There are many approaches to transport safety testing, from risk-based approaches, through the assessment of safety systems to transport infrastructure and transport security systems, to organization verification and traffic control. The goal of the investigation was analysis of identification of train approaching detection based on vibration signal. The paper presents results of preliminary research on vibration employed for the trains traffic control. With a high number of trains, the properties of the track amplify the excitation. The profile irregularity of a railway line is one of the essential vibration sources for vehicles and track (Fig. Vibrations from trains propagating from the rail to the ballast go through the sleepers, strainings these elements. The rail provides the contact between the train wheel and the track. The emission of vibration includes the vehicle-track-soil interaction, the vehicle and track irregularities, and the dynamic axle loads. Also, some other conceptions for acquiring information about the approaching vehicle have been analysed but these will be subject of further publications. Thus, the investigation has been performed on application of vibration wave propagation employing as source of information. Some preliminary conception has been depicted in. In the previous publications Authors have assumed that for the improving of railway crossing safety level the support system for the vehicle passage identification can be developed. Axle counting by FBG sensors is based on measuring the strain changes in the rail upon the passage of trains at the measurement points. The paper presents a novel optical fiber sensor signaling system. The ATC on-ground equipment transmits signal currents for controlling speeds in track circuits and the on-board ATC equipment receives these signals. The Japanese railway uses Automatic Train Control system (ATC) devices that display the permitted speed and apply braking automatically in accordance with the emerging instruction on high speed line sections and high density lines. However, with electrification and power electronics traction drive systems, aggravated by the electromagnetic interference in the vicinity of the signaling system, railway engineers often find unstable or even faulty operations of track circuits and axle counting systems. Track circuits are the most commonly used train detection means with the simple open/close circuit principles and subsequent adoption of axle counters further allows the detection of trains under adverse track conditions. Railway signaling facilitates two main functions, namely, train detection and train control, in order to maintain safe separations among the trains. Triggering of the crossing takes place several dozen seconds before the nose of the train reaches the crossing and turning off few seconds after the last axle left the crossing. There are following warning devices installed at the crossings: light traffic control devices most frequently with a sound signal so called bell and one or two pairs of half barriers. Crossing signaling devices are triggered by the train approaching the mentioned crossing by track-side sensors. The traditional system is based on light signals separating portion of tracks called block sections. At the same time there are many publications on railway safety in aspect of infrastructure, system and devices.
Some researchers are focused on driver behaviour at railway crossings as the major collision factor. Thus, intersection of the railway system with the road transport system, through rail level crossings represents one key area of railway transport safety research. There are following warning devices installed at the crossings: light traffic control devices most frequently with a sound signal and one or two pairs of half barriers.įrom the point of view of transport safety in the widest sense, in terms of transport by rail, the most important and at the same time the most critical point of the infrastructure are road-rail level crossings.
The signaling devices are usually triggered by sensors by trains approaching the crossing level and which are in the impact area of heads of the wheel sensors detecting movement in their area and movement direction of the rail vehicle. One of the most important components of railway safety system is train detection systems. Traffic of trains on the railway infrastructure are regulated through a signaling system and a well-defined set of rules. Traffic signals may provide good safety outcomes at level crossings but remain untested.
Passive level crossings are often upgraded with active controls such as flashing red lights. The train traffic control system must be able to handle heavy frequent traffic and higher speeds.