Railway control and protection system

Abstract

 A train protection and control system is disclosed which is suitable for use with an existing signalling system without requiring any functional change to the signalling system, the signalling system comprising a plurality of railway trackside devices (1), an interlocking (2) connected to the trackside devices (1) for controlling the trackside devices (1) and a control centre (3) connected to the interlocking (2). The train protection and control system provides diverse means of protection of movement of a train by transmitting movement authorities to the train independently of the interlocking (2).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to railway control and protection systems and in particular to the safe movement of trains along a railway line.

[0002] A railway control system comprises trackside devices such as train detection equipment, point machines to set, lock and determine the lie of routes and lineside signals by which to communicate the authority to proceed to train drivers. These trackside devices are connected to an interlocking which determines the safe logic state of these devices according to controls emanating from a control centre and the positions of trains on the railway.

[0003] As shown in Figure 1, conventionally a plurality of trackside devices 1 are connected to an interlocking 2. In turn, the interlocking, of which there may be a plurality, is connected by suitable means to a control centre 3 for the overall co-ordination of control of the railway. In such a system, automatic train protection may not be provided.

[0004] Typically the addition of train protection functionality to an existing signalling system would require the connection of, for example, European Rail Traffic Management System / European Train Control System (ERTMS/ETCS) radio block centre (RBC) equipment with a safety critical interface to the interlocking. The introduction and operation of such an interface requires significant alteration and in some cases replacement of the existing interlocking equipment. Figure 2 shows the addition of RBC equipment conventionally to an existing signalling system, where RBC equipment 4, of which there may be a plurality, is shown communicating by radio with a train 5 and directly with the interlocking equipment 2, an additional interface between the RBC 4 and the control centre 3 also being shown.

[0005] Various railway control systems are known from GB-A-2194091, US-A1-2004/0176884, US-A-5950966, GB-A-2218557, US 5533695 and US 5828979.

[0006] The present invention provides a means of adding automatic train protection to an existing conventional signalling system without requiring any change to the functionality of the existing system. The present invention communicates movement authorities to trains in a manner that is independent from the prior art interlocking to trackside device architecture such that its provision requires no alteration to the interlocking nor impinges upon the connections between the interlocking and trackside devices. The train protection system may therefore be overlaid on existing railway control systems.

[0007] In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a train protection and control system suitable for use with an existing signalling system without requiring any functional change to the signalling system, the signalling system comprising a plurality of railway trackside devices, an interlocking connected to the trackside devices for controlling the trackside devices and a control centre connected to the interlocking, wherein the train protection and control system provides diverse means of protection of movement of a train by transmitting movement authorities to the train independently of the interlocking.

[0008] In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a system comprising a train protection and control system overlaid onto a signalling system wherein the signalling system comprises a plurality of railway trackside devices, an interlocking connected to the trackside devices for controlling the trackside devices and a control centre connected to the interlocking, and wherein the train protection and control system provides diverse means of protection of movement of a train by transmitting movement authorities to the train independently of the interlocking.

[0009] Preferably, indications of the state of the railway, routes set and train positions are acquired directly from the interface between the control centre and the interlocking. This interface and the information communicated across it is traditionally regarded as non-safety critical. The present invention, however, advantageously utilises this information to provide automatic train protection and increases the overall safety of the railway.

[0010] The state of the railway, routes set and train positions may be evaluated to provide information to a radio block centre to enable movement authorities to be transmitted to trains via a radio system.

[0011] Advantageously, consistency checks are undertaken of the state of the railway to ensure the validity and increase the integrity of the information being passed to the radio block centre and to take action when an invalid situation is detected.

[0012] Also advantageously, the system may provide for independently checking by diverse means of the new movement authorities generated by the RBC in relation to other movement authorities already issued before authorising issue of the new movement authority.

[0013] In a particular embodiment, transmission of the independent movement authority to a train is effected by the established art whereby a radio block centre (RBC) and a train carried on-board computer (OBC) communicate via a radio system. Movement authorities are derived from the control system interface and sent independently to the train such that the OBC can monitor movement of the train and provide automatic train protection (ATP).

[0014] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which:

Figure 1 schematically shows a conventional signalling system;

Figure 2 schematically shows a known train control and protection system; and

Figure 3 schematically shows a train control and protection system in accordance with the present invention.

[0015] Referring to Figure 3, in which items which correspond with items in Figures 1 and 2 have the same reference numerals as in Figures 1 and 2, a logic processor device 6 is arranged to acquire control, indication and state of the railway information by listening to the information flowing each way between the control centre 3 and interlocking 2. With this information the logic processor device 6 continually evaluates the state of the railway to determine, for example, which routes are set and the positions of trains within the railway. As part of the evaluation, checks are undertaken to ensure consistency and validity of the information before the results of the evaluation are passed to an RBC 4. Failure of these checks to pass, results in an alarm being raised and the railway protection system entering a restrictive state.

[0016] From the information received from the logic processor device 6 the RBC 4 generates movement authorities ready for transmission to the on-board computers (OBCs) 5 of trains via the radio system. Before transmission is permitted an independent safety monitor (ISM) 7 checks each new movement authority to ensure it does not conflict with other movement authorities that are already current or being transmitted. If a conflict is detected, the new movement authority is rejected, an alarm raised and the railway protection system entered into a restrictive state.

[0017] The invention has been described in terms used by the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) but is applicable to any radio based train control and protection system.

[0018] In a further embodiment of the invention, it is apparent that the same principle of operation can be achieved whereby the control centre 3 provides interlocking and control information directly to the logic processor device 6 by reflecting information on the control centre to interlocking interface through a dedicated communication port provided for this purpose.

Claims

1. A train protection and control system suitable for use with an existing signalling system without requiring any functional change to the signalling system, the signalling system comprising a plurality of railway trackside devices, an interlocking connected to the trackside devices for controlling the trackside devices and a control centre connected to the interlocking, wherein the train protection and control system provides diverse means of protection of movement of a train by transmitting movement authorities to the train independently of the interlocking.

2. A system comprising a train protection and control system overlaid onto a signalling system wherein the signalling system comprises a plurality of railway trackside devices, an interlocking connected to the trackside devices for controlling the trackside devices and a control centre connected to the interlocking, and wherein the train protection and control system provides diverse means of protection of movement of a train by transmitting movement authorities to the train independently of the interlocking.

3. A system according to either of claims 1 and 2, in which control, indication and state of the railway information are acquired directly from the interface between the control centre and the interlocking by a device which listens to the communication of information on the interface.

4. A system according to any preceding claim, in which the control, indication and state of the railway information are evaluated to provide information to a radio block centre to enable movement authorities to be transmitted to trains via a radio system.

5. A system according to claim 4, in which consistency checks are undertaken of the state of the railway to ensure the validity of the information being passed to the radio block centre and to take action when an invalid situation is detected.

6. A system according to either of claims 4 and 5, in which new movement authorities are checked independently from the radio block centre in relation to other movement authorities already issued before authorising issue of the new movement authority.

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