China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Automation in Transportation and Warehousing
Published in Edward Y. Uechi, Business Automation and Its Effect on the Labor Force, 2023
The last technological system to include relates to safety designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, train derailments, train movements onto wrong tracks, and unauthorized train movements. The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 requires the implementation of a positive train control (PTC) system on certain railroad lines whose trains carry passengers and hazardous materials. The law further requires the PTC system to have interoperability so that various locomotives operated by different companies can communicate with each other. The PTC system comprises an on-board computer system in the locomotive, numerous wayside systems and base-station radios situated at various points along the track, and an information system.21 All of the electronic systems communicate via a wireless computer network. The information system stores data related to the current location, direction, and speed of all trains operating on the rail line, the current status of all track signals and switches, and the current status of tracks. The wayside systems monitor track signals and switches and tracks. The on-board computer, which includes a GPS receiver, communicates with a wayside station and the information system, receiving information about current track status and sending the latest information about the locomotive. The train operator can make a decision based on the information received, allowing adequate time to bring the train to a stop. If no action is taken in the event of a warning, the PTC system can instruct the on-board computer to apply the brakes and bring the train to a complete stop automatically.22
Compulsion for Cyber Intelligence for Rail Analytics in IoRNT
Published in Vijayalakshmi Saravanan, Alagan Anpalagan, T. Poongodi, Firoz Khan, Securing IoT and Big Data, 2020
Nalli Vinaya Kumari, G.S. Pradeep Ghantasala, M. Arvindhan
In order to address a broad range of cyber security concerns, cyber security reviews address specific risk management issues, such as operational or managerial monitoring and data acquirement structures. The business supports the aforementioned customers in building ties with management, IT, logistics, and security personnel. It moreover assists customers to classify and alleviate credible hazards to automation coordination like positive train control (PTC), communications-based train control (CBTC), automatic train supervision (ATS), and essential systems. It also helps to identify and mitigate potential risks. Cyber security breakdown agreements include a range of standard amenities to tackle the most difficult questions of cyber security.
Political and Regulatory Aspects of Energy and Environment
Published in Anco S. Blazev, Power Generation and the Environment, 2021
Yet, when the PTC incentive was extended in 2004, 2007, and 2009, the industry responded positively, increasing wind power capacity compared to the previous year. An exception to this trend in 2010 was a drop in wind capacity of nearly 50% from 2009, even with the PTC in place. In 2011, at 6,816 MW, annual installed wind capacity increased by 30% over the previous year. The annual cost of the PTC is estimated at about $1 billion a year.
Analysis of human-factor-caused freight train accidents in the United States
Published in Journal of Transportation Safety & Security, 2021
Zhipeng Zhang, Tejashree Turla, Xiang Liu
PTC is a communication-based/processor-based train control technology that has the potential to improve safety because it provides a layer of additional protection beyond that provided by the train crews and dispatchers (FRA., 2007b). More specifically, it can automatically prevent accidents attributable to human error by slowing or stopping trains and is designed to prevent four major types of accidents, namely train-to-train collisions, derailments caused by excessive speeds, unauthorized incursions into work zones, and movements through misaligned switches. The PTC system integrates the locomotive computer, wayside device, communication network, and back office to process collected movement authority and speed restrictions and then comparing these against the train’s real conditions to ensure safety compliance (AAR, 2017b). If any noncompliant train operation occurred, the PTC system would automatically apply the brakes and bring the train to a positive stop. Figure 10 presents the network arrangement of various components integrated in PTC.
Budgeting for the adoption of sensors on connected trains
Published in Transportation Planning and Technology, 2022
Raj Bridgelall, Denver D. Tolliver
Railroads use less energy to move more bulk freight across longer distances than any other mode of transportation (BTS 2020). Hence, their safe, efficient, and reliable operation is critical to the economic health of a nation. Nevertheless, U.S. railroads had an annual average of 2570 accidents over the past decade, based on the authors’ analysis of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) railroad accident database (FRA 2020) (Figure 1). Those accidents resulted in an industry average financial loss of U.S.$376 million each year. Human errors caused more than 35% of those accidents. Consequently, railroads recently deployed a government-mandated system called positive train control (PTC) to prevent accidents due to human errors (Bridgelall and Tolliver 2020b).
Closed form models to assess railroad technology investments
Published in Transportation Planning and Technology, 2020
Raj Bridgelall, Denver D. Tolliver
PTC is a communications-based train control technology that can stop a train automatically before accidents due to human error can occur (GAO 2010). PTC uses signals and sensors along the track to communicate train location, speed restrictions, and moving authority. Manufacturers designed PTC to prevent train-to-train collisions, derailments due to excessive speed, unauthorized entry into established work zone limits, and the movement of a train through an improperly lined switch (Badugu and Movva 2013). Hence, the system must be able to precisely determine train speed and location, warn operators about potential issues, and control the train within a few seconds if the operator fails to respond to warnings (FRA 2018c). A typical PTC system contains more than 20 major components. Figure 1 shows the typical architecture of a PTC system. Most of those components were not available prior to the introduction of PTC, and designs are still evolving to assure interoperability. The installation of a PTC system involves the following three segments (AAR 2018b): Locomotive: contains on-board computers, a location tracking system, and a digital data link to manage train speed.Wayside: contains devices that monitor signals, track switches, track circuits, and lamps, among other things. These devices communicate with the train via radio towers to authorize movement; the devices also communicate with the central office systems over 220 MHz (PTC 220) radios, Wi-Fi, cellular, or Ethernet to provide system status.Central Office: contains dispatcher interfaces and computers that store and act on information from train systems, wayside systems, and maintenance personnel. These systems exchange messages over both wired and wireless connections.