Systems and methods are provided for achieving vital ultra-wideband (UWB) based train control. Train-mounted units and wayside units that incorporate at least two separate and independent radios are used to obtain independent and separate ranging measurements in trains based on communications between the train-mounted units and wayside units. The communications includes communication of ultra-wideband (UWB) based signals.

In a method for mixed operation of a section of railroad line, the section of line is trafficable by trains equipped with a train control system, and by trains not equipped with this train control system. The section of line is provided with a switch so that in the event that a train not equipped with the train control system is to enter the section of line from the direction of a side track, the section of line is indicated as occupied. The occupied indication is triggered by a first throwing of the switch in the direction of the side track. After the train not equipped with the train control system has passed through, the occupied indication is canceled. The cancelation is triggered by a second throwing of the switch. After throwing of the switch, a clearing run is carried out on the section of line by an equipped train.

An apparatus for sensing and optimizing the stopping-point accuracy of a vehicle. The apparatus includes at least one sensor unit, which can be arranged on the vehicle, and at least one evaluation unit connected to the sensor unit. The at least one sensor unit is configured to measure a distance relative to a gap profile arranged at a stopping point to which the vehicle travels and to transmit the measurement result to the evaluation unit connected to the sensor unit. There is also described a corresponding system including the apparatus and the distance profile, and also a vehicle with such an apparatus.

A train control system comprising a track switch controller; RFID tags located at first and second track switches coupled via a length of track that store characteristics of train sets as they pass the track switches, and RFID tag readers located on the train sets, connected to a network. The train sets write data to the RFID tags such that the data is read by RFID tag readers of subsequent trains; and the data stored in the RFID tags is overwritten with new data each time a train set passes by the RFID tags.

A method and device for ascertaining movement authority for track-bound vehicles allow interference with a driving operation resulting in special operational situations or disturbances to be kept as low as possible. The position of the vehicle is determined and used to check whether the vehicle is located completely in an axle-counting section of an axle-counting system. The number of axles of the vehicle is compared with the number of axles located in the relevant section according to the system. If the vehicle is located completely in the relevant section and the number of axles of the vehicle matches the number of axles located in the section according to the system, a movement authority is ascertained for the vehicle. The part of the relevant section in front of the vehicle in the driving direction is assumed to be free of other vehicles when ascertaining the movement authority.

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a route resource controlling method, intelligent vehicle on-board controller and object controller. The method comprises: determining a route search extension distance of a train based on current location and speed of the train, wherein the current route search extension distance is the farthest distance in front of the train that is currently expected to be safe for operation based on current speed of the train; determining the currently required link and route resource contained thereof; determining the target authority of the route resource.

A method performs a mixed operation of a track-bound line section. Trains that are equipped with a train protection system run there. In order to guide trains that are not equipped with the train protection system through the line section, provision is made for switches to be set as a protecting switch for the purpose of following-move protection. However, the switch is reset again before the passage of the unequipped train, wherein the respective block section of the line section must be free again at this time point. The method therefore allows mixed operation of equipped and unequipped trains while at the same time requiring limited component expense for lineside train protection apparatus.

A first ground apparatus performs polling communication with a train using a first train list. A second ground apparatus performs polling communication with a train using a second train list. Each ground apparatus respectively acquires train location information from the trains to be managed. The first ground apparatus notifies the second ground apparatus of a going-out notification of a boundary passing train that goes out from a first radio communication control region and comes in a second radio communication control region, and, in the case where the boundary passing train goes out from the first radio communication control region, deletes train identification information of the boundary passing train from the first train list. The second ground apparatus adds the train identification information of the boundary passing train to the second train list in the case where the going-out notification is input from the first ground apparatus.

A method and an apparatus for a train control system are disclosed, and are based on virtualization of train control logic and the use of cloud computing resources. A train control system is configured into two main parts. The first part includes physical elements of the train control system, and the second part includes a virtual train control system that provides the computing resources for the required train control application platforms. The disclosed architecture can be used with various train control technologies, including communications based train control, cab-signaling and fixed block, wayside signal technology. Further, the disclosure describes methodologies to convert cab-signaling and manual operations into distance to go operation.

A robust system processor comprising three parallel processors, each configured to process in parallel an input and emit an output; and a reconciler that compares the three outputs, determines whether at least two of the outputs are equal, and if so validates the majority output and communicates the validated output via a network to at least one other system processor.