A railroad car location, speed and heading sensor system including at least one self-powered, tie-mounted sensor node that is applicable universally to different railroad settings without using track circuits, inductive loops, radar systems, and wheel counters and associated disadvantages. Reliable and relatively low cost deterministic and redundant car presence detection is realized when multiple sensor nodes are arranged in a network, which may be a wireless mesh network, that is not affected by environmental conditions.

An automated warning time inspection system (5) and method to test a warning time (45) at a railroad grade crossing (25) on each route for a train (30). The automated warning time inspection system (5) comprises a track circuit (12) configured to activate when a train (30) enters the track circuit (12), an event recorder (17) configured to record a first log time (35(1)) for activation of a crossing warning system (15), a camera (20) to detect a first motion detection indication (40(1)) in a motion detection zone (10) of the camera (20) if there is any motion and an island circuit (22) to detect a presence of the train (30) as the train (30) enters an island (42). The event recorder (17) to record a third log time (35(3)) for switch position indications when present. The event recorder (17) to record a fourth log time (35(4)) for activation of the island circuit (22). The camera (20) to detect a second motion detection indication (40(2)) in the motion detection zone (10) of the camera (20) after the activation of the island circuit (22) if there is any motion. The event recorder (17) to calculate and record a warning time (45) as a difference between the first log time (35(1) and the third log time (35(3)) and based on a motion detection before or after the activation of the island circuit (22) and whether the warning time (45) was more than or equal to a threshold time (50) and whether the train (30) was travelling more than or equal to a threshold speed (52) a passing or a failing of the warning time (45) inspection is logged into the event recorder (17) in a given route (55) of the train (30) travelling on the train track (7).

A railroad crossing indication device (250) includes a processing unit (350) for receiving and processing data provided by a constant warning time device (40) in communication with a railroad track (20), wherein the data relate to a train approaching the railroad crossing, and a screen unit (300, 400, 500) for displaying information of the train approaching the railroad crossing based upon the data provided by the constant warning time device (40). Furthermore, a railroad crossing indication system (200) and a method (600) for displaying information at railroad crossings are disclosed.

A crossing gate mechanism includes an electric motor with one or more sensor(s), a crossing gate arm operated via the electric motor, and a controller configured to control the electric motor to raise or lower the crossing gate arm in response to a gate control signal. The controller is further configured to sense a motion of the crossing gate arm and detect an obstruction that prevents the crossing gate arm to execute the motion. Further, an associated method and non-transitory computer readable medium are described.

In one embodiment, a method includes capturing, by a machine vision device, an image of an object in a railway environment. The machine vision device is attached to a first train car that is moving in a first direction along a first railroad track of the railway environment. The method also includes analyzing, by the machine vision device, the image of the object using one or more machine vision algorithms to determine a value associated with the object. The method further includes determining, by the machine vision device, that the value associated with the object indicates a potential deficiency of the object and communicating, by the machine vision device, an alert to a component external to the first train car. The alert comprises an indication of the potential deficiency of the object.

An automated warning time inspection system and method to test a warning time at a railroad grade crossing on each route for a train. The automated warning time inspection system comprises a track circuit configured to activate when a train enters the track circuit, an event recorder configured to record a first log time for activation of a crossing warning system, a camera to detect a first motion detection indication in a motion detection zone of the camera if there is any motion and an island circuit to detect a presence of the train as the train enters an island. The event recorder to record a third log time for switch position indications when present. The event recorder to record a fourth log time for activation of the island circuit. The camera to detect a second motion detection indication in the motion detection zone of the camera after the activation of the island circuit if there is any motion. The event recorder to calculate and record a warning time as a difference between the first log time and the third log time and based on a motion detection before or after the activation of the island circuit and whether the warning time was more than or equal to a threshold time and whether the train was travelling more than or equal to a threshold speed a passing or a failing of the warning time inspection is logged into the event recorder in a given route of the train travelling on the train track.

A bidirectional overhead urban transport (TUEP) for a large transportation capacity, which is suspended over a series of poles, without interfering with the traffic of vehicles and pedestrians surface, which is characterized by having a continuum of autonomous cabins circulating about a tubular track suspended by static wires hanging from the poles. The system has overhead stations for passengers, by which access is given to the suspended cabins, moved by autonomous and independent electric motors which rotate a drive pulley rolling on the upper back of a horizontal tubular track raised or inclined according to the topography of the ground. The peculiarity of this transport system is that each of the cabins that are only for two passengers, travels directly to a destination station, where is diverted from the main flow to a station, so it is not necessary to stop the main flow of cabins, which results in the although circulating at low to moderate speed, the time required to travel is reduced.

A system includes a locator device and one or more processors operably connected to the locator device. The locator device determines a trailing distance between a trailing vehicle system that travels along a route and a leading vehicle system that travels along the route ahead of the trailing vehicle system in a same direction of travel. The one or more processors compare the trailing distance to a first proximity distance relative to the leading vehicle system. In response to the trailing distance being less than the first proximity distance, the one or more processors set a permitted power output limit for the trailing vehicle system to be less than a maximum achievable power output for the trailing vehicle system, the permitted power output limit being set based on a power-to-weight ratio of the leading vehicle system.

A vehicle warning system and method receive an information notification from a first vehicle system at a second vehicle system. The information notification includes traversal information associated with a position of the first vehicle system and/or an identifier associated with the first vehicle system. The information notification also including a warning that indicates of the second vehicle system is moving too close to the first vehicle system and/or the first vehicle system and the second vehicle system are headed toward an intersection. A decision is made as to whether a response should be sent based on the information notification and sending the response based on the information notification to the first vehicle system. The response includes a command to slow down or stop to avoid a collision with the first vehicle system.

In one embodiment, a method includes capturing, by a machine vision device, an image of an object in a railway environment. The machine vision device is attached to a first train car that is moving in a first direction along a first railroad track of the railway environment. The method also includes analyzing, by the machine vision device, the image of the object using one or more machine vision algorithms to determine a value associated with the object. The method further includes determining, by the machine vision device, that the value associated with the object indicates a potential deficiency of the object and communicating, by the machine vision device, an alert to a component external to the first train car. The alert comprises an indication of the potential deficiency of the object.