Group train cooperative control system and method for freight railway

Abstract

A freight railway-oriented group train cooperative control system and method are characterized in that according to a group plan, a plurality of freight trains in the same station track need to depart and run in a group mode, in-station group depart cooperative control is carried out, and after the group trains depart and before the group trains arrive at a running terminal point, station-passing cooperative control is carried out on the group trains; and when the group train arrives at a predetermined de-compiling position in the group plan, performing group train de-compiling cooperative control, and de-compiling the freight train which does not run in the group any more. Through distributed cooperative control and train-to-train communication, intelligent marshalling and cooperative operation of multiple trains during departure in the station, passing on the way and de-marshalling are achieved, the station operation process of the long and large marshalling freight train can be optimized, the line passing efficiency and the transportation density are improved, meanwhile, dependence on additional hardware equipment is reduced, and the working efficiency of the long and large marshalling freight train is improved. And efficient, safe and flexible heavy haul railway grouping operation control is realized by taking a software algorithm as a core.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of rail transit, and more particularly to a group train cooperative control system and method for freight railways. Background Technology

[0002] With the sustained and rapid development of China's economy, railway transportation, as a key national infrastructure and an important logistics channel, directly impacts national economic growth and the optimization of resource allocation through improvements in its transportation efficiency and technological level. In recent years, my country's freight railway technology has made significant progress. For example, the successful application of moving block signaling technology on the Shuohuang Railway marks a new stage in my country's freight railway train control system, with improving system efficiency as its core focus.

[0003] However, with the rapid development of the economy and society, domestic and international logistics demands have placed higher requirements on the transportation capacity of freight railway systems. In complex railway networks, the transportation capacity of some single-track railways has become a systemic bottleneck restricting the overall network efficiency. To overcome this bottleneck, train group control technology has emerged. This technology achieves wireless virtual connection between multiple trains through advanced car-to-car communication, replacing the traditional physical coupler method. It can more flexibly and accurately match and adjust transport capacity according to the dynamic changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of railway freight flow, thereby greatly improving the transportation efficiency and utilization efficiency of existing lines.

[0004] Currently, despite the significant advantages of train group control technology, related research and engineering practices are largely concentrated in urban rail transit, characterized by short station spacing and highly predictable operational patterns. Freight railways, due to their long train formations, heavy loads, complex operating conditions, and diverse station operations, face drastically different and more stringent requirements regarding the safety, reliability, and coordination of train group control technology. Existing technologies lack mature train group control methods specifically tailored to the unique scenarios of freight railways, particularly in addressing the critical issue of achieving efficient and safe coordination among multiple systems, including centralized dispatching systems, ground control centers, and onboard equipment. This technological gap severely restricts the full realization of the potential of train group control technology in enhancing the transport capacity of main freight railway lines.

[0005] The statements herein provide only background information in relation to this invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a group train collaborative control system and method for freight railways. Through distributed collaborative control and train-to-train communication, it enables intelligent grouping and collaborative operation of multiple trains during departure, transit, and de-grouping within stations. This optimizes station operation processes for long-formation freight trains, improves line throughput efficiency and transport density, and reduces reliance on additional hardware. It achieves efficient, safe, and flexible group operation control of heavy-haul railways with software algorithms at its core.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a group train cooperative control system for freight railways, comprising: a group planning unit, a group operation control unit, an onboard unit installed on each freight train, and a station execution unit installed at each station. The group planning unit is used to complete the preparation and issuance of group plans, display the operating status of group trains, issue route processing commands to the station execution unit according to the location of group trains to process routes for group trains, and supervise the group operation control unit to implement the control process of the group plan. The group operation control unit is used to receive the group plan issued by the group planning unit, calculate the train operation permission of the group train based on the group operation status and train position information reported by the on-board unit, send the train operation permission to the on-board unit, and control the freight train to enter or leave the group operation according to the train position. It is also used to forward the route processing order issued by the group planning unit to the station execution unit, control the station execution unit to release the route after the train passes, and control the group train to disassemble when it reaches the disassembly position. The onboard unit is used to supervise the group trains to operate safely and efficiently according to the group plan prepared by the group planning unit, under the permitted speed and safety conditions, in accordance with the driving permission sent by the group operation control unit. The station execution unit is used to control the turnouts and process relevant routes according to the route processing orders issued by the group planning unit.

[0008] The group plan includes: a list of group trains, group train routes, and group train travel times; The group train list stores all freight trains that need to be grouped together for operation; The train group's route includes all stations and tracks that the train group passes through. The train group's operating time includes: the departure time and arrival time of the train group; The group running status includes: group running status or non-group running status.

[0009] This invention also provides a group train cooperative control method for freight railways, implemented based on the aforementioned group train cooperative control system for freight railways, comprising: According to the group plan, multiple freight trains on the same track need to depart in groups and coordinate the group departures within the station. After the group train departs, before reaching its destination, the group trains will conduct coordinated control of passing through stations. When a train group reaches the designated decoupling position in the group plan, coordinated control of train decoupling is performed to decouple freight trains that are no longer operating in the group.

[0010] The in-station group departure coordination control method includes: Route processing: The group planning unit selects freight trains that need to originate from the current station according to the group plan, and instructs the station execution unit to process routes for the group trains in reverse order from the back to the front according to the order of the freight trains in the group plan. Calculating train operation permits: After receiving the train route approval success signal from the station execution unit, the group operation control unit calculates train operation permits for freight trains sequentially from back to front according to the train order in the group plan; Train group formation: The lead car in the direction of travel in the group plan serves as the control terminal. After the lead car establishes communication with the other freight trains in the group plan through their respective onboard units, the onboard unit of the lead car commands the onboard units of all freight trains in the group plan to enter the group operation state and synchronizes the freight trains in the group plan to enter the group operation state with the group operation control unit. Group train departure: After the group operation control unit receives the message from the onboard unit that all trains have entered the group operation state, it calculates the driving permission for the first car in the group train. The onboard unit of each freight train in the group train controls the group train to depart according to the group plan.

[0011] Before the route is processed, the onboard unit of the freight train to be assembled starts on the station track and registers and reports the location information of the freight train to the group operation control unit. The group planning unit issues the group plan to the group operation control unit, which then distributes the group plan to the onboard unit of the freight train to be assembled.

[0012] The group operation control unit distributes group plans to the onboard units of the freight trains to be assembled via a wireless network.

[0013] When calculating driving permits, if the lead vehicle in the direction of operation in the group plan is in a non-group operation state, the group operation control unit is prohibited from calculating driving permits for that lead vehicle.

[0014] When forming a train group, the onboard units of the other freight trains in the group plan actively establish communication with the onboard unit of the first train at the same station in the group plan, and report whether the destination of the freight train's travel permit is the rear end of the preceding train. If the destination of the freight train's travel permit is the rear end of the preceding train, it means that there are no obstacles between the two trains and the two trains can be formed and run together.

[0015] Before the departure of a group train, the station execution unit keeps the route locked and the signal open; after the departure of the group train, the group operation control unit determines that the last car of the group train has entered the route and notifies the station execution unit to unlock the route.

[0016] The group train collaborative control method at stations includes: Extension of train operation permit: When a group of trains is running in a section, the group planning unit controls the station execution unit to process the route and open the signal for the group of trains according to the running position of the first car in the group of trains. The group operation control unit extends the train operation permit for the group of trains according to the route status of the station execution unit, authorizing the train to continue running on the line ahead. The on-board unit of each freight train in the group of trains controls the train to run in accordance with the train operation permit and the group plan.

[0017] The group train collaborative control method at stations also includes: Route holding and unlocking: When the group operation control unit determines that the group trains are passing through the route, it controls the station execution unit to keep the route open for the group trains. After the last freight train in the group enters the route, it notifies the station execution unit to unlock the route.

[0018] The group train decoupling and collaborative control method includes: When a freight train in a train group reaches the decoupling position, the freight train is called the decoupling train. The decoupling position refers to the end point of the common running path of the train group in the group plan. The onboard unit on the decoupling train commands the decoupling train to switch to non-group operation mode and disconnects the communication connection with the decoupling train. The onboard unit on the decoupling train notifies the group operation control unit of the train decoupling status. The group planning unit processes the route for the decoupling train according to the non-group train control station execution unit. The group operation control unit calculates the train operation permit for the decoupling train according to the non-group train and controls the station execution unit to unlock the route.

[0019] Before the train group reaches the decoupling position, the onboard unit of each freight train in the group controls the freight train to reduce its speed according to the group plan, so as to increase the distance between the train and the train ahead in the direction of travel.

[0020] The group train cooperative control method for freight railways further includes: a group train self-organizing dynamic formation cooperative control method, wherein the group train self-organizing dynamic formation cooperative control method includes: The onboard unit of the first car of the group of trains running behind establishes communication with the onboard unit of the first car of the group of trains running ahead. The onboard units of the remaining trains in the rear group of trains establish communication with the onboard unit of the first car of the front group of trains. The onboard unit of the first car of the front group of trains organizes all trains into a group for operation and notifies the group operation control unit. The group operation control unit notifies the station execution unit to process the route. After all trains have passed, the group operation control unit notifies the station execution unit to unlock the route.

[0021] Once the train group enters the decoupling position, the coordinated control of train group decoupling is performed.

[0022] This invention proposes an innovative collaborative control scheme for special scenarios such as heavy-haul freight railways, long-form trains, complex station operations, and variable track conditions. Its innovations and beneficial effects are specifically reflected in: First, a distributed collaborative control method is adopted for complex operational scenarios in freight railways, effectively achieving swarm intelligence and improving the overall performance of the heavy-haul transportation system. The core of collaborative control in freight railways lies in the highly reliable information exchange, dynamic task allocation, and collaborative operation planning among groups of trains composed of multiple locomotives or unit trains. This enables the entire heavy-haul train group control system to form swarm intelligence capable of handling complex track conditions such as long gradients, small-radius curves, and passing loops, thereby completing high-load, long-distance collaborative traction and braking control tasks. This method demonstrates stronger environmental adaptability and system scalability when addressing the real-time control challenges posed by large load variations, undulating track gradients, and frequent temporary speed limits for freight trains. Faced with the increasing volume pressure and high demands for operational efficiency and safety in freight railways, this solution shows greater potential and advantages in ensuring the smooth operation of heavy-haul trains, reducing wheel-rail wear, and optimizing traction energy consumption.

[0023] Secondly, by employing a vehicle-to-vehicle communication and event-driven strategy adapted to the characteristics of freight trains, this invention achieves efficient and flexible wireless communication and collaboration. The invention utilizes vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology to enable direct wireless connections between freight train units (such as multiple locomotives in a combined train or independent vehicle units in a virtual formation), replacing the traditional hard-connection method of heavy-haul combined trains relying on physical couplers and wired coupling. This significantly improves the coordination and flexibility of long-formation trains during acceleration, deceleration, and braking, and reduces coupler force impact. Simultaneously, for key events in freight operations such as train registration at stations, loading / unloading position changes, passing plans, and temporary stops in sections, this invention employs an event-driven strategy as an efficient communication triggering mechanism. This strategy enables on-demand communication based on the actual operational needs of the freight train (such as arrival at designated loading / unloading lines, clearance of obstruction in the preceding section, etc.), reducing unnecessary periodic information interactions during long-distance operation. This ensures real-time control while improving the system's engineering practicality and communication efficiency.

[0024] Third, it achieves efficient collaborative control of freight yard operations and planned marshalling / unmarshalling, optimizing transportation organization processes. Addressing the complex operations common in freight railway yards such as arrival / departure, marshalling / unmarshalling, pick-up / delivery, and passing, the collaborative control method of this invention enables efficient and safe execution of arrival / departure and route management for group trains at technical stations and section stations. This not only ensures smooth operation of long-formation trains or combined trains passing through stations continuously, but also achieves collaborative optimization between station shunting operations and mainline operation. When long-formation trains arrive at marshalling yards or destination stations and need to undergo planned technical marshalling / unmarshalling (e.g., breaking them down into multiple smaller trains), the collaborative control of this invention allows the marshalling / unmarshalling process (including route pre-arrangement, locomotive coupling / uncoupling, and tail-end device switching) to be executed efficiently and safely, while maintaining the continuity of train operation plans before and after marshalling / unmarshalling and the consistency of the entire dispatching system, effectively reducing the time freight cars spend transiting at stations.

[0025] Fourth, it fully utilizes existing system resources without requiring additional hardware, effectively reducing the cost of freight railway upgrades. This invention primarily relies on upgrading and optimizing the software functions and algorithms of existing freight train control systems (such as those based on LKJ or newer systems), without the need for large-scale additions of trackside or onboard hardware. This is particularly suitable for intelligent upgrades of existing freight railway infrastructure, significantly reducing equipment investment and engineering modifications, and substantially lowering the system's construction and lifecycle maintenance costs. This facilitates the rapid promotion and application of this technology on main freight lines, especially heavy-haul railways. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a group train cooperative control system for freight railways provided by the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the group composition of trains within the station.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating departures from groups within the station.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the passage of trains through stations.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic uncoupling of train groups.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the dynamic grouping of a self-organizing group. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, used only to facilitate and clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention. Please refer to the drawings to make the objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable. It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed in the specification, and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of the present invention. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives achieved by the present invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a group train cooperative control system for freight railways, comprising: a group planning unit 1, a group operation control unit 2, an onboard unit 3 installed on each freight train, and a station execution unit 4 installed at each station.

[0034] The group planning unit 1 is used to complete the preparation and issuance of the group train operation plan (hereinafter referred to as the group plan, which includes a group train list (i.e., which trains are included in the group), all stations, tracks, arrival and departure times of the group trains), and display the group train operation status. It controls the station execution unit 4 to handle the train route according to the train position, and supervises the control process of the group operation control unit 2 to implement the train group plan.

[0035] The group operation control unit 2 receives the group plan from the group planning unit 1, calculates the train operation permit for the group based on the group operation status (group operation or non-group operation) and train position information reported by the on-board unit 3, and sends the permit to the on-board unit 3. It controls the train to enter or leave the group operation based on the train position, ensuring safe, reliable, efficient, and high-density train operation. It forwards the route processing order issued by the group planning unit 1 to the station execution unit 4, and controls the station execution unit 4 to release the route after the train has passed, and controls the train to disassemble at the disassembly position.

[0036] The onboard unit 3 is used to monitor the trains within the group and control the safe and efficient operation of the train group within the group according to the group plan prepared by the group planning unit 1, under the permitted speed and safety conditions, in accordance with the train operation control unit 2 and the train operation permission sent by the group operation control unit 2.

[0037] The station execution unit 4 is used to control the turnouts and process relevant routes according to the route processing command under the group planning unit 1.

[0038] The present invention provides a group train cooperative control method for freight railways, which includes: a group train departure cooperative control method within a station, a group train passing through a station cooperative control method, and a group train decoupling cooperative control method.

[0039] According to the group plan (group train numbers, group train routes), trains on the same track need to depart in groups. The in-station group departure coordination control method includes the following steps: Step S1: The on-board unit 3 starts up on the station track and registers and reports its location information to the group operation control unit 2.

[0040] Step S2, as follows Figure 2 As shown, the group planning unit 1 issues the group plan to the group operation control unit 2, and the group operation control unit 2 distributes the group plan to the vehicle unit 3 via a wireless network.

[0041] Step S3: Route processing. The group planning unit 1 selects trains that need to depart from the current originating station according to the group plan, and sequentially commands the station execution unit 4 to process routes for the trains from back to front according to the order of the trains in the group plan.

[0042] Step S4: Train Operation Permit Calculation. After receiving the train route processing success signal from the station execution unit 4, the group operation control unit 2 calculates train operation permits sequentially from back to front according to the train order in the group plan. If the first train in the group plan (i.e., the first train in the direction of travel) is not in a group operation state (i.e., in a non-group operation state), the group operation control unit 2 will not calculate a train operation permit for it to prevent it from obtaining authorization and leaving the station independently.

[0043] Step S5: Train Grouping. Train grouping is controlled by the first train in the group plan. The onboard units 3 of all trains in the group plan, excluding the first train, actively establish communication with the onboard unit 3 of the first train (the lead car) at the same station in the group plan, and report whether the train's permitted travel end point is the rear of the preceding train (if the permitted travel end point is the rear of the preceding train, it means there are no other trains, locomotives, or other obstacles between the two trains, and the two trains can be grouped). After the first train establishes communication with all other trains in the group through its onboard units 3, the first train's onboard unit 3 commands all trains' onboard units 3 in the group plan to enter group operation mode, and synchronizes the trains to enter group operation mode with the group operation control unit 2.

[0044] Step S6: Departure of the group train. (For example...) Figure 3 As shown, after the group operation control unit 2 receives the message from the onboard unit 3 that all trains have entered the group operation state, it calculates the travel permit for the first train (the lead car) in the group. The onboard unit 3 controls the group trains to depart according to the plan. After the group operation control unit 2 determines that the last car of the group train has entered the route, it notifies the station execution unit 4 to unlock the route. Before this, the station execution unit 4 needs to keep the route locked and the signal open.

[0045] (2) Coordinated control method for group trains passing through stations like Figure 4 As shown, the group train collaborative control method at stations includes the following steps: Step S1, Extension of Train Operation Permit. When a group of trains is running in a section, the group planning unit 1 determines the train's position (e.g., the first train in the group) based on the location of the first train (lead train). Figure 3 As shown, the station execution unit 4 controls the route execution unit 4 to process the route and open the signal at a certain distance in front of the route signal (X13). The group operation control unit 2 extends the train operation permission for the group train according to the route status of the station execution unit 4 (e.g., Figure 3 As shown, the green formation permission extends to the section to the right of the S signal), authorizing the train to continue running on the line ahead. The onboard unit 3 of each train in the group controls the train to run according to the traffic permission and group plan.

[0046] Step S2, Route Holding and Unlocking. When the group operation control unit 2 determines that the group train is passing through the route, it controls the station execution unit 4 to keep the route open for the group train. After the last car of the group train enters the route, it notifies the station execution unit 4 to unlock the route.

[0047] Through this collaborative control method, the passage and route management of group trains at stations can be carried out efficiently and safely, achieving the continuity of train operation and the collaborative optimization of station operations.

[0048] (3) Coordinated control method for train group decoupling and dismantling After a train group reaches the designated decoupling point in the group plan (the decoupling point is the end point of the common running path of the train group in the group plan), trains that are no longer running in the group need to be decoupled, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the group train decoupling and collaborative control method includes the following steps: Step S1: Decoupling train speed control. Before the group trains reach the decoupling position, the on-board unit 3 of each freight train in the group trains controls the train speed reduction according to the group plan, so that the train is separated from the train in front of it (the train located in front of the train in the direction of travel).

[0049] Step S2: Train Decoupling. When a train in a group reaches the decoupling position, it is called a decoupling train (generally, trains reach the decoupling position one by one; in rare cases (after stopping at a station), all trains simultaneously meet the decoupling conditions). After speed control is completed, the onboard unit 3 on the decoupling train commands the decoupling train to switch to non-group operation mode and disconnects the communication connection with the decoupling train. The onboard unit 3 on the decoupling train notifies the group operation control unit 2 of the train decoupling status. The group planning unit 1 controls the station execution unit 3 to process routes for non-group trains, and the group operation control unit 2 calculates the driving permit for non-group trains and controls the station execution unit 4 to unlock the routes.

[0050] Through these coordinated control steps, the train group decoupling and uncoupling process can be carried out efficiently and safely, while maintaining the continuity of train operation and the consistency of system status.

[0051] A significant advantage of train group operation is that it allows trains to pass through preceding stations sequentially, even when the station execution unit 4 only handles the route once, thereby improving station throughput efficiency. For example... Figure 6As shown, when two train groups (the first group consists of trains 1 and 2, and the second group consists of trains 3 and 4) are running in the same section and are a certain distance away from the route ahead (the distance traveled during the formation and signal handling time), the two train groups are allowed to merge into one train group. Based on this, the present invention also provides a self-organizing dynamic formation cooperative control method for train groups, comprising the following steps: The onboard unit 3 of the first car (train 3) of the group train running behind establishes communication with the onboard unit 3 of the first car (train 1) of the group train ahead.

[0052] The onboard unit 3 of other trains (train 4) running behind establishes communication with the onboard unit 3 of the first car of the leading group of trains. The onboard unit 3 of the first car of the leading group of trains organizes all trains into a group for operation and notifies the group operation control unit 2.

[0053] The group operation control unit 2 notifies the station execution unit 4 to process the route. After all trains have passed, the group operation control unit 2 notifies the station execution unit 4 to unlock the route.

[0054] Once the train group enters the decoupling section, it will be decoupled according to the aforementioned train group decoupling and decoupling collaborative control method.

[0055] This invention proposes an innovative collaborative control scheme for special scenarios such as heavy-haul freight railways, long-form trains, complex station operations, and variable track conditions. Its innovations and beneficial effects are specifically reflected in: First, a distributed collaborative control method is adopted for complex operational scenarios in freight railways, effectively achieving swarm intelligence and improving the overall performance of the heavy-haul transportation system. The core of collaborative control in freight railways lies in the highly reliable information exchange, dynamic task allocation, and collaborative operation planning among groups of trains composed of multiple locomotives or unit trains. This enables the entire heavy-haul train group control system to form swarm intelligence capable of handling complex track conditions such as long gradients, small-radius curves, and passing loops, thereby completing high-load, long-distance collaborative traction and braking control tasks. This method demonstrates stronger environmental adaptability and system scalability when addressing the real-time control challenges posed by large load variations, undulating track gradients, and frequent temporary speed limits for freight trains. Faced with the increasing volume pressure and high demands for operational efficiency and safety in freight railways, this solution shows greater potential and advantages in ensuring the smooth operation of heavy-haul trains, reducing wheel-rail wear, and optimizing traction energy consumption.

[0056] Secondly, by employing a vehicle-to-vehicle communication and event-driven strategy adapted to the characteristics of freight trains, this invention achieves efficient and flexible wireless communication and collaboration. The invention utilizes vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology to enable direct wireless connections between freight train units (such as multiple locomotives in a combined train or independent vehicle units in a virtual formation), replacing the traditional hard-connection method of heavy-haul combined trains relying on physical couplers and wired coupling. This significantly improves the coordination and flexibility of long-formation trains during acceleration, deceleration, and braking, and reduces coupler force impact. Simultaneously, for key events in freight operations such as train registration at stations, loading / unloading position changes, passing plans, and temporary stops in sections, this invention employs an event-driven strategy as an efficient communication triggering mechanism. This strategy enables on-demand communication based on the actual operational needs of the freight train (such as arrival at designated loading / unloading lines, clearance of obstruction in the preceding section, etc.), reducing unnecessary periodic information interactions during long-distance operation. This ensures real-time control while improving the system's engineering practicality and communication efficiency.

[0057] Third, it achieves efficient collaborative control of freight yard operations and planned marshalling / unmarshalling, optimizing transportation organization processes. Addressing the complex operations common in freight railway yards such as arrival / departure, marshalling / unmarshalling, pick-up / delivery, and passing, the collaborative control method of this invention enables efficient and safe execution of arrival / departure and route management for group trains at technical stations and section stations. This not only ensures smooth operation of long-formation trains or combined trains passing through stations continuously, but also achieves collaborative optimization between station shunting operations and mainline operation. When long-formation trains arrive at marshalling yards or destination stations and need to undergo planned technical marshalling / unmarshalling (e.g., breaking them down into multiple smaller trains), the collaborative control of this invention allows the marshalling / unmarshalling process (including route pre-arrangement, locomotive coupling / uncoupling, and tail-end device switching) to be executed efficiently and safely, while maintaining the continuity of train operation plans before and after marshalling / unmarshalling and the consistency of the entire dispatching system, effectively reducing the time freight cars spend transiting at stations.

[0058] Fourth, it fully utilizes existing system resources without requiring additional hardware, effectively reducing the cost of freight railway upgrades. This invention primarily relies on upgrading and optimizing the software functions and algorithms of existing freight train control systems (such as those based on LKJ or newer systems), without the need for large-scale additions of trackside or onboard hardware. This is particularly suitable for intelligent upgrades of existing freight railway infrastructure, significantly reducing equipment investment and engineering modifications, and substantially lowering the system's construction and lifecycle maintenance costs. This facilitates the rapid promotion and application of this technology on main freight lines, especially heavy-haul railways.

[0059] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0060] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "height," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0061] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0062] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0063] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the preferred embodiments above, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A group train cooperative control system for freight railways, characterized in that, Includes: a group planning unit, a group operation control unit, an onboard unit installed on each freight train, and a station execution unit installed at each station; The group planning unit is used to complete the preparation and issuance of group plans, display the operating status of group trains, issue route processing commands to the station execution unit according to the location of group trains to process routes for group trains, and supervise the group operation control unit to implement the control process of the group plan. The group operation control unit is used to receive the group plan issued by the group planning unit, calculate the train operation permission of the group train according to the group operation status and train position information reported by the on-board unit, send the train operation permission to the on-board unit, and control the freight train to enter or leave the group operation according to the train position. It is also used to forward the route processing order issued by the group planning unit to the station execution unit, control the station execution unit to release the route after the train passes, and control the group train to disassemble when it reaches the disassembly position. The onboard unit is used to supervise the group trains to operate safely and efficiently according to the group plan prepared by the group planning unit, under the permitted speed and safety conditions, in accordance with the driving permission sent by the group operation control unit. The station execution unit is used to control the turnouts and process relevant routes according to the route processing orders issued by the group planning unit.

2. The group train cooperative control system for freight railways as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The group plan includes: a list of group trains, group train routes, and group train travel times; The group train list stores all freight trains that need to be grouped together for operation; The train group's route includes all stations and tracks that the train group passes through. The train group's operating time includes both the departure and arrival times of the train group.

3. The group train cooperative control system for freight railways as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The group running status includes: group running status or non-group running status.

4. A group train cooperative control method for freight railways, implemented based on the group train cooperative control system for freight railways as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, Include: According to the group plan, multiple freight trains on the same track need to depart in groups and coordinate the group departures within the station. After the group train departs, before reaching its destination, the group trains will conduct coordinated control of passing through stations. When a train group reaches the designated decoupling position in the group plan, coordinated control of train decoupling is performed to decouple freight trains that are no longer operating in the group.

5. The group train cooperative control method for freight railways as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The in-station group departure coordination control method includes: Route processing: The group planning unit selects freight trains that need to originate from the current station according to the group plan, and instructs the station execution unit to process routes for the group trains in reverse order from the back to the front according to the order of the freight trains in the group plan. Calculating train operation permits: After receiving the train route processing success signal from the station execution unit, the group operation control unit calculates train operation permits for freight trains sequentially from back to front according to the train order in the group plan; Train group formation: The lead car in the direction of travel in the group plan serves as the control terminal. After the lead car establishes communication with the other freight trains in the group plan through their respective onboard units, the onboard unit of the lead car commands the onboard units of all freight trains in the group plan to enter the group operation state and synchronizes the freight trains in the group plan to enter the group operation state with the group operation control unit. Group train departure: After the group operation control unit receives the message from the onboard unit that all trains have entered the group operation state, it calculates the driving permission for the first car in the group train. The onboard unit of each freight train in the group train controls the group train to depart according to the group plan.

6. The group train cooperative control method for freight railways as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Before the route is processed, the onboard unit of the freight train to be assembled starts on the station track and registers and reports the location information of the freight train to the group operation control unit. The group planning unit issues the group plan to the group operation control unit, which then distributes the group plan to the onboard unit of the freight train to be assembled.

7. The group train cooperative control method for freight railways as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The group operation control unit distributes group plans to the onboard units of the freight trains to be assembled via a wireless network.

8. The group train cooperative control method for freight railways as described in claim 6, characterized in that, When calculating driving permits, if the lead vehicle in the direction of operation in the group plan is in a non-group operation state, the group operation control unit is prohibited from calculating driving permits for that lead vehicle.

9. The group train cooperative control method for freight railways as described in claim 5, characterized in that, When forming a train group, the onboard units of the other freight trains in the group plan actively establish communication with the onboard unit of the first train at the same station in the group plan, and report whether the destination of the freight train's travel permit is the rear end of the preceding train. If the destination of the freight train's travel permit is the rear end of the preceding train, it means that there are no obstacles between the two trains and the two trains can be formed and run together.

10. The group train cooperative control method for freight railways as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Before the departure of a group train, the station execution unit keeps the route locked and the signal open; after the departure of the group train, the group operation control unit determines that the last car of the group train has entered the route and notifies the station execution unit to unlock the route.

11. The group train cooperative control method for freight railways as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The group train collaborative control method at stations includes: Extension of train operation permit: When a group of trains is running in a section, the group planning unit controls the station execution unit to process the route and open the signal for the group of trains according to the running position of the first car in the group of trains. The group operation control unit extends the train operation permit for the group of trains according to the route status of the station execution unit, authorizing the train to continue running on the line ahead. The on-board unit of each freight train in the group of trains controls the train to run in accordance with the train operation permit and the group plan.

12. The group train cooperative control method for freight railways as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The group train collaborative control method at stations also includes: Route holding and unlocking: When the group operation control unit determines that the group trains are passing through the route, it controls the station execution unit to keep the route open for the group trains. After the last freight train in the group enters the route, it notifies the station execution unit to unlock the route.

13. The group train cooperative control method for freight railways as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The group train decoupling and collaborative control method includes: When a freight train in a train group reaches the decoupling position, the freight train is called the decoupling train. The decoupling position refers to the end point of the common running path of the train group in the group plan. The onboard unit on the decoupling train commands the decoupling train to switch to non-group operation mode and disconnects the communication connection with the decoupling train. The onboard unit on the decoupling train notifies the group operation control unit of the train decoupling status. The group planning unit processes the route for the decoupling train according to the non-group train control station execution unit. The group operation control unit calculates the train operation permit for the decoupling train according to the non-group train and controls the station execution unit to unlock the route.

14. The group train cooperative control method for freight railways as described in claim 13, characterized in that, Before the train group reaches the decoupling position, the onboard unit of each freight train in the group controls the freight train to reduce its speed according to the group plan, so as to increase the distance between the train and the train ahead in the direction of travel.

15. The group train cooperative control method for freight railways as described in claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes: a group train self-organizing dynamic formation cooperative control method, wherein the group train self-organizing dynamic formation cooperative control method includes: The onboard unit of the first car of the group of trains running behind establishes communication with the onboard unit of the first car of the group of trains running ahead. The onboard units of the remaining trains in the rear group of trains establish communication with the onboard unit of the first car of the front group of trains. The onboard unit of the first car of the front group of trains organizes all trains into a group for operation and notifies the group operation control unit. The group operation control unit notifies the station execution unit to process the route. After all trains have passed, the group operation control unit notifies the station execution unit to unlock the route.

16. The group train cooperative control method for freight railways as described in claim 15, characterized in that, Once the train group enters the decoupling position, the coordinated control of train group decoupling is performed.

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