MBHSI4Rail

The railway companies are implementing Automatic Train Operation (ATO) for better network capacity, more accurate train operations, and less energy consumption. ATO covers various applications, from manually assisted (Grade of Automation 1 – GoA1) to fully automated train operation (GoA4). Even if the highest GoA is a proven technology in urban operations (e.g., metro), the operational constraints of a mainline transport system are significantly more complex than those of urban systems: (1) the track layout is larger and more complex: (2) there is a lot of different train types with different performance levels and door layouts; (3) most trains are not all dedicated to a particular line; they may go anywhere in the country, with a few running anywhere in Europe; and (4) the absolute exclusion of obstacle (as well as people and other animals) from tracks is not practically achievable throughout a national network, that would mean vast lengths of fencing to install and maintain. Then, the train driver and the ATO system can meet more complex and critical situations and must better collaborate to achieve safe driving. In this context, this chapter presents a model-based and human-in-the-loop simulation approach to optimize safety analysis.