Telecommunication Systems for Modern Railways

Author: Juan Moreno García-Loygorri

Book Series : Textbooks in Telecommunication Engineering

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Table of Contents

About this book

This textbook provides a comprehensive treatment of railway communications systems and their ever-evolving interconnectivity, smart systems, and complex grids. The author first provides an introduction to railways and goes on to detail wayside networks, onboard networks, safety systems, and services that rely on these networks. In particular, the book covers application aspects, including network and physical layer, maintenance, and technologies that will shape the railway of the future. The book also covers rolling stock networks and systems and details the railway ecosystem that will help people new to the topic understand the core material. The book is oriented to educational purposes in classes such as Intelligent Transportation Systems or Communication Systems Architectures and also for practicing railway engineers. The textbook features supplementary material including homework problems, exercises and more.

Frontmatter

1. Introduction to Railways

Abstract

This chapter is not about communications systems or technologies. Instead, we focus on the foundations of railways as a transportation system. So, here we introduce railways up to a level that allows readers to understand properly all the other chapters of the book (which are about communications for railways), even if the readers know nothing about this topic.

Juan Moreno García-Loygorri

2. Transmission-Based Signaling

Abstract

The structure of this chapter is as follows: first, we explain non- transmission-based signaling (TBS) systems, that is, distance to go and some other signaling systems that do not rely on radio communications to work. Then we go into the core of the chapter: European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) and communications-based train control (CBTC), which are best two examples of TBS and the dominant ones in the market for both high-speed line (HSL) and main line (for ERTMS) and subways (CBTC). Then we explain the different grades of automation of a railway line which are enabled by TBS. Finally, we provide an insight of operational control centers (OCC) to explain how those lines equipped with TBS on its tracks and trains are operated. As usual, there are two more sections at the end of the book: Exercises and Further Reading.

Juan Moreno García-Loygorri

3. Non-safety Services for Railways

Abstract

In Chap. 2, we explained safety-related services, which are, under our point of view, signaling services only. Therefore, in this chapter, we address all the other services: operational and nonoperational services (both not related to safety). Nonoperational services are usually called customer-oriented services or passenger-oriented services.

Juan Moreno García-Loygorri

4. Network Technologies and Systems in Railways

Abstract

In this chapter, we explain the main technologies and concepts related to communications networks in railways. More precisely, “wired” communications systems, in opposition to “mobile” or “wireless,” is addressed in Chap. 5. Moreover, in this chapter, we do not cover onboard train networks, which you’ll find in Chap. 6. Consequently, in this chapter, we address the main technologies and systems for the wayside networks, such as synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) (which is today seen as legacy, but still very much used) and especially, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS).

Juan Moreno García-Loygorri

5. Radio Communications Systems in Railways

Abstract

Radio communications or wireless systems are an essential technology in modern railways. In Chap. 4, we addressed wired communications systems, so in this chapter we focus on wireless systems.

Juan Moreno García-Loygorri

6. Communications Systems Onboard Trains

Abstract

Networks onboard trains is a topic that is largely ignored by the literature but, unlike wayside networks, it is railway-specific and, more importantly, has experienced a very relevant evolution in recent years. Time will tell if wireless standards and time-sensitive networks will define the future of train networks. See Chap. 8 for more details.

Juan Moreno García-Loygorri

7. Operation and Maintenance of Communications Systems in Railways

Abstract

This final chapter is focused on an essential aspect of railways, which receives a lot of resources and attention in real-world scenarios but is, paradoxically, largely ignored in the literature in general. Therefore, here we provide some general ideas about the maintenance of many of the systems we have described in the other chapters of the book.

Juan Moreno García-Loygorri

8. Future Technologies and Communications Systems in Railways

Abstract

Following the same scheme as the book itself, this chapter provides a vision about the future developments for the railway sector. We have done our best to write this chapter on a neutral way, that is, not giving our opinion about a particular technology, but summarizing the most promising developments of the mid-term future of railways. Therefore, this chapter is not an insight into the future (which would have been not very formal and, more importantly, not very useful as a textbook), but a concise description of some research projects that have been developed in recent years (2013–2023) and will probably have an important role in the future of railways.

Juan Moreno García-Loygorri

Backmatter

Title: Telecommunication Systems for Modern Railways
Author: Juan Moreno García-Loygorri
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-031-82247-6
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-82246-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-82247-6