrangement (K1) and a second contact arrangement (K2) in each case. In order to allow a change between two segments of a network in a simple and efficient manner, it is proposed that the slave modems (SM1, SM2) be provided for communication with at least one first master modem (MM1) and/or at least one second master modem (M2) via the contact arrangements (K1, K2) and the segments (S1, S2), wherein the mobile network subscriber (10) is provided for movement along the segments (S1, S2), the contact arrangements (K1, K2) of the mobile network subscriber (10) being arranged such that the change from the first segment (S1) to the second segment (S2) involves at least one of the contact arrangements (K1, K2) being connected to the first segment (S1) and at least one further contact arrangement (K1, K2) being connected to the second segment (S2).

A control arrangement for a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, includes an operational control system which has at least one central control unit, a set of decentralized sub-system controllers and a control network to which the control unit and the sub-system controllers are connected. In order to ensure that the control satisfies high safety requirements, the control arrangement has an operational control module which is different from the control unit, is connected to the control network and has a data connection unit which is different from the control network and by which the operational control module is connected by data technology to the sub-system controllers. A vehicle having the control arrangement and an operational control module forming the control arrangement in cooperation with an operational control system, are also provided.

A rail vehicle includes a vehicle unit having operating device subsystems and a guide system including a first guide system level in which operating device subsystems are networked with one another by using a digital data bus structure, and at least one second guide system level having at least one line set associated with the analog handling of processes in the operating device subsystems. In order to provide a generic rail vehicle in which a high level of safety can be achieved with little outlay on wiring, the vehicle unit includes a guide system interface device having a first interface unit associated with the data bus structure, at least one second interface unit associated with the line set, and a control unit which, in at least one operating mode, is provided for handling the processes through the second interface unit.

A train safety assembly has an onboard apparatus of a first train safety system and a specific transmission device for transmission with a trackside part of a second train safety system. The onboard apparatus is started using a version of a first software and the specific transmission device is started using a version of a second software. The versions of the first and second software are checked for their compatibility. In order to be able to provide the train safety assembly for use on a track section, which is equipped with the trackside part of the second train safety system, and to put same into operation in a faster and more cost-efficient manner, if the started versions of the first and second software are incompatible, the transmission device is automatically restarted with another version of the second software, and the started first and second software are checked for their compatibility.

A system, method, and apparatus for generating vital messages on an on-board system of a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes generating a plurality of vital messages with each processor of a plurality of different processors of the on-board system based on train data available to each processor, transmitting the plurality of vital messages from the plurality of different processors to a separate processor, and generating, by the separate processor, a final vital message based on at least two vital messages of the plurality of vital messages. A system and an apparatus for implementing the aforementioned method includes appropriately communicatively connected hardware components.