A method for maintenance of a permanent way, roadway or travel path for rail vehicles includes determining the actual condition of the permanent way by using a measuring system to record measurement data. Objects along the permanent way are detected from the measurement data by using an evaluation device. A detected object is assigned to an object class, and at least one object class identification linked with positional data is stored in a database for a detected object. The actual condition of the permanent way is thus stored in an object-based manner, and a comparison with a target condition or with historic actual conditions is used for the planning and execution of maintenance measures. A maintenance system for executing the method is also provided.

A method for maintenance of a permanent way, roadway or travel path for rail vehicles includes determining the actual condition of the permanent way by using a measuring system to record measurement data. Objects along the permanent way are detected from the measurement data by using an evaluation device. A detected object is assigned to an object class, and at least one object class identification linked with positional data is stored in a database for a detected object. The actual condition of the permanent way is thus stored in an object-based manner, and a comparison with a target condition or with historic actual conditions is used for the planning and execution of maintenance measures. A maintenance system for executing the method is also provided.

A event recorder system carried on-board a locomotive may include a controller configured to receive data from one or more of a train management system, a cab signaling system, an energy management system, an exhaust aftertreatment monitoring system, a braking system, a communications management system, and an operator fatigue or distraction monitoring system. The data may include one or more of video data, audio data, sensor output data, GPS map data, scanned image data of an operator in a cab of the locomotive, and operational data associated with operation of the locomotive during a trip. The controller may be configured to synchronize the data based on a common attribute associated with all of the data received by the controller, receive from a user one or more customizable parameters predetermined to be indicative of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior associated with any one or more of the systems from which the controller receives data, and generate a system notification based on an indication of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior that one of falls outside of a predetermined range of system-determinable parameters, or indicates a trend in one or more system-determinable parameters that deviates from an expected trend in the one or more system-determinable parameters.

A train control apparatus includes: a first ground device 22a provided in a first section CZ1; and a second ground device 22b provided in a second section CZ2 continuing from the first section CZ1 in a train travel direction. When a train 10 in the first section CZ1 enters a control transition section ZCR determined using a control section border CZI as a termination end, the first ground device 22a instructs a first vehicle radio set 14r to send a first report signal RR1 to the first ground device 22a in accordance with a first communication condition determined by the first ground device 22a, and instructs a second vehicle radio set 14f to send a second report signal RF2 to the second ground device 22b in accordance with a second communication condition determined by the second ground device 22b. In response to the reception of the second report signal RF2 from the second vehicle radio set 14f, the second ground device 22b instructs the second vehicle radio set 14f to send a report signal including train location information to the second ground device 22b in accordance with the second communication condition.

A system comprises a first sensor on a first end of a vehicle and an on-board controller coupled to the first sensor. The first sensor is configured to detect a radio frequency (RF) signature of a marker along a guideway. The first sensor is a radar detection device. The on-board controller is configured to determine a first position of the vehicle on the guideway or a first distance from the position of the vehicle to a stopping location along the guideway based on at least the RF signature received from the first sensor. The marker is a metasurface plate comprising a first diffused element, a first retroreflector element, a first absorbing element and a second diffused element between the first retroreflector element and the first absorbing element.

A train information announcement system of the present invention includes vehicle radio sets VRS1 and VRS2 which performs wireless communication, and is installed on a train 1 which moves on a railroad track R, wayside radio sets WRS1 to WRS5 arranged along the railroad track R, and an information providing means which provides train information announcements at a station at predetermined timing based on information about a train location obtained by the wireless communication between the vehicle radio sets VRS1 and VRS2 and the wayside radio sets WRS1 to WRS5.

A train information announcement system of the present invention includes vehicle radio sets VRS1 and VRS2 which performs wireless communication, and is installed on a train 1 which moves on a railroad track R, wayside radio sets WRS1 to WRS5 arranged along the railroad track R, and an information providing means which provides train information announcements at a station at predetermined timing based on information about a train location obtained by the wireless communication between the vehicle radio sets VRS1 and VRS2 and the wayside radio sets WRS1 to WRS5.

A system for determining a location of a rail vehicle based on a radio frequency (RF) signal includes at least one processor programmed or configured to receive an RF signal transmitted by at least one radio transmitter device, where the RF signal includes location data associated with the location of the at least one radio transmitter device, determine a location of the at least one radio transmitter device based on the location data associated with the location of the at least one radio transmitter included in the RF signal, and determine a location of a rail vehicle based on the location of the at least one radio transmitter device. A method and computer program product are also disclosed.

A central device includes an information replacing unit. When the information replacing unit detects, on the basis of contact information acquired from an electric coupler provided in a coupled vehicle in a formation B having a train-information management device that manages vehicle information in accordance with the Ethernet® protocol, that a formation A that includes a train-information management device that manages vehicle information in accordance with the ARCNET protocol is coupled to the formation B, then the information replacing unit replaces vehicle information from the formation A with vehicle information in accordance with the Ethernet® protocol; outputs the replaced vehicle information to the formation B; replaces the vehicle information from the formation B with the vehicle information in accordance with the ARCNET protocol; and outputs the replaced vehicle information to the formation A.

A central device includes an information replacing unit. When the information replacing unit detects, on the basis of contact information acquired from an electric coupler provided in a coupled vehicle in a formation B having a train-information management device that manages vehicle information in accordance with the Ethernet® protocol, that a formation A that includes a train-information management device that manages vehicle information in accordance with the ARCNET protocol is coupled to the formation B, then the information replacing unit replaces vehicle information from the formation A with vehicle information in accordance with the Ethernet® protocol; outputs the replaced vehicle information to the formation B; replaces the vehicle information from the formation B with the vehicle information in accordance with the ARCNET protocol; and outputs the replaced vehicle information to the formation A.