Railway control system and method of permitting a train to proceed along a route

Abstract

A railway control system 20 includes a railway signalling system 21 comprising trackside infrastructure adapted 22 to operate under, and generate data using, a first signalling protocol. A communication centre is adapted to operate under, and utilise data generated using, a second signalling protocol and store valid train routes. A communication apparatus is adapted to communicate with the communication centre installed on each train capable of utilising the second signalling protocol. An interface links the trackside infrastructure to the communication centre, wherein the interface comprises an adapter to collate and combine data received from the trackside infrastructure under the first signalling protocol and translate this collated and combined data into data under the second signalling protocol. The interface provides the collated, combined and translated data to the communication centre, where the communication centre is further adapted to check the collated, combined and translated data against the stored valid train routes, and, if this check is successful, issue a movement authority to a train.

Claims

1. A railway control system, comprising:a railway signalling system comprising trackside infrastructure adapted to operate under, and generate data using, a first signalling protocol;a communication centre adapted to operate under, and utilise data generated using, a second signalling protocol and store valid train routes;communication apparatus adapted to communicate with the communication centre installed on each train capable of utilising the second signalling protocol;an interface configured to link the trackside infrastructure to the communication centre, wherein the interface comprises an adapter configured to:collate and combine data received from the trackside infrastructure underthe first signalling protocol;translate this collated and combined data into data under the secondsignalling protocol; andprovide the collated, combined and translated data to the communication centre;wherein the communication centre is further adapted to check the collated, combined and translated data against the stored valid train routes, and, if check is successful, issue a movement authority to a train.

2. A railway control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adapter is adapted to receive signal aspects, points states and trackside train detection states.

3. A railway control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the adapter is realised in a CENELEC SIL 4 interlocking processor.

4. Railway control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein:the communication centre is further adapted to not issue a movement authority ifthe check is unsuccessful, such that the railway control system is adapted to revert to using the first signalling protocol.

5. Railway control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the trackside infrastructure comprises an interlocking.

6. Railway control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the trackside infrastructure further comprises a front end processor adapted to feed data obtained from the trackside infrastructure to the interface.

7. Railway control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the interlocking is an SSI interlocking, and wherein the interface is a network packet analyser to obtain data from a network data link connecting the interlocking to trackside equipment.

8. Railway control system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the trackside equipment comprises signals, points, signals, points, trackside train detectors and lineside controllers.

9. Railway control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the interlocking is a relay interlocking, and wherein the interface is a parallel input module in the CENELEC SIL4 interlocking processor.

10. Railway control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the interlocking is a computer-based interlocking, and wherein the interface is an I / O port in the front end processor.

11. Railway control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first signalling protocol is NTC and the second signalling protocol is ETCS Level 2.

12. Method of permitting a train to proceed along a route comprising a track section of a railway, comprising:at an adapter:receiving data from trackside infrastructure operating under a first signalling protocol;collating and combining the data and translating the collated combined data into data under the second signalling protocol;providing the collated, combined and translated data to a communication centre;at the communication centre:checking the collated, combined and translated data against stored valid rail routes;wherein if the check is successful, issuing a movement authority to a train; and if the check is unsuccessful, a movement authority is not issued and instead enabling the train to proceed under the first signalling protocol.

13. Method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:if the check is unsuccessful and the train is already in motion towards the track section, issuing a stop command to the train prior to enabling the train to proceed under the first signalling protocol.

14. Method as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein the step of checking the data comprises verifying the data against a state diagram, and wherein the step of converting comprises converting data in a first format compatible with the first signalling protocol to data in a second format compatible with the second signalling format.

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