Study on the Design of Operation Scenario for Replacement of a Railway Signaling System

Abstract

The railway signalling system plays an essential role in the headway and routing control for a safe and efficient train operation. The reliable and safe operation of the system is very important because the failure of the railway signalling system can lead to the collision, derailment, or unexpected stop of a train. So far, the conventional wayside signal mode (ATS: Automatic Train Stop) has been generally used as the railway signalling system. However, this system is highly linked to a risk of major accidents resulted from human mistakes such as missing a signal or careless control of train speed. Accordingly, the onboard signal mode (ATC: Automatic Train Control) as an alternative of ATS has been recently introduced and applied to transmit effectively the information on speed control of a train by using computers and communication equipment. In the process of replacing the obsolete signal system, it is necessary to switch over the system while providing passengers with normal services. Therefore, the integration of a railway signaling system compatible for both ATS and ATC and its interface is discussed in this study. In particular, the implementation scenario required for operation planning of the integrated system was designed, and the results as well as effects of its applicability test were also presented.