In a railway vehicle, a brake control device controlling a first brake device that presses a friction material against a wheel and a second brake device not using the friction material includes: a wheel load estimation unit estimating a wheel load-based on a wheel speed and a brake force applied to the wheel by the friction material; a friction surface state quantity estimation unit estimating a current friction coefficient of the friction material from a state of a friction surface thereof based on the wheel load, the wheel speed, and a brake force command, and outputting a mirror-surfacing signal indicating the friction surface is in a mirror-surfaced state when the friction coefficient is less than a first threshold value; and a brake control unit controlling operations of the first and second brake devices based on the brake force command and presence or absence of the mirror-surfacing signal.

The embodiments of the present application disclose an anti-collision method and apparatus for trains in a cooperative formation. The anti-collision method includes: determining whether it is necessary to control the current train to brake; determining whether a real-time distance between the current train and a previous adjacent train in the same formation as the current train is greater than a preset minimum safety distance; controlling, under a condition that the real-time distance is less than the preset minimum safety distance, the current train to perform electromagnetic braking; and calculating, under a condition that the real-time distance is greater than the preset minimum safety distance, a real-time safety distance between the current train and the previous adjacent train, and controlling, under a condition that the real-time distance is less than the real-time safety distance, the current train to brake.

Described is a system for determining the forward speed of at least one vehicle, comprising control means, each associated with at least one axle, and a communication means for transmitting signals or values between the control means. At measurement instants successive in time, each control means generates a corresponding sliding signal of the respective at least one axle. At a sharing instant, each control means transmits the respective sliding signal, and in the no-sliding condition, the value of a quantity related to the rotation of the respective axle or its own estimated forward speed of the vehicle to the other control means. When all the sliding signals indicate a sliding condition, one of said control means controls first braking means associated with one of the axles, so as to reduce a braking force applied to said axle.

An overall weight (m.sub.tot) of a rail vehicle (100) is estimated by obtaining a power signal (P.sub.m) indicating an amount of power produced by a set of drive units (101, 102, 103) to accelerate the rail vehicle (100) between first and second speeds (v.sub.1; v.sub.2). Then, the following steps are executed: (a) obtaining wheel speed signals indicating respective rotational speeds (.sub.1, .sub.2, .sub.3) of the wheel axles in the driving subset of the wheel axles (131, 132, 133); (b) producing an acceleration control signal (A1) to a specific drive unit (101) in the set of drive units such that this drive unit applies a gradually increasing traction force to a specific wheel axle (131) of the wheel axles in the driving subset of the wheel axles (131, 132, 133); (c) repeatedly determining, during production of the acceleration control signal (A1), an absolute difference (|.sub.1.sub.a|) between the rotational speed of the specific wheel axle (131) and an average rotational speed (.sub.a) of the wheel axles (132, 133) in the driving subset of the wheel axles except the specific wheel axle; and in response to the absolute difference (|.sub.1.sub.a|) exceeding a threshold value; (d) determining a parameter (.sub.m) reflecting a friction coefficient (.sub.e) between a pair of wheels (121a, 121b) on the specific wheel axle (131) and a pair of rails (191, 192) upon which the rail vehicle (100) travels. Steps (a) to (c) are repeated for each of the wheel axles in the driving subset of the wheel axles, and based thereon, a respective fraction (m.sub.1, m.sub.2, m.sub.3) of the overall weight (m.sub.tot) carried by each of wheel axles in the driving subset of the wheel axles (131, 132, 133) is estimated.

A control system and a control method receive, process and exchange information relating to at least one slip-protection system and a unit for outputting adhesion-optimizing material, such as sand, in a rail vehicle.