Skip to main content

Unique train safety system developed by German Aerospace Centre

The German Aerospace Centre DLR has arrived at the 2012 ITS World Congress with a unique system for rail safety – for preventing collisions between trains and improving safety for track workers. Whereas conventional train collision avoidance systems involve networks of base stations, DLR’s Railway Collision Avoidance System (RCAS) uses direct communication between trains or hand held devices without expensive infrastructure and so with substantial reduction in cost. “RCAS communication is via the Tetra stan
October 24, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Andreas Lehner: "The system can be used to alert train drivers to a likely collision with another train."
The German Aerospace Centre 6782 DLR has arrived at the 2012 ITS World Congress with a unique system for rail safety – for preventing collisions between trains and improving safety for track workers. Whereas conventional train collision avoidance systems involve networks of base stations, DLR’s Railway Collision Avoidance System (RCAS) uses direct communication between trains or hand held devices without expensive infrastructure and so with substantial reduction in cost.

“RCAS communication is via the Tetra standard at 400MHz, akin to an SMS system, with a guaranteed 5km minimum range,” said DLR’s Thomas Strang. “The system can be used to alert train drivers to a likely collision with another train. The software can also run on a personalised or hand held device, so warn track workers of an approaching train.”

The idea for the RCAS has come from DLR’s work developing similar systems to prevent collisions between aircraft. Parameters of a train relevant for a potential collision – position, speed, topographical movement vector and out-of-guage loads – are broadcast to all other trains in the vicinity. All other trains and RCAS units within the communication range can monitor the traffic situation and identify potentially dangerous situations.

%$Linker: 2 Asset <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 4 66521 0 oLinkExternal www.dlr.de/kn www.dlr.de/kn false /EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=66521 true false%>

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Orange details electric car’s round-world trip
    October 24, 2012
    Orange is showing off a Citroen C-Zero electric car that has completed the first round-the-world trip by a battery-powered car. The car took eight months, travelled 25,000km through 17 countries and consumed just €250 ($325) of electricity. Orange said the object was to show that a standard electric vehicle could cope with such a trip. Orange outfitted it with its M2M fleet management system, which enabled the company to track the vehicle and monitor its condition at all times. Data received from the M2M
  • Improved safety with Snoline’s latest reflective tapes
    March 26, 2014
    Two new temporary road marking tapes are being offered by safety specialist Snoline. Part of Lindsay Transportation Solutions, Snoline says that its new Tempoline and Profiline products are easy to install and offer high conspicuity.
  • JAI traffic imaging systems for all seasons
    October 28, 2014
    The JAI range of camera sub-systems, camera components and LED flashes is suitable for most ITS applications requiring 24-hour operation, including tolling, speed control and access control.
  • Q-Free exhibits LCC550 universal parking controller
    March 24, 2014
    Norwegian company Q-Free is positioning itself as a total ITS systems provider and the fruits of its labours are showcased here at Intertraffic. Visitors can see how the acquisitions of TCS and Elcom are leading to seamless advanced transportation management solutions which integrate parking management and intersection control into a coherent offering from a single supplier.