The SmartRaCon Concept for advanced train control systems

Abstract

Innovative technologies enable new approaches for train control, command and signaling systems. E.g. digitalization and automation lead to completely new concepts. The partner RAILENIUM, NSL, CEIT and DLR have founded the consortium Smart Rail Control (SmartRaCon) to develop new concepts, approachs and technologies for the train control, command and signaling systems of the future. In this contribution the developments in the areas of communication, localization and train integrity will be discussed. For the communication the next generation of mobile radio 5G is in the focus with the capability to support software defined networks and radio as well as virtualization potentials. For localization and train integrity supervision algorithms for the fusion of sensor data and digital maps are the key elements. E.g. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) together with complementary sensors can be used to achieve a safe and reliable localization. This concept again can serve as a core of a end-of-train device for train integrity monitoring. Further elements like the traffic management or moving block as well as procedural aspects like simulation-based testing are subject of the SmartRaCon concepts and are related to the issues discussed here. The architectural concept to integrate all those elements is based on the idea to use components and software common-off-the-shelf (COTS) and to integrate them into a railway network in a modular way.