A method and a system (30) for inspecting and/or mapping a railway track (18). The method comprises: acquiring geo-referenced rail geometry data associated with geometries of two rails (20) of the track along the section; acquiring geo-referenced 3D point cloud data, which includes point data corresponding to the two rails and surroundings of the track along the section; deriving track profiles of the track from the geo-referenced 3D point cloud data and the geo-referenced rail geometry data; and comparing the track profiles and generating enhanced geo-referenced rail geometry data and/or enhanced geo-referenced 3D point cloud data based on the comparison.

The present invention includes an on-board control apparatus that generates train position information using ground coil position information and train speed information and outputs the train position information, and a ground control apparatus that receives the train position information outputted by the on-board control apparatus, identifies a position of a train using the train position information and stored track information, generates train control data having a size corresponding to the identified position of the train, and outputs the train control data toward the train.

In one example, a wayside device monitoring system is provided. The system may include a wayside device and a controller. The wayside device may detect one or more operating parameters of a vehicle in a vehicle system moving over a route segment. The controller can receive information from the wayside device regarding at least the one or more operating parameters detected, and can control movement the vehicle directly or indirectly based at least in part on the received information.

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 control system and method wirelessly communicate from at least one wireless transmitter positioned proximate a route crossing to a wireless receiver of a vehicle via a wireless wayside transceiver. The system and method communicate an indication of whether the route crossing is clear for passage of the vehicle through the route crossing. The system and method receive the indication by the wireless transmitter and using the vehicle receiver. A vehicle controller or an operator of the vehicle can determine whether it is safe for the vehicle to travel through the route crossing based on the indication received by the vehicle receiver from the portable transmitter. The vehicle can then be operated based on the determination.

A method for generating an image of a route network that is travelled through by a rail vehicle. The image is generated with the use of activities that are recorded by the rail vehicle as it travels through the route network and sorted in an activity sequence. In order to provide an improved method, patterns in the activity sequence are identified with use of a pattern detection method and the image of the route network is generated with the use of the identified patterns.

The present disclosure relates to displacement measurements using magnetic displacement measurement units. In various embodiments, the disclosed displacement measurement unit is configured to determine a displacement position of a vehicle along a guideway. In various embodiments, the displacement measurement unit includes a set of locator devices that are distributed at fixed displacement positions along the guideway, where a given locator device includes a magnetic element configured to produce a corresponding magnetic field. Further, in various embodiments, the displacement measurement unit includes a position sensor that is attached to the vehicle, where the position sensor is configured to detect a magnetic field produced one or more of the locator devices when the position sensor is brought within a detection range of one or more locator devices.

In a rail system and method for operating a rail system having a rail-guided mobile part and having a central control system, the mobile part includes a device for acquiring the position of the mobile part, the mobile part has a first drive, in particular a traction drive, the mobile part has a current acquisition device, the mobile part has a processor for evaluating the current-value profile acquired between a first position and a second position, the processor as a device for evaluating the current-value profile is configured such that the processor determines as an evaluation value tuples which include at least an item of position information and a value determined from the current-value profile, the processor is connected with the aid of a data transmission channel to the central control system for the transmission of the value tuples, the central control system is adapted to monitor the value tuples and monitors the respective value determined from the individual current profile for an exceeding of a permissible measure of a deviation from a predefined value, in particular a setpoint value.

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 train positioning method includes acquiring first device identification information at an antenna; acquiring train positioning information; after determining the first device identification information is trustworthy, storing the first device identification information and the positioning information in a non-volatile memory; after awakening the train from dormancy mode, receiving second device identification information using the antenna; according to the received second device identification information and the first device identification information from the memory, determining whether, after being awakened, the train is at the same position as before entering dormancy mode; upon determining that, after awakening, the train is at the same position as before entering dormancy mode, determining the current position and direction of the train match positioning information in the memory, and completing positioning of the train. This ensures the usage experience of users of a train. An apparatus, a system, and a computer-readable medium are also provided.