System and method for evaluating a time of use of a railway infrastructure

Abstract

The invention proposes a system (100) and a method for evaluating a time of use of a railway infrastructure (12) of a railway network by guided vehicles (10) configured for moving on said railway network, said railway infrastructure (12) being accessible to said guided vehicles (10) via at least one access route (13), wherein each access route (13) comprises a single track connecting the railway infrastructure (12) to a track (11) of the railway network, said system (100) comprising: - for each access route (13), a gate (120) configured for being installed at the concerned access route (13), each gate (120) comprising an RFID detector (121), each gate (120) being designed for controlling the access, through said access route (13), to the railway infrastructure (12) by the guided vehicles via its RFID detector (121); - for each guided vehicle, an RFID tag (122) designed for being installed on the guided vehicle (10), so that a relative position of the RFID tag (122) and the RFID detector (121) when the guided vehicle passes the gate (120) enables a detection of the guided vehicle (10) by the RFID detector (121), wherein the RFID tag (122) is configured for sending an identifier of the guided vehicle (10) to the RFID detector (121) when passing said gate (120), and wherein the RFID detector (121) is configured for sending said identifier and a time of detection to a control system (130); - said control system (130), connected to each RFID detector (121), said control system (130) comprising a register for registering, for each gate (120), each detection of a guided vehicle (10) by an RFID detector (121) of the gate (120), wherein, for each detection, the control system (130) is configured for registering in said register the identifier of the detected guided vehicle and the associated detection time, said control system (130) being further configured for determining, for each identifier, said time of use of the railway infrastructure (12) by the guided vehicle corresponding to said identifier by determining a difference between the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle leaving the railway infrastructure (12) and the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle accessing said railway infrastructure (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention concerns the control of a use of railway network infrastructures of a railway network by guided vehicles moving on said railway network. By "guided vehicle", it has to be understood any rail transport means configured for moving on tracks of the railway network, said guided vehicle typically running on at least one rail configured for supporting one or several wheels of said guided vehicle or using at least one rail as a guiding means for guiding the guided vehicle along a trajectory defined by said rail. Said rail transport means are for instance public transport means like subways, trains or train units, etc., as well as load transporting means such as, for example, overhead traveling cranes, freight trains, for which safety is a very important factor. A railway infrastructure according to the present invention is a well delimited infrastructure of the railway network, covering for instance a specific geographical area, and that is accessible to said guided vehicles via at least one access route, wherein each access route comprises a single track connecting the railway infrastructure to a track of the railway network. Usually, the railway infrastructure is accessible to guided vehicles moving on the railway network only via the one or several access routes that link the railway infrastructure to the rest of the railway network. Each access route comprises thus or marks a border between the railway infrastructure and the rest of the railway network. Such a railway infrastructure is for instance a railway network depot, wherein one or several guided vehicles might be stabled, or a maintenance area wherein maintenance activities might be performed on guided vehicles, or a loading area, wherein guided vehicle might be loaded with goods for instance. Controlling the use of such rail infrastructure may help in managing and quantifying the traffic on the railway network.Background Art

[0002] Nowadays, the use of such railway infrastructures is either not controlled or manually controlled. For instance, it is known to report when a train arrives in a depot and when it exits a depot. However, such manual reporting tasks are prone to errors and absolutely not efficient. There is therefore a need for a simple and efficient system and method which would enable to determine the use of a railway infrastructure by guided vehicles of a railway network.Summary of Invention

[0003] An objective of the present invention is to propose a method and a system for evaluating a time of use of a railway infrastructure by guided vehicles that are simple, easy to implement or install, and that offer flexibility with respect to guided vehicle or track configurations.

[0004] This objective is achieved by the measures taken in accordance with the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments are proposed by the dependent claims.

[0005] In particular, the present invention concerns a system for evaluating a time of use of a railway infrastructure of a railway network by guided vehicles configured for moving on said railway network, said railway infrastructure being accessible to said guided vehicles via at least one access route, wherein each access route comprises a single track connecting the railway infrastructure to a track of the railway network, said system comprising: for each access route, a gate configured for being installed at the concerned access route, each gate comprising an RFID detector, each gate being designed for controlling the access, through said access route, to the railway infrastructure by the guided vehicles via its RFID detector; for each guided vehicle, an RFID tag designed for being installed on-board the guided vehicle, so that a relative position of the RFID tag and the RFID detector when the guided vehicle passes the gate enables a detection of the guided vehicle by the RFID detector, wherein the RFID tag is configured for sending an identifier of the guided vehicle to the RFID detector when passing said gate, and wherein the RFID detector is configured for sending said identifier and a time of detection to a control system; said control system, connected to each RFID detector, said control system comprising a register for registering each detection of a guided vehicle by an RFID detector of a gate, wherein, for each detection, the control system is configured for registering in said register, for each gate, the identifier of the detected guided vehicle and the associated detection time, said control system being further configured for determining, for each identifier, said time of use of the railway infrastructure by the guided vehicle corresponding to said identifier by determining a difference between the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle leaving the railway infrastructure and the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle accessing said railway infrastructure.

[0006] The present invention concerns also a method for evaluating a time of use of a railway infrastructure of a railway network by guided vehicles configured for moving on said railway network, said railway infrastructure being accessible to said guided vehicles via at least one access route, wherein each access route comprises a single track connecting the railway infrastructure to a track of the railway network, the method comprising: installing on each guided vehicle an RFID tag; installing, at each access route, a gate, wherein each gate comprises an RFID detector, wherein a relative position of the RFID tag and the RFID detector when the guided vehicle passes the gate enables a detection of the guided vehicle by the RFID detector; controlling each access to the railway infrastructure via the RFID detector installed on the gate of said access route, wherein said controlling is implemented by o sending, by the RFID tag installed on a guided vehicle passing the gate and to the RFID detector of said gate, an identifier of the guided vehicle equipped with said RFID tag; ∘ sending, by the RFID detector of said gate, said identifier and a time of detection to a control system; registering, in a register of the control system, each detection of a guided vehicle by an RFID detector of a gate of the system, wherein, for each detection, a registration of the identifier of the detected guided vehicle and the associated detection time is made; determining, by said control system and for each identifier, the time of use of the railway infrastructure by the guided vehicle corresponding to said identifier by calculating a difference between the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle leaving the railway infrastructure and the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle accessing said railway infrastructure. Description of Embodiments

[0007] According to the present invention, a time of use of a railway infrastructure might be automatically evaluated via the system of gates that control each access to the railway infrastructure and a combination of RFID detectors and tags for registering the entry and exit of each guided vehicle with respect to the railway infrastructure.

[0008] Preferentially, each gate comprises another RFID detector so that each gate be equipped with two RFID detectors. In particular, the two RFID detectors equipping a same gate are spaced apart by a predefined distance defined along the length of said access route, i.e. the length of said single track, wherein said predefined distance is configured for avoiding a simultaneous detection of an RFID tag by said two RFID detectors. For instance, said predefined distance is configured for being greater than the range of detection (i.e. the reading range) of the RFID detector among said two RFID detectors that is characterized by the largest range of detection so that an RFID tag can only be read by one of said two RFID detectors at a time when a guided vehicle passes the gate.

[0009] In particular, the control system is configured for launching said determination of the time of use only if it considers that a guided vehicle passed a gate, that is, if and only if, for the same identifier, two times of detection are received from said gate, a first time of detection received from one of said two RFID detectors, and a temporally successive second time of detection received from the other one of said two RFID detectors. If, for the same identifier and the same gate, said two times of detection are different, then the control system might ensure that the guided vehicle passed the gate. Preferentially, said detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle accessing the railway infrastructure is the latest or earliest time of detection among the first and second time of detections, or a combination of the latter, when considering a gate that is passed for entering the railway infrastructure, and, similarly, said detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle leaving said railway infrastructure is respectively the earliest, or latest time of detection among the first and second time of detections, or a combination of the latter, when considering a gate that is passed for leaving the railway infrastructure. Preferentially, if the control system receives from said gate comprising the two RFID detectors only one detection time, or two detection times being identical, then it automatically emits an alert message for enabling for instance an operator to visually or manually control said gate or access route, for instance via a camera system, or it may automatically launch said camera system which is configured for acquiring images of the route access, so that the situation with respect to the detected guided vehicle might be clarified.

[0010] Preferentially, each guided vehicle comprises several tags, each tag being configured for providing said identifier of the guided vehicle and additionally a tag identifier that is unique to the tag that is sending it. This enables the control system to distinguish the detection time provided by each of the tags of a same guided vehicle and to assign each detection time to a unique tag. Preferentially, the tag according to the invention is a passive RFID tag that is read by the RFID detector, i.e. the RFID reader, when the guided vehicle, and thus the tag, passes the gate. Preferentially, each guided vehicle comprises at least two tags, namely a first tag and a second tag, wherein the first tag is configured for being installed at the front end of the guided vehicle and the second tag is configured for being installed at the rear end of the guided vehicle. This enables the control system to detect the time at which the front end, and respectively the rear end, of the guided vehicle passes the gate. This ensures for instance that the whole guided vehicle entered the railway infrastructure. Preferentially, said detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle accessing the railway infrastructure is a detection time obtained in connection with the tag among the first tag and the second tag that is first detected, and the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle leaving said railway infrastructure is a detection time obtained in connection with the tag, among said first and second tag, that is last detected. This enables to evaluate the time that a guided vehicle will spend within the area of the railway infrastructure, from the time its head passes the gate for entering the railway infrastructure and the time its tail passes said gate or another gate for exiting the railway infrastructure.

[0011] Preferentially, the control system may evaluate the time of use of several railway infrastructures using the previously described method. In particular, the control system might cumulate successive times of use for a same identifier, for each railway infrastructures or for all railway infrastructures.Brief Description of the Drawing

[0012] Further aspects of the present invention will be better understood through the following drawings, wherein like numbers designate like objects: Fig. 1schematic illustration of a preferred embodiment of a system according to the invention. Fig. 2flowchart of a preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention. Description of Examples

[0013] A preferred embodiment of a system 100 according to the invention is illustrated in Figure 1, which schematically shows a guided vehicle 10, for instance a train, moving on a track 11 of a railway network. Said railway network further comprises a railway infrastructure 12, for instance a train depot, that is accessible to guided vehicles 10 moving on tracks 11 of said railway network through at least one access route 13, for instance two access routes as illustrated in Fig. 1. Each access route 13 enables guided vehicles 10 of the railway network to access the railway infrastructure 12. Each access route 13 according to the invention comprises a single track, also called the access track, that connects a track of the railway infrastructure 12 to a track 11 of the railway network that is located outside of the railway infrastructure area. In particular, if a same route that connects the railway infrastructure 12 to the rest of the railway network comprises two or more tracks usually disposed in parallel, then each of said two or more tracks is considered as an access route 13 according to the invention. For improving the management of the traffic on the railway network, it is desired to determine the time of use of the railway infrastructure 12 for each guided vehicle 10. This evaluation of the time of use is implemented by the system 100 according to the invention.

[0014] The system 100 comprises, for each access route 13 that provides access to the railway infrastructure 12, a gate 120 comprising at least one RFID detector or reader 121, and for each guided vehicle 10 that may access to the railway infrastructure 12, at least one RFID tag 122. It further comprises a control system 130 which is connected to each RFID detector 121. The control system 130 might be a remote control system with respect to the railway infrastructure 12, or might be installed within the railway infrastructure 12. The gate 120 and the control system 130 further comprise appropriate communication means for enabling a communication of the RFID detectors 121 of the gate 120 with the control system 130, for instance radio communication systems.

[0015] The gate 120 according to the invention is typically installed along the access route 13, for instance between a pair of rails of said single track of the access route 13, or along one or both sides of said single track. Said gate 120 may comprise one or several RFID detectors 121 which are each configured for interacting with the RFID tag 122 of the guided vehicle 10 when the latter passes the gate 120. Once a guided vehicle 10 passes a gate in direction of the railway infrastructure 12, it is considered as entering the area of the railway infrastructure 12. According to the present invention, the railway infrastructure 12 is accessible to guided vehicles 10 moving on the railway network only through the so-called access route(s) 13 that leads to the railway infrastructure, and thus that connect(s) the railway infrastructure 12 to the rest of the railway network. Similarly, when a guided vehicle 10 leaving the railway infrastructure 12 passes a gate 120 according to the invention for joining another part of the railway network, it is considered as exiting said area of the railway infrastructure 12. For guided vehicles 10, the gate marks or delimits thus the boundary of the railway infrastructure 12 (i.e. of its area) with the rest of the railway network.

[0016] The gate 120 may preferentially comprise two or more RFID detectors 121. Each RFID detector 121 of the gate is positioned within said gate and along said single track so as to be able to interact with the RFID tag(s) 122 of the guided vehicle 10. For instance, each RFID detector might be installed on the ground, between rails, and each RFID tag 122 might be installed underneath the guided vehicle 10. Preferentially, said two RFID detectors 121 of each gate 120 are separated by a predefined distance D extending along a length of said single track (or access route) that is determined in function of the reading range of each RFID detector and / or emission range of each RFID tag. Basically, said distance D is configured for preventing a simultaneous reading of a same RFID tag by the two detectors of the same gate. Indeed, when an RFID tag of the guided vehicle 10 will approach the gate, it will be detected by only one of said RFID detectors at a time thanks to said predefined distance D, enabling for instance the control system 130 to determine a travel direction of the guided vehicle 10, either moving in direction of the railway infrastructure 12 or respectively leaving the railway infrastructure 12, ensuring that the guided vehicle effectively entered the area of the railway infrastructure 12 or respectively left it. This further enables the control system to detect failures of the gate by comparing information coming from both RFID detectors of a same gate.

[0017] According to the present invention, at least one RFID tag 122 is installed on-board the guided vehicle 10. Its position on the guided vehicle 10 enables the RFID tag to interact with the RFID detector when passing the guided vehicle passes the gate 120. Preferentially, the RFID tag 122 is installed at the front end of the guided vehicle. Optionally, another RFID tag 122 might be installed at the rear end of the guided vehicle 10, as illustrated in Figure 1. This enables the control system 130 to determine the exact time at which the front end passes the gate 120 when entering the area of the railway infrastructure, and the time at which its rear end passes said gate or another gate when leaving the area of the railway infrastructure. Each time an RFID tag is within a reading range of the RFID detector of a gate, it sends to the gate RFID detector at least an identifier which is configured for enabling the control system 130 to identify the guided vehicle 10 passing the gate 120, and optionally an additional information, e.g. its own RFID tag identifier, notably if several RFID tags are installed on the same guided vehicle. The control system 130 may comprise a database which associates each guided vehicle identifier to a guided vehicle, and for a same guided vehicle, which lists the RFID tag identifiers installed on said guided vehicle, optionally together with an installation position of each of said listed RFID tag with respect to the length of the considered guided vehicle. This might enable the control system 130 to better characterize the motion of the guided vehicle when entering or leaving the railway infrastructure area, and to generate for instance an alert that might be automatically sent to the guided vehicle driver if for instance a speed determined from the detection time of the guided vehicle RFID tags is not below a given speed limit value.

[0018] In connection with Figure 2, the principles of the present invention for evaluating a time of use of a railway infrastructure 12 by guided vehicles 10 of a railway network will be described in more detail hereafter.

[0019] At step 201, one or several RFID tags are installed on the guided vehicle(s) that will use the railway infrastructure 12. As explained, each guided vehicle 10 may comprises one or several RFID tags 122, preferentially one installed at the front end of the guided vehicle and one at its rear end.

[0020] At step 202, each access route 13 that connects the railway infrastructure 12 to the rest of the railway network is equipped with a gate 120 according to the invention, wherein each gate 120 comprises at least one RFID detector 121, wherein the positioning of the RFID tag 122 in relation to the positioning of the RFID detector 121 when the guided vehicle 10 passes the gate enables a detection, i.e. a reading, of the RFID tag 122 by the RFID detector 121. The RFID tag and the RFID detector are such positioned so as to enable a reading of the RFID tag by the RFID detector when the guided vehicle passes the gate 120.

[0021] At step 203, the system according to the invention controls or monitors each access to the railway infrastructure 12 by guided vehicles 10 equipped with RFID tags 122 via the RFID detector 121 installed on the gate 120 of each access route 13 that connects the railway infrastructure 12 to the rest of the railway network. This controlling is implemented by the following actions: Each time an RFID tag installed on a guided vehicle passes a gate and falls within the reading range of the RFID detector of said gate, it sends to the RFID detector of said gate an identifier of the guided vehicle it equips. The RFID detector receives said identifier, and sends said identifier together with a time of detection to the control system 130. Said time of detection is typically the time at which it received the identifier. If there are several gates, the information sent by the RFID detector may comprise gate identification data enabling the control system to identify from which gate said identifier and detection time come from. Of course, if the gate comprises several RFID detectors, then the information sent to the control system 130 may also comprise an identifier of the RFID detector enabling the control system 130 to identify from which RFID detector of the gate said guided vehicle identifier and detection time came from. The same applies if several RFID tags equip a same guided vehicle, then the tag identifier is further communicated to the control system via the RFID detector. Preferentially, the tag identifier, RFID detector identifier, guided vehicle identifier, gate identifier are encoded in a single code that is transmitted by the RFID detector to the control system 130 and decoded by the latter.

[0022] At step 204, for each gate, the control system 130 registers the guided vehicle identifier and the detection time in its register. Depending on the number of gates, number of RFID tags on the guided vehicle, number of RFID detectors equipping a same gate, additional information is registered by the control system 130 so that a proper identification of the source of information be registered (i.e. the interaction of which RFID tag with which RFID detector gave rise to the received detection time). in a register of the control system, each detection of a guided vehicle by an RFID detector of a gate, wherein, for each detection, a registration of the identifier of the detected guided vehicle and the associated detection time is made.

[0023] At step 205, the control system 130 determines, for each guided vehicle identifier received, the time of use of the railway infrastructure 12 by the concerned guided vehicle. For this purpose, it calculates a difference between the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle leaving the railway infrastructure and the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle accessing said railway infrastructure. This is typically done, for a same identifier, by subtracting, from the detection time corresponding to the latest detection time, the detection time corresponding to the earliest detection time.

[0024] If the guided vehicle 10 comprises two RFID tags, one at the front end and one at the rear end, then, when the guided vehicle 10 is accessing the railway infrastructure, i.e. passing the gate in direction of the railway infrastructure, the detection time of the front end RFID tag is taken into account for calculating the time of use, and, when said guided vehicle is leaving the railway infrastructure, then the detection time of the rear end RFID tag is taken into account for said calculation of the time of use. If the gate comprises two RFID detectors, then a guided vehicle is considered by the control system as having entered the railway infrastructure, if and only if both RFID detectors have detected the RFID tag of the guided vehicle, for instance if both have detected the front end RFID tag. If only one of said two RFID detectors makes a detection, then the control system 130 is configured for sending an alert message. The same applies for a guided vehicle leaving the railway infrastructure: it is only if both RFID detectors have detected the RFID tag of the guided vehicle leaving the railway infrastructure that said guided vehicle is considered by the control system as having left the railway infrastructure. Again, if only one of said two RFID detectors made a detection, then the control system generates said alert message. Said alert message may automatically trigger an acquisition of images by a camera system of the gate, which aims to clarify the situation with the guided vehicle having effectively entered or left the railway infrastructure. Image processing techniques and preferentially artificial intelligence might be used for determining, for each alert, whether the guided vehicle effectively entered or not the railway infrastructure, or left or not said railway infrastructure.

[0025] Finally, the present invention may also concern a guided vehicle management system that comprises the previously described system 100 for evaluating a time of use of a railway infrastructure 12 and a set of guided vehicles 10 configured for moving on the railway network. Preferentially, said guided vehicle management system is configured for managing the traffic of guided vehicle on said railway network in function of said time of use obtained for each railway infrastructure of the railway network, for instance for equating the use of the different railway infrastructures of the railway network by guided vehicle, and / or for optimizing a distribution of the use of the railway infrastructures among the latter.

[0026] To conclude, the present invention proposes a simple system and method for evaluating a time of use of a railway infrastructure by guided vehicles of a railway network based on RFID tags and detectors that are used for controlling the guided vehicle traffic at the boundary(ies) of the railway infrastructure area with the rest of the railway network to which it is connected.

Claims

1. System (100) for evaluating a time of use of a railway infrastructure (12) of a railway network by guided vehicles (10) configured for moving on said railway network, said railway infrastructure (12) being accessible to said guided vehicles (10) via at least one access route (13), wherein each access route (13) comprises a single track connecting the railway infrastructure (12) to a track (11) of the railway network, said system (100) comprising: - for each access route (13), a gate (120) configured for being installed at the concerned access route (13), each gate (120) comprising an RFID detector (121), each gate (120) being designed for controlling, via its RFID detector (121), the access, through said access route (13), to the railway infrastructure (12) by the guided vehicles (10); - for each guided vehicle (10), an RFID tag (122) designed for being installed on-board the guided vehicle (10), so that a relative position of the RFID tag (122) and the RFID detector (121) when the guided vehicle passes the gate (120) enables a detection of the guided vehicle (10) by the RFID detector (121), wherein the RFID tag (122) is configured for sending an identifier of the guided vehicle (10) to the RFID detector (121) when passing said gate (120), and wherein the RFID detector (121) is configured for sending said identifier and a time of detection of said RFID tag (122) to a control system (130); - said control system (130), connected to each RFID detector (121), said control system (130) comprising a register for registering, for each gate (120), each detection of a guided vehicle (10) by an RFID detector (121) of the gate (120), wherein, for each detection, the control system (130) is configured for registering in said register the identifier of the detected guided vehicle (10) and the associated detection time, said control system (130) being further configured for determining, for each identifier, said time of use of the railway infrastructure (12) by the guided vehicle corresponding to said identifier by determining a difference between the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle leaving the railway infrastructure (12) and the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle accessing said railway infrastructure (12).

2. System (100) according to claim 1, wherein each gate (120) comprises another RFID detector (121) so that each gate (120) be equipped with two RFID detectors (121) spaced apart by a predefined distance (D) defined along a length of said single track, wherein said predefined distance (D) is configured for avoiding a simultaneous detection of an RFID tag (122) by said two RFID detectors (121).

3. System (100) according to claim 2, wherein the control system (130) is configured for launching said determination of the time of use only if it considers that a guided vehicle (10) passed a gate (120), wherein the control system (130) is configured for considering that a guided vehicle (10) passed a gate (120) if and only if, for the same identifier, two times of detection are received from said gate (120), a first time of detection received from one of said two RFID detectors, and a temporally successive second time of detection received from the other one of said two RFID detectors.

4. System (100) according to one of the claims 1-3, comprising, for each guided vehicle (10), several RFID tags configured for being installed on the guided vehicle (10), each RFID tag configured for being installed on a same guided vehicle (10) being configured for providing said identifier of the guided vehicle (10) and additionally a tag identifier.

5. System (100) according to claim 4, comprising at least two RFID tags to be installed per guided vehicle (10), wherein a first tag is configured for being installed at the front end of the guided vehicle (10) and a second tag is configured for being installed at the rear end of the guided vehicle (10).

6. System (100) according to one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle accessing the railway infrastructure (12) is a detection time obtained in connection with the RFID tag among the first tag and the second tag that is first detected, and the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle leaving said railway infrastructure (12) is a detection time obtained in connection with the RFID tag, among said first and second tag, that is last detected.

7. System (100) according to one of the claims 1-6, wherein the control system (130) is configured for cumulating successive times of use for a same identifier.

8. Method for evaluating a time of use of a railway infrastructure (12) of a railway network by guided vehicles (10) configured for moving on said railway network, said railway infrastructure (12) being accessible to said guided vehicles (10) via at least one access route (13), wherein each access route (13) comprises a single track connecting the railway infrastructure (12) to a track of the railway network, the method comprising: - installing (201) on each guided vehicle an RFID tag (122); - installing (202), at each access route (13), a gate (120), wherein each gate (120) comprises an RFID detector, wherein a relative position of the RFID tag (122) and the RFID detector (121) when the guided vehicle passes the gate (120) enables a detection of the guided vehicle (10) by the RFID detector (121); - controlling (203) each access to the railway infrastructure (12) via the RFID detector (121) installed on the gate (120) of said access route (13), wherein said controlling is implemented by ∘ sending, by the RFID tag (122) installed on a guided vehicle passing the gate (120) and to the RFID detector (121) of said gate (120), an identifier of the guided vehicle equipped with said RFID tag (122); ∘ sending, by the RFID detector (121) of said gate (120), said identifier and a time of detection to a control system (130); - registering (204), in a register of the control system (130), each detection of a guided vehicle by an RFID detector (121) of a gate (120), wherein, for each detection, a registration of the identifier of the detected guided vehicle and the associated detection time is made; - determining (205), by said control system (130) and for each identifier, the time of use of the railway infrastructure (12) by the guided vehicle (10) corresponding to said identifier by calculating a difference between the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle leaving the railway infrastructure (12) and the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle accessing said railway infrastructure (12).

9. Method according to claim 8, comprising equipping each gate (120) with another RFID detector (121) so that each gate (120) be equipped with two RFID detectors, wherein said two RFID detectors are spaced apart by a predefined distance (D) defined along the length of said single track, wherein said predefined distance (D) is configured for avoiding a simultaneous detection of an RFID tag (122) by said two RFID detectors.

10. Method according to claim 9, comprising launching said determination of the time of use if and only if, for the same identifier, two times of detection are received from said gate (120), namely a first time of detection received from one of said two RFID detectors, and a temporally successive second time of detection received from the other one of said two RFID detectors, otherwise, sending an alert.

11. Method according to one of the claims 8-10, comprising installing several RFID tags (122) on each guided vehicle (10), and providing, by each tag (122) of a guided vehicle (10), said identifier of the guided vehicle and additionally a tag identifier.

12. Method according to claim 11, comprising installing a first RFID tag at the front end of the guided vehicle and a second RFID tag at the rear end of the guided vehicle.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle (10) accessing the railway infrastructure (12) is a detection time obtained in connection with the RFID tag among the first RFID tag and the second RFID tag that is first detected, and the detection time corresponding to the guided vehicle leaving said railway infrastructure (12) is a detection time obtained in connection with the RFID tag, among said first RFID tag and second RFID tag, that is last detected.

14. Method according to one of the claims 8 to 13, comprising cumulating successive times of use for a same identifier.

15. Guided vehicle management system comprising the system 100 according to one of the claims 1 to 7 and a set of guided vehicles 10 configured for moving on the railway network.

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