A system and method for inspecting components of a moving train having a locomotive and a plurality of rail cars is disclosed. An inspection unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may be deployed from the locomotive or one of the rail cars of the train, and the inspection UAV may fly to an initial inspection position relative to the moving train. The inspection UAV performs an inspection function on components of the moving train via inspection equipment mounted on the inspection UAV and starting at the initial inspection position. The inspection UAV then returns to the locomotive and the rail car after the inspection of the components of the moving train is complete.

The present invention generally relates to a rail transport system having no internal drive, and in particular to an improved rail transport system for conveying bulk materials. The rail transport system includes horizontal and vertical drive stations that include a drive tire that rotates on a plane parallel to the track. In this arrangement, force is applied on a different plane than earlier systems, and the reaction force is separated out of the tensioning device. The improvements of the drive stations provide for a reduction of steel used in the system, improved manufacturability and, therefore, reduction in system component costs as compared to previous drive stations. Moreover, the drive stations allow for improved maintainability and access to the drive tires.

A system (e.g., a target activation system for a transportation network) includes one or more processors configured to be operably coupled onboard a vehicle system having one or more vehicles. The processor(s) are further configured to determine an estimated time of arrival of the vehicle system at a first target location associated with a forward route of the vehicle system, determine a gap time between when the vehicle system leaves the first target location and is estimated to arrive at a second target location, and, based at least in part on the estimated time of arrival, a dwell time of the vehicle system at the first target location, the gap time, an allowable speed or acceleration of the vehicle system, and a designated warning time, generate an activation message configured to control at least one device associated with the second target location.

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.

A vehicle control system includes a movement sensor configured to output information indicative of movement of a vehicle system and a controller configured to determine whether the vehicle system has stopped moving based on the information that is output from the movement sensor. The controller is configured to increment a counter based on a length of time that the vehicle system has remained stopped. The controller is configured to control operation of the vehicle system based on the counter that is incremented.

According to one embodiment, a train operation planning support system displays a timetable of a train in which a first required time and a first buffer time are placed for running time of the train and a second required time and a second buffer time are placed for dwell time of the train. The first required time is time required for a train running between a departure station and an arrival station. The first buffer time is buffer time obtained by subtracting the first required time from running time of the train set as a target value. The second required time is time required for the train stopping at the arrival station. The second buffer time is buffer time obtained by subtracting the second required time from dwell time of the train which is set as a target value.

A wayside railway sensor package is provided to detect railway wheels for the purposes of assessing the speed and direction of a train in order to align any measured characteristic on said moving train with the proper vehicle. The stand-alone package is easily installed in the web of the rail using standard tools. When used in combination with recent processing techniques, the package can be used to replace one or more components or subsystems on all common wayside detectors while also providing enhanced capabilities and improved reliability. The package also contains sensors that provide data used for assessing additional rail, wheel, and vehicle conditions directly.

A train system is provided that includes a train set including at least one railway car, at least one first set of two trackside points located along a path of the train set, at least one second set of two trackside points, at least one RFID tag located at each of the trackside points configured to store dynamic and static characteristics of the train set as it passes the at least one first set of two trackside points, at least one RFID tag located at each of the at least one first set of two trackside points and the at least one second set of two trackside points, the at least one RFID tag being configured to store characteristics of the train set as it passes the at least one second set of the at least two track points, and at least one RFID tag reader connected to a network.

A train-information management device mounted on a train, includes: an intra-block position calculator to convert information on a kilometrage that indicates a position of the train into information on a block number and an intra-block position of a plurality of blocks into which a route of the train is divided and that are used when a train position is specified by a train radio system; and an on-board router to communicate the information on the block number and the intra-block position to a ground side by using a system that is different from a system that is used for communication between the ground side and a train side via a radio base station in the train radio system.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for allowing vehicles access or egress from a dedicated roadway. In some implementations, a system includes a server, an interface, and sensors. The interface receives data from a railroad system that manages a railroad running parallel to a first roadway. The sensors are positioned in a location relative to the first and second roadway. Each sensor can detect vehicles on the second roadway. For each detected vehicle, each sensor can generate first sensor data based on the detected vehicle and the data received at the interface. Second sensor data can be generated based on activities on the first roadway. Observational data can be generated based on the first and second sensor data. An instruction can be determined to allow the detected vehicle access to the first roadway. The instruction can be transmitted to the detected vehicle.