A system that allows an electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) railcar to be optionally selected as the ECP End of Train (EOT) device when that car is positioned at the end of a train regardless of its physical orientation. This eliminates the requirement to use and install a traditional End of Train (EOT) device at the end of an ECP train while maintaining the same train integrity monitoring functionality that is typically provided for train brake-in-two detection and closed cut-out cock detection. The system also eliminates the requirement for a dedicated EOT device at the end of the train for ECP “RUN” Mode operation, and allows any ECP car to function normally as part of the train or act as the EOT device when selected.

A method and system for identification of obstacles near railways and for providing alarm to an operator of a train if obstacles constitute threat to the train are disclosed. The system comprise IR sensor disposed at the front of the train facing the direction of travel. The IR sensor receives images of the rails in front of the train. The system comprises pre-stored vibration profile of the train's engine that is used to eliminate influence of the engine's vibrations on the accuracy of the received images. Presence of rails in the received frames is detected based on inherent differences of temperature between the rails and the substrate in the rails' background, such as the railway sleepers and the materials underneath it. The system may detect defects in an electric conductor system of a train.

A distribution device includes: a data acquisition unit acquiring operation data, which includes position information indicating train position when a measured value is acquired and information on the measured value, from a vehicle information management device collecting the measured value indicating operating state of equipment on a train; a history data management unit determining a representative value for each position information, generating and storing history data including the position information and information on the representative value, and distributing the history data to a data receiving device; and a connection management unit reading, based on the position information included in the operation data, the representative value corresponding to the position information from the history data, calculating a difference value between the measured value included in the operation data and the representative value, and distributing difference data including the position information and information on the difference value to the data receiving device.

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 system and method of supervising vehicle positioning of a vehicle along a guideway where the vehicle comprising a supervisory controller, at least two controllers communicatively connected with the supervisory controller, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a speed measurement sensor includes receiving, by the controllers, speed measurements from the speed measurement sensor and motion measurements from the inertial measurement unit. The two controllers each estimate the along-track position of the vehicle using a track constrained UKF function based on the received speed measurements and motion measurements. The system executes protection level and protection level supervision functions on the supervisory controller to validate the along-track position estimates. The protection level supervision function uses a Stanford diagram verification technique.

A positioning and odometry system includes two or more vehicle beacons installed on an end of a vehicle and configured to communicate with one or more guideway beacons installed along a guideway. Processing circuitry is configured to communicate with the one or more vehicle beacons and perform at least one of: determine, before the processing circuitry enters a sleep state, a first vehicle position on the guideway; determine, after the processing circuitry wakes from the sleep state, a second vehicle position on the guideway; determine, after the processing circuitry wakes from the sleep state, any difference between the first vehicle position on the guideway and the second vehicle position on the guideway; determine a third vehicle position on the guideway using range measurements taken at configurable time intervals; and determine a vehicle speed where speed is measured as a change in the third vehicle position over time.

A collision avoidance system obtains movement indicative data of plural vehicles included in separate vehicle systems. The movement indicative data can be obtained from sensors onboard the vehicles. The system determines an identification of which of the vehicles are included in the separate vehicle systems based on the movement indicative data that are obtained and determines a collision risk between two or more vehicle systems of the separate vehicle systems based on the movement indicative data that are obtained and the identification of which of the vehicles are in the separate vehicle systems. The system automatically changes movement of at least one of the two or more vehicle systems responsive to determining the collision risk.

A train navigation system and method are provided for safely navigating a track loop in a railway, by determining a head end location of a train navigating a track block in a plurality of track blocks associated with a track loop in the railway; determining a train route from the head end location of the train including a forward path and a rearward path, the train route based on a position of a switch in the plurality of track blocks associated with the track loop in the railway; the system and method for dynamically generating an updated train route as the train traverses the railway based on a continuously updated head end location as the train traverses the railway relative to the position of the switch; and safely traversing the track loop in the railway based upon the updated train route.

A method for safe supervising train integrity includes: (a) acquiring first position data of the first carriage via a first tracking unit which is installed on-board of a first carriage and acquiring second position data of a second carriage via a second tracking unit which is installed on-board of the second carriage, wherein the position data is related to a rail route coordinate system; (b) determining a deviation between a reference value which depends on the length of the train and a position value which depends on position data of at least one of the tracking units; (c) detecting whether train integrity is given by analyzing the deviation; (d) repeating steps a) through c); wherein the tracking units are part of on-board units of an automatic train protection system. Thus a cost-efficient method for supervising train integrity which complies with safety level SIL4 can be realized.

A method and system for identification of obstacles near railways and for providing alarm to an operator of a train if obstacles constitute threat to the train are disclosed. The system comprise IR sensor disposed at the front of the train facing the direction of travel. The IR sensor receives images of the rails in front of the train. The system comprises pre-stored vibration profile of the train's engine that is used to eliminate influence of the engine's vibrations on the accuracy of the received images. Presence of rails in the received frames is detected based on inherent differences of temperature between the rails and the substrate in the rails' background, such as the railway sleepers and the materials underneath it. The system may detect defects in an electric conductor system of a train.