Smart Railway Operation Aid System for Facilities With Low-Safety Requirements

Abstract

Rail traffic control systems are undergoing an important transformation. ERMTS/ECTS, CBTC, PTC and other train control systems based on radio communication are being deployed in different countries. These systems meet the high safety requirements for passenger traffic, and cover from congested urban areas to high-speed trains. However, there is a set of facilities, such as ports, dry ports, facilities for the repair and maintenance of trains, logistic centers, mines, etc., whose trains, that only carry freight, circulate in a controlled environment at a low speed. These facilities have low safety requirements. For them, present commercial systems become too expensive, so that, in most cases, railway traffic is still handled manually. This paper presents a system to aid in the exploitation of rail traffic for this type of facilities, called SFPS (Seville Ferro-Port System). SFPS presents many of the features of the most advanced traffic control systems, but incorporates innovations based on Information and Communications Technologies to reduce costs. To this end, train location is based on a satellite global positioning system, physical signs are replaced by virtual ones, displayed in an On-Board Unit, and communication is almost entirely wireless. SFPS has been in a trial phase since March 2016, covering part of the railway facilities of the Port Authority of Seville, with satisfactory results.