Many European countries are launching ambitious programs for Traffic Management Systems (TMS) with decision support for rail traffic optimisation at regional and national levels. Such programs aim to improve on-time performance, quality of service and return on investment by comprising forecasting, conflict detection, conflict resolution and driver guidance. While automation allows for improved efficiency, safety considerations must be addressed as TMSs take on an increased role in actively managing traffic.
The document provides information on several intelligent urban traffic management systems that a hometown administrator is considering installing: SCATS, SCOOT, ITACA, MAXBAND, UTOPIA-SPOT, and BALANCE. It describes each system's application, benefits, and how they use real-time traffic data from detectors to continuously optimize traffic signal timing in order to minimize delays. SCATS is currently used in many cities worldwide and in Malaysia, while SCOOT is a leading adaptive traffic control system that models traffic flows and optimizes signal splits, offsets, and cycle times. ITACA similarly uses traffic modeling to continuously adjust signal parameters and minimize stops and delays.
This document proposes an Intelligent Urban Traffic Control System for Kajang, Malaysia to address traffic congestion issues. It involves collecting traffic data at 3 intersections, determining optimal cycle times and signal timings, and proposing an integrated traffic management system consisting of a Traffic Control Center, automatic traffic signals, smart surveillance cameras, variable message signs, and a traveler information system to provide real-time updates. The goal is to upgrade the existing system, optimize traffic flows, and reduce congestion costs through this synchronized, technology-enabled approach.
A Brief review to the intelligent controllerswhich used to control trafficflowjournal ijrtem
Abstract: Nowadays, with the social progress and economic development, the transport is playing a pivotal role in cities. The main problem is the traffic jams due to vehicle congestion phenomena at intersection. To solve this problem an intelligent traffic control system that continuously sensing and monitoring traffic conditions and adjusting the timing of traffic lights according to the actual traffic load must be implemented. At present , a variety of traffic control has been designed using electrical technologies.Traffic load is highly dependent on parameters such as day-time , season weather and unpredictable situationssuch as accidents, special events or construction activities, these parameters will cause delay on the traffic flow. The traffic system in Libya is still controlled by old fashion ( i.e equally time interval signal control)and no intelligent system used to monitor and control the traffic flow. The scope of this paper is to review the main Intelligent controllerswhich used in smart traffic systems. Keywords: Traffic, Intelligent control, Programmable logic, Neural network, Fuzzy logic
The document describes Thales Group's SelTrac communications-based train control (CBTC) system solutions. SelTrac offers flexible and adaptable CBTC solutions that can be implemented as a fully integrated system or as an overlay on existing infrastructure. It supports various levels of automation from basic automatic train protection to fully automated and driverless operation. Key benefits include increased transport capacity, reduced infrastructure costs, easier system expansion, and energy savings.
Need for platform-to-track intrusion detection systems in automated metro linesSYSTRA
The document discusses platform protection systems for automated metro lines. It describes that as metro lines increase their level of automation, platform protection systems are needed to prevent accidents between passengers and trains. The two main types of systems are platform screen doors (PSD) and intrusion detection systems. PSD provide the best isolation but can be challenging for existing "brownfield" metro lines, while intrusion detection systems have lower costs and easier installation but higher risks. The case study of Buenos Aires Line D plans a two-phase approach using both systems to balance safety, costs and flexibility during the automation transition.
The document discusses three different urban traffic management systems: MAXBAND, SCATS, and SCOOT. MAXBAND uses optimization algorithms to determine signal timing parameters but requires significant computer resources. SCATS is an adaptive system used in over 250 cities worldwide that adjusts signal timing in real-time based on vehicle detection. It aims to minimize stops and delays. SCOOT similarly uses detection data to optimize cycle lengths, splits, and offsets every few minutes to reduce congestion and emissions.
CBTC Communications Based Train Control conference March 12th 2014 James Nesbitt
Transport industry leaders create a common voice on critical Communications Based Train Control challenges and solutions on March12th 2014 in London. Addressing implementation, cost and maintenance, risk assessments and interoperability challenges from an engineering, technical and strategic planning perspective, you wont want to miss this highly informative networking opportunity
The document provides a summary of the final report of the Connected Cruise Control project. The project aimed to develop a system that provides drivers with tactical driving advice based on integrating in-vehicle systems with roadside traffic data. The project addressed questions related to the system architecture, data fusion within vehicles, the impact on traffic flow, functionalities of speed/headway/lane advice, and human-machine interface design. The project resulted in a demonstration system, models for estimating traffic flow, and HMI recommendations. The system architecture is designed to be open, interoperable and flexible to integrate current and future components.
The document provides information on several intelligent urban traffic management systems that a hometown administrator is considering installing: SCATS, SCOOT, ITACA, MAXBAND, UTOPIA-SPOT, and BALANCE. It describes each system's application, benefits, and how they use real-time traffic data from detectors to continuously optimize traffic signal timing in order to minimize delays. SCATS is currently used in many cities worldwide and in Malaysia, while SCOOT is a leading adaptive traffic control system that models traffic flows and optimizes signal splits, offsets, and cycle times. ITACA similarly uses traffic modeling to continuously adjust signal parameters and minimize stops and delays.
This document proposes an Intelligent Urban Traffic Control System for Kajang, Malaysia to address traffic congestion issues. It involves collecting traffic data at 3 intersections, determining optimal cycle times and signal timings, and proposing an integrated traffic management system consisting of a Traffic Control Center, automatic traffic signals, smart surveillance cameras, variable message signs, and a traveler information system to provide real-time updates. The goal is to upgrade the existing system, optimize traffic flows, and reduce congestion costs through this synchronized, technology-enabled approach.
A Brief review to the intelligent controllerswhich used to control trafficflowjournal ijrtem
Abstract: Nowadays, with the social progress and economic development, the transport is playing a pivotal role in cities. The main problem is the traffic jams due to vehicle congestion phenomena at intersection. To solve this problem an intelligent traffic control system that continuously sensing and monitoring traffic conditions and adjusting the timing of traffic lights according to the actual traffic load must be implemented. At present , a variety of traffic control has been designed using electrical technologies.Traffic load is highly dependent on parameters such as day-time , season weather and unpredictable situationssuch as accidents, special events or construction activities, these parameters will cause delay on the traffic flow. The traffic system in Libya is still controlled by old fashion ( i.e equally time interval signal control)and no intelligent system used to monitor and control the traffic flow. The scope of this paper is to review the main Intelligent controllerswhich used in smart traffic systems. Keywords: Traffic, Intelligent control, Programmable logic, Neural network, Fuzzy logic
The document describes Thales Group's SelTrac communications-based train control (CBTC) system solutions. SelTrac offers flexible and adaptable CBTC solutions that can be implemented as a fully integrated system or as an overlay on existing infrastructure. It supports various levels of automation from basic automatic train protection to fully automated and driverless operation. Key benefits include increased transport capacity, reduced infrastructure costs, easier system expansion, and energy savings.
Need for platform-to-track intrusion detection systems in automated metro linesSYSTRA
The document discusses platform protection systems for automated metro lines. It describes that as metro lines increase their level of automation, platform protection systems are needed to prevent accidents between passengers and trains. The two main types of systems are platform screen doors (PSD) and intrusion detection systems. PSD provide the best isolation but can be challenging for existing "brownfield" metro lines, while intrusion detection systems have lower costs and easier installation but higher risks. The case study of Buenos Aires Line D plans a two-phase approach using both systems to balance safety, costs and flexibility during the automation transition.
The document discusses three different urban traffic management systems: MAXBAND, SCATS, and SCOOT. MAXBAND uses optimization algorithms to determine signal timing parameters but requires significant computer resources. SCATS is an adaptive system used in over 250 cities worldwide that adjusts signal timing in real-time based on vehicle detection. It aims to minimize stops and delays. SCOOT similarly uses detection data to optimize cycle lengths, splits, and offsets every few minutes to reduce congestion and emissions.
CBTC Communications Based Train Control conference March 12th 2014 James Nesbitt
Transport industry leaders create a common voice on critical Communications Based Train Control challenges and solutions on March12th 2014 in London. Addressing implementation, cost and maintenance, risk assessments and interoperability challenges from an engineering, technical and strategic planning perspective, you wont want to miss this highly informative networking opportunity
The document provides a summary of the final report of the Connected Cruise Control project. The project aimed to develop a system that provides drivers with tactical driving advice based on integrating in-vehicle systems with roadside traffic data. The project addressed questions related to the system architecture, data fusion within vehicles, the impact on traffic flow, functionalities of speed/headway/lane advice, and human-machine interface design. The project resulted in a demonstration system, models for estimating traffic flow, and HMI recommendations. The system architecture is designed to be open, interoperable and flexible to integrate current and future components.
This document describes an online traffic signal state prediction system called the Personal Signal Assistant (PSA) that provides predicted times to green (TTG) and times to red (TTR) to connected vehicles. The PSA system architecture includes signal data collection from field controllers, signal state prediction using historical and real-time traffic data, and relaying predictions to vehicles. The PSA system was tested in multiple cities and demonstrated accurate predictions within 2-3 seconds of latency. Field tests showed safety and efficiency benefits like reduced stops and informed drivers when views of signals were blocked. Support from transportation agencies was critical for demonstrations of this connected vehicle application.
Improving traffic and emergency vehicle clearance at congested intersections ...IJECEIAES
Traffic signals play an important role in controlling and coordinating the traffic movement in cities especially in urban areas. As the traffic is exponentially increasing in cities and the pre-timed traffic light control is insufficient in effective timing of the traffic lights, it leads to poor traffic clearance and ultimately to heavy traffic congestion at intersections. Even the Emergency vehicles like Ambulance and Fire brigade are struck at such intersections and experience a prolonged waiting time. An adaptive and intelligent approach in design of traffic light signals is desirable and this paper contributes in applying fuzzy logic to control traffic signal of single four-way intersection giving priority to the Emergency vehicle clearance. The proposed control system is composed of two parallel controllers to select the appropriate lane for green signal and also to decide the appropriate green light time as per the real time traffic condition. Performance of the proposed system is evaluated by using simulations and comparing with pre-timed control system in changing traffic flow condition. Simulation results show significant improvement over the pre-timed control in terms of traffic clearance and lowering of Emergency vehicle wait time at the intersection especially when traffic intensity is high.
The document discusses India's railway infrastructure and efforts to make it more green and smart. It focuses on developing metro rail systems and rolling stock that utilize technologies like automatic train control and communications-based train control to increase efficiency and capacity while reducing carbon emissions from public transportation. The goal is to create carbon-free, beautiful cities with public transit systems that are clean, green, and efficient.
The document describes an intelligent traffic management system that uses wireless sensor networks to maximize traffic flow. Sensor data is used to calculate queue lengths and wait times for different traffic phases. The algorithm then determines the phase with the longest wait time and assigns a green light duration between the minimum time needed to clear the queue and the maximum phase time. This adaptive approach aims to reduce average wait times compared to traditional fixed-time traffic signals.
Optimized Traffic Signal Control System at Traffic Intersections Using VanetIOSR Journals
Abstract: Traditional Automated traffic signal control systems normally schedule the vehicles at intersection in
a pre timed slot manner. This pre-timed controller approach fails to minimize the waiting time of vehicles at the
traffic intersection as it doesn’t consider the arrival time of vehicles. To overcome this problem an adaptive and
intelligent traffic control system is proposed in such a way that a traffic signal controller with wireless radio
installed at the intersection and it is considered as an infrastructure. All the vehicles are equipped with onboard
location, speed sensors and a wireless radio to communicate with the infrastructure thereby VANET is formed.
Once the vehicles enter into the boundary of traffic area, they broadcast their positional information as data
packet with their encapsulated ID in it. The controller at the intersection receives the transmitted packets from
all the legs of intersection and then stores it in a temporary log file. Now the controller runs Platooning
algorithm to group the vehicles approximately in equal size of platoons. The platoons are formed on the basis of
data disseminated by the vehicles. Then the controller runs Oldest Job First algorithm which treats platoons as
jobs. The algorithm schedules jobs in conflict free manner and ensures all the jobs utilize equal processing time
i.e the vehicles of each platoons cross the intersection at equal delays. The proposed approach is evaluated
under various traffic volumes and the performance is analyzed.
Keywords Conflict graphs, online job scheduling, traffic signal control, vehicular ad hoc network (VANET)
simulation, vehicle-actuated traffic signal control, Webster’s algorithm.
The document summarizes the EUROFOT project, which aims to perform large-scale field operational tests of advanced driver assistance systems in Europe. Specifically:
- The project involves testing 9 driver assistance functions in over 1,500 vehicles across multiple European countries to evaluate performance, driver behavior, impacts on safety and efficiency, and public acceptance.
- Extensive data will be collected over approximately 27 million kilometers of driving to gain insights on system usability and impacts.
- The project has defined over 250 research hypotheses and 84 prioritized hypotheses to guide the data analysis in areas like driver behavior, safety, and environmental impacts.
- Ongoing activities include specifying the driver assistance systems under test, defining use
IRJET- Automated Traffic Control SystemIRJET Journal
The document describes a proposed automated traffic control system that uses real-time traffic data from Google Maps to dynamically adjust traffic light timings rather than using fixed timings. It extracts traffic density information from Google Maps to determine how long each traffic light should remain green or red. This allows traffic to flow more smoothly based on current conditions rather than static schedules. It aims to reduce congestion and delays at intersections and provide better routing for emergency vehicles. The system would automatically control traffic lights without the need for human traffic officers to direct traffic.
1. The Culver CBTC Test Track Project in New York City aims to demonstrate signalling interoperability between the CBTC systems of Siemens and Thales through an integrated test facility.
2. The project goals are to finalize interoperability interface specifications for future CBTC deployments in New York, provide an operational test environment, and permanently install an interoperable CBTC system on the Culver test track line.
3. Siemens and Thales will work as a consortium with shared responsibilities to deliver the system, including developing their respective CBTC subsystems, integrating them, and conducting safety certification testing.
This document summarizes the key experiences and learnings from the author's signalling internship. It describes visits to legacy signalling systems including automatic train protection, operation and supervision subsystems. It also details visits to Thales communications-based train control systems, including static and dynamic testing of automatic train operation. The internship provided valuable exposure to railway signalling maintenance and insights into a future career in the rail industry.
(Slides) A Method for Pedestrian Position Estimation using Inter-Vehicle Comm...Naoki Shibata
This document proposes a method for pedestrian position estimation using inter-vehicle communication. The method involves pedestrians carrying beacon devices that broadcast unique IDs, and cars equipped with antennas to receive beacon signals and estimate pedestrian positions. Cars then share estimated positions with other nearby cars via packets to improve accuracy. Experiments show the method allows cars to receive sufficient position updates to detect pedestrians within stopping distance, and accuracy improves as more cars share information. Future work could evaluate pedestrian accident risk and filter low-risk pedestrians, and track positions over time.
This document discusses signal retiming, which is the process of optimizing traffic signal timing parameters like cycle length, offset, and split times. Signal retiming can reduce delays, stops, fuel consumption, and accidents at intersections. It is conducted by collecting traffic data and analyzing it using software to determine improved signal timing plans. Signal retiming should be conducted every 1-3 years to account for changing traffic patterns and is estimated to cost $2,500 per intersection. Studies show signal retiming can reduce delays by 15-30% and lower fuel consumption and emissions.
Solution to the Traffic Problem
Pune Traffic Police department requires a modern framework to manage the growing traffic and the growing boundaries of the city. They also have a requirement to digitize records and administration of fines in order to prevent corruption. They are keen to involve citizens to backfill the shortage of police staff. The project calls for a total redesign of their technology and tools from scratch.
The proposed technology should enable development of light-weight applications like the following. You are welcome to imagine additional use cases and propose solutions.
1. Online Traffic Signal Management
a. Enable Police Control Room to monitor traffic patterns and control traffic signals in real time
b. Enable emergency vehicles to override signals for rapid passage
2. Curb Corruption
a. Develop an audio-visual tool to capture officer’s interactions with offenders
3. Instafine
a. Police can take pictures of traffic violations
b. They can select the category and severity of violation, and submit immediately
c. Information about fines can be dispatched by post, email, Whatsapp, SMS, etc.
4. Citizen Police
a. Citizens can take pictures of traffic violations and submit to the Control Room
b. Control Room processes the complaints and sends fines to offenders
DYNAMIC TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL SCHEME FOR REDUCING CO2EMISSIONS EMPLOYING ETC ...ijmpict
With the increasing growth of vehicle numbers in the world, Global warming is becoming a serious issue. Vehicle CO2 emissions are considered to be one of the main sources of global warming. In order to reduce vehicles CO2 emissions, a dynamic traffic light control scheme is proposed. In the proposed scheme, we are the first to use Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) devices to obtain real time traffic flow information for a traffic control centre. By the proposed scheme, vehicles can pass through intersections with less waiting time and fewer numbers of stops. By smoothing vehicle travel, CO2 emissions can be reduced. Compared with fixed time control, the simulation results indicate that the proposed scheme has much better performance: vehicle average waiting time is greatly reduced and CO2 emissions can also be
reduced.
A Tech-driven Engineering Case on the Current Trends in the Transportation Domain as well as some of the State-of-the-art Principles that can be applied to enhance the Current Transportation System.
IRJET-utomatic Intelligent Traffic Control SystemIRJET Journal
This document describes an automatic intelligent traffic control system that uses sensors and wireless communication to dynamically adjust traffic light timing based on real-time traffic conditions. The system uses infrared sensors to detect vehicle passage and count traffic density on roads approaching an intersection. A microcontroller analyzes this sensor data and changes the duration of green lights accordingly. For example, if one road has heavy traffic, its green light will be extended. The system can also give priority to emergency vehicles by continuously extending a green light to let them pass through. This provides a low-cost way to optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion compared to traditional fixed-time traffic lights.
ImFlow optimises traffic flows based on configured policies, making optimal use of the road infrastructure. The uniqueness of ImFlow is its real-time adaptive algorithm that automatically translates policy into optimal traffic flow. A set of policies represent a scenario. Within a scenario each policy is assigned a level of importance allowing the user to balance the importance of the traffic flows, priority vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists within the network.
IRJET-Intellectual 4way Traffic Control System using PLC and SCADAIRJET Journal
This document describes an intelligent 4-way traffic control system that uses a PLC and SCADA. It aims to automatically calculate vehicle densities in each lane and prioritize traffic lights accordingly. Sensors measure traffic density data which is sent to the PLC. The PLC program then controls light durations based on density levels to minimize waiting times. This dynamic system aims to more efficiently direct traffic flow compared to conventional fixed-time control systems.
Traffic information systems collect and process current traffic data and disseminate it to users. They can be centralized, with a central authority collecting, processing, and sharing data, or decentralized, where each vehicle collects and shares local data. Key elements include data collection, processing, and dissemination. Decentralized systems avoid issues with centralized systems like limited coverage and high costs. One example is SOTIS, where each vehicle monitors local traffic and shares data with surrounding vehicles via wireless links. This allows comprehensive coverage without fixed infrastructure. Driving route-based visual TIS provides personalized traffic information to each user based on their specific route.
This document summarizes an adaptive traffic control system based on an embedded Linux board and image processing. The system uses a Raspberry Pi single board computer and OpenCV to process video frames from a digital camera mounted at an intersection. Vehicle counts on each road are determined using background subtraction and a Kalman filter algorithm. Based on the vehicle densities, different signal times are assigned to each road to improve traffic flow. The system also prioritizes emergency vehicles using GSM and GPS modules. Traffic data is stored on a web server to synchronize signals across intersections. The system aims to provide smoother traffic flow compared to fixed-time traffic signals.
El documento describe la estructura y funcionamiento del poder judicial federal en los Estados Unidos. Explica que está compuesto por la Corte Suprema en la cima, seguida por tribunales de apelaciones y tribunales de distrito. Luego enumera nueve tipos de casos sobre los que el poder judicial federal tiene jurisdicción máxima, incluyendo controversias entre estados o ciudadanos de diferentes estados.
Muhammed Firoz is a senior accountant with over 16 years of experience in finance, accounting, and auditing. He currently works as a senior accountant at Fibrex Industrial & Construction Co. in Abu Dhabi, where he has worked for over 8 years. His responsibilities include financial reporting, budgeting, analysis, accounts payable/receivable, and ensuring statutory compliance. Prior to this role, he held senior accounting positions in Abu Dhabi and India, demonstrating extensive experience across various industries. He holds an MCom and BCom from the University of Calicut in India.
This document describes an online traffic signal state prediction system called the Personal Signal Assistant (PSA) that provides predicted times to green (TTG) and times to red (TTR) to connected vehicles. The PSA system architecture includes signal data collection from field controllers, signal state prediction using historical and real-time traffic data, and relaying predictions to vehicles. The PSA system was tested in multiple cities and demonstrated accurate predictions within 2-3 seconds of latency. Field tests showed safety and efficiency benefits like reduced stops and informed drivers when views of signals were blocked. Support from transportation agencies was critical for demonstrations of this connected vehicle application.
Improving traffic and emergency vehicle clearance at congested intersections ...IJECEIAES
Traffic signals play an important role in controlling and coordinating the traffic movement in cities especially in urban areas. As the traffic is exponentially increasing in cities and the pre-timed traffic light control is insufficient in effective timing of the traffic lights, it leads to poor traffic clearance and ultimately to heavy traffic congestion at intersections. Even the Emergency vehicles like Ambulance and Fire brigade are struck at such intersections and experience a prolonged waiting time. An adaptive and intelligent approach in design of traffic light signals is desirable and this paper contributes in applying fuzzy logic to control traffic signal of single four-way intersection giving priority to the Emergency vehicle clearance. The proposed control system is composed of two parallel controllers to select the appropriate lane for green signal and also to decide the appropriate green light time as per the real time traffic condition. Performance of the proposed system is evaluated by using simulations and comparing with pre-timed control system in changing traffic flow condition. Simulation results show significant improvement over the pre-timed control in terms of traffic clearance and lowering of Emergency vehicle wait time at the intersection especially when traffic intensity is high.
The document discusses India's railway infrastructure and efforts to make it more green and smart. It focuses on developing metro rail systems and rolling stock that utilize technologies like automatic train control and communications-based train control to increase efficiency and capacity while reducing carbon emissions from public transportation. The goal is to create carbon-free, beautiful cities with public transit systems that are clean, green, and efficient.
The document describes an intelligent traffic management system that uses wireless sensor networks to maximize traffic flow. Sensor data is used to calculate queue lengths and wait times for different traffic phases. The algorithm then determines the phase with the longest wait time and assigns a green light duration between the minimum time needed to clear the queue and the maximum phase time. This adaptive approach aims to reduce average wait times compared to traditional fixed-time traffic signals.
Optimized Traffic Signal Control System at Traffic Intersections Using VanetIOSR Journals
Abstract: Traditional Automated traffic signal control systems normally schedule the vehicles at intersection in
a pre timed slot manner. This pre-timed controller approach fails to minimize the waiting time of vehicles at the
traffic intersection as it doesn’t consider the arrival time of vehicles. To overcome this problem an adaptive and
intelligent traffic control system is proposed in such a way that a traffic signal controller with wireless radio
installed at the intersection and it is considered as an infrastructure. All the vehicles are equipped with onboard
location, speed sensors and a wireless radio to communicate with the infrastructure thereby VANET is formed.
Once the vehicles enter into the boundary of traffic area, they broadcast their positional information as data
packet with their encapsulated ID in it. The controller at the intersection receives the transmitted packets from
all the legs of intersection and then stores it in a temporary log file. Now the controller runs Platooning
algorithm to group the vehicles approximately in equal size of platoons. The platoons are formed on the basis of
data disseminated by the vehicles. Then the controller runs Oldest Job First algorithm which treats platoons as
jobs. The algorithm schedules jobs in conflict free manner and ensures all the jobs utilize equal processing time
i.e the vehicles of each platoons cross the intersection at equal delays. The proposed approach is evaluated
under various traffic volumes and the performance is analyzed.
Keywords Conflict graphs, online job scheduling, traffic signal control, vehicular ad hoc network (VANET)
simulation, vehicle-actuated traffic signal control, Webster’s algorithm.
The document summarizes the EUROFOT project, which aims to perform large-scale field operational tests of advanced driver assistance systems in Europe. Specifically:
- The project involves testing 9 driver assistance functions in over 1,500 vehicles across multiple European countries to evaluate performance, driver behavior, impacts on safety and efficiency, and public acceptance.
- Extensive data will be collected over approximately 27 million kilometers of driving to gain insights on system usability and impacts.
- The project has defined over 250 research hypotheses and 84 prioritized hypotheses to guide the data analysis in areas like driver behavior, safety, and environmental impacts.
- Ongoing activities include specifying the driver assistance systems under test, defining use
IRJET- Automated Traffic Control SystemIRJET Journal
The document describes a proposed automated traffic control system that uses real-time traffic data from Google Maps to dynamically adjust traffic light timings rather than using fixed timings. It extracts traffic density information from Google Maps to determine how long each traffic light should remain green or red. This allows traffic to flow more smoothly based on current conditions rather than static schedules. It aims to reduce congestion and delays at intersections and provide better routing for emergency vehicles. The system would automatically control traffic lights without the need for human traffic officers to direct traffic.
1. The Culver CBTC Test Track Project in New York City aims to demonstrate signalling interoperability between the CBTC systems of Siemens and Thales through an integrated test facility.
2. The project goals are to finalize interoperability interface specifications for future CBTC deployments in New York, provide an operational test environment, and permanently install an interoperable CBTC system on the Culver test track line.
3. Siemens and Thales will work as a consortium with shared responsibilities to deliver the system, including developing their respective CBTC subsystems, integrating them, and conducting safety certification testing.
This document summarizes the key experiences and learnings from the author's signalling internship. It describes visits to legacy signalling systems including automatic train protection, operation and supervision subsystems. It also details visits to Thales communications-based train control systems, including static and dynamic testing of automatic train operation. The internship provided valuable exposure to railway signalling maintenance and insights into a future career in the rail industry.
(Slides) A Method for Pedestrian Position Estimation using Inter-Vehicle Comm...Naoki Shibata
This document proposes a method for pedestrian position estimation using inter-vehicle communication. The method involves pedestrians carrying beacon devices that broadcast unique IDs, and cars equipped with antennas to receive beacon signals and estimate pedestrian positions. Cars then share estimated positions with other nearby cars via packets to improve accuracy. Experiments show the method allows cars to receive sufficient position updates to detect pedestrians within stopping distance, and accuracy improves as more cars share information. Future work could evaluate pedestrian accident risk and filter low-risk pedestrians, and track positions over time.
This document discusses signal retiming, which is the process of optimizing traffic signal timing parameters like cycle length, offset, and split times. Signal retiming can reduce delays, stops, fuel consumption, and accidents at intersections. It is conducted by collecting traffic data and analyzing it using software to determine improved signal timing plans. Signal retiming should be conducted every 1-3 years to account for changing traffic patterns and is estimated to cost $2,500 per intersection. Studies show signal retiming can reduce delays by 15-30% and lower fuel consumption and emissions.
Solution to the Traffic Problem
Pune Traffic Police department requires a modern framework to manage the growing traffic and the growing boundaries of the city. They also have a requirement to digitize records and administration of fines in order to prevent corruption. They are keen to involve citizens to backfill the shortage of police staff. The project calls for a total redesign of their technology and tools from scratch.
The proposed technology should enable development of light-weight applications like the following. You are welcome to imagine additional use cases and propose solutions.
1. Online Traffic Signal Management
a. Enable Police Control Room to monitor traffic patterns and control traffic signals in real time
b. Enable emergency vehicles to override signals for rapid passage
2. Curb Corruption
a. Develop an audio-visual tool to capture officer’s interactions with offenders
3. Instafine
a. Police can take pictures of traffic violations
b. They can select the category and severity of violation, and submit immediately
c. Information about fines can be dispatched by post, email, Whatsapp, SMS, etc.
4. Citizen Police
a. Citizens can take pictures of traffic violations and submit to the Control Room
b. Control Room processes the complaints and sends fines to offenders
DYNAMIC TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL SCHEME FOR REDUCING CO2EMISSIONS EMPLOYING ETC ...ijmpict
With the increasing growth of vehicle numbers in the world, Global warming is becoming a serious issue. Vehicle CO2 emissions are considered to be one of the main sources of global warming. In order to reduce vehicles CO2 emissions, a dynamic traffic light control scheme is proposed. In the proposed scheme, we are the first to use Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) devices to obtain real time traffic flow information for a traffic control centre. By the proposed scheme, vehicles can pass through intersections with less waiting time and fewer numbers of stops. By smoothing vehicle travel, CO2 emissions can be reduced. Compared with fixed time control, the simulation results indicate that the proposed scheme has much better performance: vehicle average waiting time is greatly reduced and CO2 emissions can also be
reduced.
A Tech-driven Engineering Case on the Current Trends in the Transportation Domain as well as some of the State-of-the-art Principles that can be applied to enhance the Current Transportation System.
IRJET-utomatic Intelligent Traffic Control SystemIRJET Journal
This document describes an automatic intelligent traffic control system that uses sensors and wireless communication to dynamically adjust traffic light timing based on real-time traffic conditions. The system uses infrared sensors to detect vehicle passage and count traffic density on roads approaching an intersection. A microcontroller analyzes this sensor data and changes the duration of green lights accordingly. For example, if one road has heavy traffic, its green light will be extended. The system can also give priority to emergency vehicles by continuously extending a green light to let them pass through. This provides a low-cost way to optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion compared to traditional fixed-time traffic lights.
ImFlow optimises traffic flows based on configured policies, making optimal use of the road infrastructure. The uniqueness of ImFlow is its real-time adaptive algorithm that automatically translates policy into optimal traffic flow. A set of policies represent a scenario. Within a scenario each policy is assigned a level of importance allowing the user to balance the importance of the traffic flows, priority vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists within the network.
IRJET-Intellectual 4way Traffic Control System using PLC and SCADAIRJET Journal
This document describes an intelligent 4-way traffic control system that uses a PLC and SCADA. It aims to automatically calculate vehicle densities in each lane and prioritize traffic lights accordingly. Sensors measure traffic density data which is sent to the PLC. The PLC program then controls light durations based on density levels to minimize waiting times. This dynamic system aims to more efficiently direct traffic flow compared to conventional fixed-time control systems.
Traffic information systems collect and process current traffic data and disseminate it to users. They can be centralized, with a central authority collecting, processing, and sharing data, or decentralized, where each vehicle collects and shares local data. Key elements include data collection, processing, and dissemination. Decentralized systems avoid issues with centralized systems like limited coverage and high costs. One example is SOTIS, where each vehicle monitors local traffic and shares data with surrounding vehicles via wireless links. This allows comprehensive coverage without fixed infrastructure. Driving route-based visual TIS provides personalized traffic information to each user based on their specific route.
This document summarizes an adaptive traffic control system based on an embedded Linux board and image processing. The system uses a Raspberry Pi single board computer and OpenCV to process video frames from a digital camera mounted at an intersection. Vehicle counts on each road are determined using background subtraction and a Kalman filter algorithm. Based on the vehicle densities, different signal times are assigned to each road to improve traffic flow. The system also prioritizes emergency vehicles using GSM and GPS modules. Traffic data is stored on a web server to synchronize signals across intersections. The system aims to provide smoother traffic flow compared to fixed-time traffic signals.
El documento describe la estructura y funcionamiento del poder judicial federal en los Estados Unidos. Explica que está compuesto por la Corte Suprema en la cima, seguida por tribunales de apelaciones y tribunales de distrito. Luego enumera nueve tipos de casos sobre los que el poder judicial federal tiene jurisdicción máxima, incluyendo controversias entre estados o ciudadanos de diferentes estados.
Muhammed Firoz is a senior accountant with over 16 years of experience in finance, accounting, and auditing. He currently works as a senior accountant at Fibrex Industrial & Construction Co. in Abu Dhabi, where he has worked for over 8 years. His responsibilities include financial reporting, budgeting, analysis, accounts payable/receivable, and ensuring statutory compliance. Prior to this role, he held senior accounting positions in Abu Dhabi and India, demonstrating extensive experience across various industries. He holds an MCom and BCom from the University of Calicut in India.
Flickr es una aplicación en línea ofrecida por Yahoo que permite a los usuarios subir, compartir, editar y organizar fotos, mantenerse en contacto con otros y acceder a imágenes a través de varios métodos como el navegador web o el teléfono. SlideRocket es una herramienta en la nube que permite crear presentaciones en línea con diferentes diapositivas, imágenes, texto y archivos flash de forma remota desde cualquier navegador. Shidonni es un mundo virtual educativo para niños de 4 a 12 años donde crean
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1. European Traffic Management Approaches for Increased Automation and Safety Page 1 of 11
European Traffic Management Approaches for
Increased Automation and Safety
Emmanuel Houriez, Alstom
Ello Weits, Movares
SUMMARY
Many European countries are launching ambitious programs for Traffic Management Systems (TMS) with
decision support for rail traffic optimisation at regional and national levels. Such programs - comprising
forecasting, conflict detection, conflict resolution and driver guidance - aim to deliver improved on-time
performance, quality of service and return on investment.
After an overview of recent developments and principles of traffic automation with decision support, this paper
investigates how regional and national rail traffic automation is presently undergoing a breakthrough.
Safety considerations may present an obstacle to automation. The second part of the paper shows that not only
automation and safety can go together, but also that safety may benefit from increased safety and thus be one of
the drivers for traffic automation.
1 INTRODUCTION
Many European countries are launching ambitious programs for Traffic Management Systems with optimisation
at regional and national levels. Such programs aim to deliver improved on-time performance, quality of service
and return on investment and are sometimes associated with re-signalling projects.
Traffic optimisation in a railway network includes increased automation combined with forecasting, conflict
detection and resolution, driver guidance and the management of safety related activities (work zones, temporary
speed restrictions, etc.).
In this context, several fundamental questions arise related both to operational efficiency and safety.
With regards to operational efficiency, increased automation allows the controller to focus on anticipation and
exception management. The interface between the user and the system must however insure that the controller
remains fully involved, aware and fully in control.
With regards to safety, the usual measures built into a TMS focus on manual input and display of the railway
status. A modern TMS must maintain safety while increasing automation and flexibility.
This paper describes a few recent and current TMS projects, including key focus areas and objectives. It
identifies the operational and safety considerations when moving to a modern traffic management system that
targets regional and national optimisation. Denmark's re-signalling programme provides an interesting approach
to both aspects.
2 TRAFFIC OPTIMISATION APPROACHES
2.1 Local traffic optimisation cases in Europe
Several projects in Europe are developing interesting traffic optimisation strategies at local level rather than at
regional or national level. Some of the cognitive and safety challenges posed by automation of traffic
management already arise at this level.
An interesting case is the computer-based train control system “Automatic Functions Lötschberg” (AF),
developed by Systransis Ltd. that has been monitoring and controlling the train traffic through the Lötschberg
base tunnel (a 34.6 km long tunnel under the Swiss Alps) since its opening in December 2007.
2. European Traffic Management Approaches for Increased Automation and Safety Page 2 of 11
In this system, advisory speeds are communicated to the train drivers in order to optimise traffic. The primary
goal of sending advisory speeds to train drivers is to reduce delays and minimise train stops caused by conflicts,
and thereby maintain capacity and timetable stability. A secondary aim is the reduction of the traction energy
needed by trains to travel through the tunnel.
A follow-up to this system will be the TAG (Tunnel Automatic Gotthard). Here, next to the above mentioned
goals, an additional goal is tunnel safety, given the fact that the Gotthard base tunnel is 57 km long.
Although Switzerland has introduced a new nationwide traffic management system in 2009, initially conflict
resolution was not within scope, but recently with the HOT (Hub Optimisation Technology) project conflict
resolution has been taken up, albeit at first at a local level.
In the Netherlands a project called TOL (‘Trein op Lijn’) is aiming for three goals (in the sequence as given):
giving context information to drivers (primarily which trains are in front and behind), providing advised speeds to
the driver and, in a later stage, providing conflict detection and resolution capabilities to the signal operator, again
at first at local level. A remarkable analogy between the developments in Switzerland and the Netherlands is that
safety is an important driver.
2.2 Italian regional nodes
The national railway network is operated from 16 regional centres, which altogether manage over 400
workstations in over 120 sites. Since 2002, 13 of the regional centres have been moved to centralised, integrated
control centres deploying SCC (Sistema di Comando e Controllo).
The SCC systems integrate traffic control and optimisation, diagnostics and maintenance, passenger information
systems as well as surveillance and security.
Each SCC controls the traffic in a regional node and its wide railway network including single and double track
lines, high density traffic, passenger and freight traffic as well as high speed trains.
The traffic management system improves traffic regulation and operational performance using automatic route
setting, conflict detection and decision support for conflict resolution. Passenger information, including public
address and displays is managed automatically and updated in real-time by the traffic management system. The
diagnostic and maintenance system reduces infrastructure maintenance costs and increases punctuality by
improving preventive and corrective maintenance performance. The security system and tele-surveillance
improves passenger and infrastructure security with information directly available on dispatcher consoles.
On nodes such as the Bologna Nodo, the traffic management system implements control by planning to
automate at a very high level the execution of routes. The system continuously evaluates the impact of
perturbations to the traffic and reforecasts the operation. It detects the conflicts in anticipation, thus allowing the
controllers to focus on effective all-encompassing solutions rather than performing last minute corrections which
could have unforeseen impact to subsequent traffic.
2.3 UK traffic management services
Network Rail is planning for more affordable and higher performance railways and includes traffic management
technologies in the operating strategy to consolidate more than 800 signal boxes into 14 state-of-the-art rail
operating centres over the next 30 years.
The traffic management technology introduces real-time rescheduling along with the prediction and resolution of
conflicts. It allows larger regional areas of the network to be controlled from integrated traffic control systems,
with a broader awareness of traffic conditions and provides a reliable single source of truth for operational
information.
The key component of the traffic management system is the planning and operations layer which defines the
schedule and performs real-time rescheduling based on the current status of the railways. This feature, which is
named “Plan/Replan” functionality in the UK context is common to the different solutions contemplated for
phased deployment over the years.
Depending on the pre-existing signalling control layer and its capacity to be integrated in traffic management,
Network Rail has defined different approaches to the adoption of the plan/replan function:
3. European Traffic Management Approaches for Increased Automation and Safety Page 3 of 11
[Isolated] The plan/replan functionality is provided to the controller but does not directly interface to the
signalling layer, therefore does not perform automatic route setting. It is up to the controllers to interface the
existing signalling layer to execute the route setting functions.
[Interfaced] In this configuration, the plan/replan functionality receives information from the signalling layer
and is able to issue automated controls.
[Integrated] The traffic management system includes the signalling control layer as well as the optimisation
function.
Over time each operating centre should reach at minimum the ‘interfaced’ implementation, thus allowing
automation and optimisation.
2.4 Northern Europe national systems
Several traffic management system initiatives have been launched in Northern Europe.
Denmark started in 2009 its re-signalling programme to replace its aging traditional relay based technology with
an ERTMS system based on radio communication between the central control centre and the trains. The
programme managed by the infrastructure manager Banedanmark will increase network capacity, increase
linespeeds and shorten headways. The traffic management system is a key component of the re-signalling
programme as it provides the overall optimised planning of operations and its execution and optimisation in real-
time.
The Danish scheme is based on two regional centralised traffic control systems, for East and West Denmark
respectively. Both regions are coordinated as they utilise an optimised national production plan (or production
schedule), including a timetable generated prior to the start of operations. Both regions are coordinated during
operations by a national optimisation layer which adjusts the production plan to resolve perturbations and
conflicts and provides updated planning data to the regional centres.
The Swedish infrastructure manager Trafikverket is launching a national traffic control system programme, which
is focusing on traffic management system independently from re-signalling. The program aims at controlling the
whole of Sweden according to the principle of “control by planning”. The main objectives of the project are to
provide more efficient maintenance, operation and support. The program will improve the accuracy of train
scheduling, traffic robustness and traffic capacity and increase availability and flexibility.
Integration of national planning and traffic control is a key driver of the Swedish strategy, moving from eight
independent train control areas into a nationwide system for traffic control. Proactive train control is another key
driver supported by control by planning and situational awareness. The system performs conflict detection and
resolution and provides the controllers with efficient decision support and communication capabilities to ensure
the schedule remains conflict-free [Ref 1]. The controllers can focus on medium-term and long-term planning
activities while the system executes the schedule automatically.
2.5 Traffic Optimisation Concepts
While there are differences in local, regional or national approaches, differences in underlying signalling systems
from conventional signalling to ERTMS and differences in systems architecture depending on pre-existing control
systems, the traffic optimisation programs share common concepts and common challenges.
The common concepts of traffic optimisation include:
The ability to anticipate train movements and therefore the ability to forecast and reforecast accurately.
The ability to identify conflicts before they actually occur.
The ability to resolve conflicts, either by real-time adjustments to the train movement (speed or route
adjustment) or by re-scheduling.
The introduction of increased automation and intelligent traffic management system behaviour changes the task
of the traffic controller, moving to increased anticipation rather than real-time reaction. These changes must be
considered when analysing the controller cognitive environment and the ability for the controller to maintain
understanding and attention in the real-time operations [Ref 2]. They must also be considered when analysing
4. European Traffic Management Approaches for Increased Automation and Safety Page 4 of 11
the place of the traffic management system in the overall train control environment, and more specifically, its
contribution to the safety.
The following Sections of this paper will focus first on automation and efficiency, then on safety considerations
when moving to advanced traffic management.
3 AUTOMATION AND EFFICIENCY
3.1 Trend towards Automation and Efficiency
3.1.1 Service Intentions
Service intentions represent the skeleton of the production plan, including the timetable as required by Train
Operating Companies (TOCs) and the constraints related to rolling stock and crew. Service intentions also
include the request of possessions for maintenance purposes:
Seasonal service intentions are the published ones. Usually they are generated by external planning
systems. They can also refer to seasonal plans for rolling stock/crew if available (From Train Operating
Companies) or to long term infrastructure maintenance activities if these are planned at seasonal level
(rare but possible).
Daily service intentions are the daily instances of the seasonal service intentions generated applying
rules (periodicity and suppression). They can be modified in order take into consideration daily planning
activities (valid only for that day). For example a change in rolling stock/crew allocation or a specific
request for a possession.
Current service intentions represent the current status (from now to X configurable hours in the future)
of the service intentions indicating if they are fulfilled.
Service intentions can be divided in the following logical groups:
Train service related: e.g. passenger service in a station, auxiliary services in station, …
Rolling stock/crew related: e.g. rolling stock used to perform a train service, crew on board, …
Infrastructure: e.g. request for a possession.
Service Intentions are translated in an effective timetable (including links between services), rolling stock, crew
information and planned possessions.
The integrated service intention and timetable approach permits a sophisticated rescheduling fulfilling the needs
of the TOCs including the critical constraints related to rolling stock and crew allocation, while modifying
timetable information and allocations that are not critical.
5. European Traffic Management Approaches for Increased Automation and Safety Page 5 of 11
Figure 1: Types of service intentions
3.1.2 Real-time reforecasting
Accurate forecasting of all train movements is the essential basis of anticipation and mitigation of traffic
perturbations. Modern traffic management systems therefore rely on accurate configuration data and provide
advanced reforecasting algorithms to calculate the traffic circulation of each train within the timetable. The
system must take into account train status, infrastructure status, abnormal/exceptional situations, constraints
status (such as connections) etc.
The accuracy of the function will depend largely on the accuracy of the configuration data. The system must be
flexible and adaptable to various signalling rules for the different interlockings within the controlled territory.
Parameters such as distances, track section lengths, infrastructure speeds and constraints are key to obtaining
an accurate forecast. When parameters are not available, the system shall nevertheless be able to compute
default parameters or infer them by observation.
The reforecasting function operates in real-time and is triggered by both the various changes of field conditions
and the traffic controller modifications to perform new traffic forecasting calculations. Moreover, the principle of
conflict anticipation and mitigation requires that the reforecasting be applied not only to the short-term planning
but also to medium and long-term planning. The combination of real-time and long-term planning together with
the size and complexity of a regional or national network induces specific performance requirements.
3.1.3 Pro-active dispatching
With the powerful concepts and functionalities provided by service intentions and real-time reforecasting, it
becomes possible to re-calculate the timetable when a disruption occurs while maintaining the constraints
associated to the train operating companies intentions for service.
With the re-calculated timetable, automatic traffic control functions such as automatic train routing and speed
advisory can be executed by the system, thus smoothing and optimising traffic operations.
With control by planning, the traffic controller is able to focus his/her attention to the resolution of train movement
conflicts in anticipation, therefore applying his/her skills to the most benefits for operation [Ref 3].
Since disruptions often require a short response time, the systems provide the ability to analyse traffic status in
real-time and to provide proposals for solutions. It is critical for the traffic controller to maintain a perfect
understanding of the traffic status and of the strategies being implemented to resolve issues and optimise. Pro-
active dispatching is therefore assisted not only by intelligent and advanced automation but also by decision
support [Ref 4].
6. European Traffic Management Approaches for Increased Automation and Safety Page 6 of 11
3.2 Drivers for Automation and Efficiency
The traffic automation and optimisation concepts described above are key for managing a more efficient railway
system and smoothing traffic, while maintaining the passengers informed well ahead of time.
Some of the key drivers to automation and efficiency include:
Economic factors / benefits.
Customer satisfaction and increase of ridership.
EU recommendations to increase passenger and freight traffic.
External influences (e.g. technological developments from outside the railway sector).
Automation as a strategic asset for a railway system that prepares for the future.
Traffic optimisation therefore is a necessity, which is best evidenced by the increased launch of regional and
national traffic control projects.
However, while the traffic becomes more efficient, safety must be maintained to the highest level. The next
section will explain how safety considerations can be accounted for when implementing an advanced traffic
management system. Beyond maintaining safety, the perspective of increased contribution to safety by the
traffic management system is also considered.
4 SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
In this and the next section the safety considerations will be limited to the TMS. Next to safety issues related to
automation of TMS functions, there are safety issues related to driver guidance. In this paper these safety issues
will not be discussed.
4.1 General setting
Let us assume that we have a well designed and implemented safety layer including the interlocking (IXL), Radio
Base Centre (RBC) and trackside elements. The ideal situation (and the base situation) is that IXL and RBC fully
protect train traffic (train movements). The TMS only puts forward requests to the IXL and/or RBC, who filter out
any dangerous requests. However, this ideal situation is not always case.
In two cases TMS safety related issues arise:
The signal operator bypasses (usually with the help of the TMS) the safety layer. Written orders are the
obvious example.
The signal operator, again with the help of the TMS, interferes with the scope of the IXL or RBC. With scope
we mean here the geographical scope or any functional scope.
In this paper we deal with the second case. Some prime examples are the following. Activating a work zone
temporarily excludes an area (to a large extent) from the geographical control by the interlocking. Issuing a block
of a set of points or of a track section and issuing a temporary speed restriction (TSR), restricts the scope of IXL
and RBC, respectively, in a functional sense. Usually, the ‘scope changing’ commands have an on-off character.
However, there are also one-time changes such as moving an occupied set of point (set of point that is part of an
occupied track).
We call the scope changing commands simply ‘critical commands’.
We will use work zones and TSRs as running examples in the remainder in this paper.
4.2 Traditional Approach
It can easily be seen that defining a critical command to be issued from a TMS must resemble to a large extent
the data preparation that initially defines the scope of IXL and RBC. Therefore an obvious idea for work zones is
to include a number of predefined work zones in the data preparation. Then the signal operator only needs to
switch on/off the predefined work zones. The disadvantage is of course low flexibility. Any work zone that has not
been defined during the data preparation is not available during operations. Often one may be forced to activate
a work zone that is much too large.
7. European Traffic Management Approaches for Increased Automation and Safety Page 7 of 11
This disadvantage is more serious in the case of TSRs. Therefore, for TSRs one usually finds operational
procedures for defining and activating TSRs during operations. These procedures offer flexibility (you get
precisely the TSR you need), but for safety reasons the procedures are elaborate and time-consuming. They are
still subject to human error, especially when time pressure plays a role.
When work zones are not predefined in the data preparation phase, they are usually planned on paper or in
some electronic system, yielding a batch of simple commands. In that case the signal operator does not have to
define the work zone when he needs it, but he must either enter single commands one by one or check every
single command when it is transferred from the related electronic system via the TMS into the safety layer.
4.3 Automation while maintaining safety
A modern TMS requires automation and flexibility: work zones and TSRs defined in a late stage as part of plan,
not predefined in a data preparation process, but at the same time not requiring an elaborate and error-prone
procedure at execution time. In the last section we have already seen the first step in this direction, in planning a
work zone on paper or in some electronic system. However, in this approach there is still a large burden on the
signal operator.
We can go a significant step further, which is planning critical commands in a late stage as part of a plan
(typically hours to weeks before execution time), but with the quality of a data preparation process. This
approach requires three ingredients:
A well designed procedure.
Well educated people.
The ability to store the result in a ‘safe storage’.
Regarding the procedure one can borrow the basic structure from a data preparation process:
The procedure starts with external input. In this case the input may be truly external input or it may come
from a production plan (where the critical command has already been planned before). The planner checks
the completeness and consistency of the input.
The planner enters the input into a planning tool (a special purpose planning tool with a ‘safe storage’ for
critical commands).
The planning tool produces a copy of the input in a different format (again either electronic or paper).
Then either a person (different from the planner who entered the information) or a system validates the input
(i.e. checks whether the copy is identical to the original information).
If the comparison is positive, the information is permanently stored in the safe storage.
The entries in the safe storage make work zones and TSRs available to operator as if they were stored as pre-
defined entities in IXL or RBC. As with data stored in IXL or RBC the information is protected against corruption,
once it is entered. We call the above procedure ‘safe booking’.
Of course, there is one remaining problem: a work zone or TSR may need to be changed after initial planning,
causing a lot of rework. How to solve this issue? In the Fjernbane Infrastructure East project, part of Denmark’s
Signalling Programme, we have found a practical solution.
5 CASE STUDY: DENMARK’S SIGNALLING PROGRAMME
5.1 Overview
In the Danish Signalling Programme the timetable is encompassing and central. As much as possible, all
activities are planned. These planned activities are called ‘service intentions’. If there are deviations in the
execution of the service intentions, the rescheduling system will reforecast and update the timetable.
As indicated in the previous section, for critical commands the safety related aspects of such a service intention
(called ‘safety intention’) are captured in a separate database, which is a ‘safe storage’. The safety intentions
(collectively indicated as ‘safety intentions plan’) are defined in a minimal sense, capturing as few details as
possible. In particular no timing or duration is part of the safety intention. This allows the moving around and
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compression/prolonging of the related service intentions in the timetable, without the need of frequent safe
(re)bookings.
A planned critical command is initiated by the production plan. After some optional pre-processing it is forwarded
to the safe part of the TMS. Then the safe part of the TMS will involve the signal operator in such a way that
timeliness is ensured.
This approach introduces as in the traditional, manual approach the need for a crosscheck at execution time.
However, in this case the crosscheck at execution time is done by the TMS (referring to the entry in the safe
storage), with only a marginal check by the signal operator. The proposed solution implies that at execution time
operations are indeed largely automated as required. The main task for the signal operator is to monitor the
safety related service intentions and check the timing. Indeed, the signal operator always needs to check the
timing. First of all the timing is not a part of the safety intention, but even if it was, it could not foresee delays
which have safety relevance (e.g. trackside work that continues past the original end time).
Of course, the manual safety related work has not disappeared, but has been shifted to the booking phase. The
advantages are: less time pressure, the ability to easily apply the four eyes principle and a more uniform
workload distribution.
In the next sections more details are provided.
5.2 Outline of architecture
The architecture is based on two separate command chains, one non-safe and one safe. It is sketched out in
Figure 2. Care has been given to a sparse interface between the non-safe command chain (blue colour) and the
safe command chain (red colour).
The interface between the non-safe command chain and the safe command chain (i.e. between TMS server and
TMS Safe server) carries three types of messages:
Booking of critical commands.
Trigger of critical commands.
Request to perform a (number of) non-planned critical command(s); part of the request is the specification of
the critical commands to be executed.
The third type of message has been introduced to enable certain emergency commands. In particular changing
the state of an arbitrary area to ‘emergency’ cannot be planned. Therefore, TMS provides support to assembling
the elements of the emergency area and then the command is sent as a request to the TMS Safe server. We
note that the most common emergency areas (station, tunnels and bridges) are preconfigured.
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Figure 2: Outline of architecture
Remarks:
The timetable (consisting of service intentions) is located in the TMS server, whereas the safe storage with
the safety intentions is part of the TMS Safe server.
Any critical command entering the safe command chain, whether manually entered by the signal operator or
entering via the interface with the non-safe command chain, is subject to checks by the signal operator. After
a check of timing and identity a second check of successful execution follows. This second check is
performed after a reservation step (optionally, depending on the type of critical command) and after the
execution step. Whenever the critical command has been captured as safety intention, the second check is
heavily supported by the TMS Safe server.
5.3 Content of safety intentions plan
The contents of the safety intentions plan are deliberately kept small. The safety intentions relate to:
Work zones.
TSRs.
Deactivation of emergency areas.
Some simple critical commands like unblocking tracks are planned in the timetable, but not captured as a safety
intention. After an alert from the timetable the signal operator manually executes simple critical commands within
the safe command chain. This choice avoids automation where is does not have advantages by reducing
workload and reducing errors.
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5.4 Summary of hazard analysis
The main hazards associated to the setup chosen in the Fjernbane project are directly linked to the types of
message exchanged on the interface between the two command chains:
A safety intention may be absent or corrupted.
A trigger may be premature or it may trigger the wrong safety intention.
A request may be premature or corrupted.
The first hazard is mitigated by fact that the content of the safety intentions plan are produced using the safe
booking mechanism as explained above.
A premature trigger may arise from the fact that, for operational reasons, a safety intention does not include
timing. The mitigation of the resulting hazard is the monitoring by the signal operator. As already stated above we
require that the signal operator remains fully aware and in control (in order to be able to react in unforeseen
circumstances). Part of this monitoring must be the check that critical commands are only executed when the
timing is right (in particular: when other people involved have indicated that they are prepared). Sometimes part
of the check can be performed after execution.
A corrupted trigger can have two forms:
The bare trigger (i.e. the ID of the critical command) is corrupted during transfer from TMS to TMS Safe:
a wrong safety intention is triggered.
The second form is a misrepresentation of the critical command before transfer, so that the signal
operator gets a wrong impression of the content of the safety intention.
The mitigation against both forms of a corrupted trigger is that the signal operator performs his checks of timing
and identity using his safe display (part of the safe command chain) and that, when communicating about safety
related aspects of the critical command, he refers to the safe display. In other words, the signal operator shall
consider a trigger from the unsafe command chain as safe/unsafe as a manually entered command.
Finally, a request may be premature or corrupted. Again the mitigation is that all requests are subject to checks
of timing and identity and checks of successful execution within the safe command chain.
The above summary of hazard analysis shows that the hazards associated to the partial automation of critical
commands are well mitigated. At the same time, existing ‘old’ hazards are better mitigated than in the past. We
recall that manual safety related work does not disappear: this work is shifted to the booking phase. Apart from a
more uniform workload distribution advantages are less time pressure and the ability to easily apply the four eyes
principle, so that it can be stated that safety will benefit from the automation of operations.
6 CONCLUSION
The traffic management developments launched in European countries over the last decade have steadily
gained momentum and increased their ambitions both in terms of geographical size and functions.
The pioneering large regional operation centres have brought centralised operations, thus providing an accurate
view of the traffic operations in real-time and the ability to correct or mitigate the effect of disruptions. The
availability of massive computing power combined with the development of advanced optimisation algorithms
have changed the operation paradigm, gradually increasing the ability to anticipate traffic conflicts and reducing
the need for reactive crisis-driven measures. Advanced traffic management, including accurate forecasting,
conflict detection and solving and decision support, indeed underwent a breakthrough and is now being
implemented in a large scale throughout Europe to improve on-time performance, customer satisfaction and
financial performance.
As evidenced by the Denmark case study, the automation provided by the traffic management system can be
complemented with systems and strategies which enable safety related actions to be greatly facilitated by the
system while remaining fully within the control, ultimate verification and decision of the traffic controller. As a
consequence, the system – with its ability to systematically initiate planned and unplanned actions – actually
contributes to the safety of the railway’s operation while improving on-time performance and overall capacity.
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