The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers Inc

Australasian Section Incorporated

Video Train Positioning

Richard Shenton
MIRSE
Reliable Data Systems

SUMMARY
Since commercial railways began around 200 years ago, passing trains have been detected from the
trackside. Now we have entered the era of train based positioning. The cost of installing, operating and
maintaining track circuits and other infrastructure equipment is driving the introduction of train based
alternatives. Whilst GPS is widely used for train positioning on low density lines, it cannot on its own meet
the exacting requirements of train control. There is a need for a new generation of location system which
can provide continuous positioning on individual lines with high integrity and low cost.
This paper describes the operation of VTPS (Video Train Positioning System) a cab mounted vision system
providing reliable positioning at low cost. The system uses image processing technology to provide the full
range of positioning requirements for the operational railway, including odometry, spot location and track
discrimination. The paper details the techniques that are employed and how these are used to provide
accurate results with high integrity. It describes how the individual functions are combined to provide a
complete positioning capability, supporting applications such as train control, platform stopping, standstill
detection and train integrity.

for a quantum step in train detection and

1 INTRODUCTION
positioning technology.
Since railways began, it has been a challenge to
This paper is concerned with a revolutionary new
determine the location of a train.
approach utilising low cost image processing
The situation has improved considerably since the technology. The system, termed Video Train
earliest trains were dispatched with no more Positioning System (VTPS) uses a cab mounted
protection than a time interval between them. camera system shown in figure 1 below.
Over the last 100 years, the track circuit has been
the most significant development in train detection.
Although the technology has evolved considerably,
it is now reaching the end of its useful life.
In some countries, track circuit faults are the single
biggest cause of train delays. In addition,
infrastructure equipment for train detection and
positioning is expensive to install and maintain.
Figure 1: VTPS camera unit mounted
Now the industry is clearly heading in the direction
inside the cab windscreen
of train based location with worldwide
developments such as US Positive Train Control Following a general discussion of positioning
(PTC), Chinese Train Control System (CTCS) and requirements and issues in section 3 and 4, the
European Rail Traffic Management System reasoning for the use of video technology is
(ERTMS). described in section 5.
GPS was initially seen as the new low cost The key positioning functions of the technology are
solution for train location. However, it is now then explained:
recognised that satellite positioning on its own
• video odometry, including high integrity
cannot easily meet the train control challenge
(sections 6,7 8 & 9)
beyond low density lines.
• spot location (section 10)
With increasing capacity constraints in many
networks, we now have the need and opportunity • curvature measurement (section 11)

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In section 12, the paper describes how these
functions are combined into a complete solution.
Section 13 proposes a way forward for industry
adoption of the technology and the concluding
remarks are in section 14.
2 TERMINOLOGY
Please note that the term ‘GPS’ (the US Global
Positioning System) used in this paper is intended
to refer to all forms of satellite positioning,
including GLONASS, Compass and Galileo. It is
more widely understood than the generic term
GNSS (global navigation satellite system).
3 POSITIONING REQUIREMENTS
There are two key attributes of positioning for rail
control systems: precision and integrity. A system
that is precise to the nearest millimetre will be of
limited use in train control if it gives false readings
much of the time.
For obvious reasons, the positioning requirements
of signalling systems are more demanding on
integrity than they are on precision. Conversely,
the design of track survey equipment with its array
of laser and advanced GPS instruments is driven
more by requirements for precision than for
integrity.
These two attributes are often brought together
into the general concept of accuracy. For example,
a GPS system may be quoted as being accurate
to less than 5m ‘circular area probable’ (<5m
CEP). This means that typically there is a 50%
chance that you are located within 5m of the
position given by the system.
The other important requirement for railway control
systems concerns availability. The positioning
equipment needs to provide a high level of service
at all times and all locations.
Across all rail activities there is a wide range of
requirements for the accuracy and availability of
positioning systems. These are illustrated in figure
2. This paper is principally concerned with
positioning systems to meet the train control
requirements of high availability and medium
accuracy (1-10m precision with high integrity).
IRSE Australasia Technical Meeting: Sydney
Video Train Positioning
Figure 2: Positioning requirements
4 POSITIONING APPROACHES
4.1 General Principles
From the earliest days of marine navigation,
positioning systems have sought to locate the user
to a point on the Earth’s surface. The celestial
techniques of the sextant have now been largely
replaced by the GPS position fix. Nevertheless,
the aim is the same, that is to provide the
longitude, latitude, and possibly height, of the user.
This is the general 2 dimensional or 3 dimensional,
case that is not required by every application.
For example, a car SatNav system can
compensate for the performance of a low cost
GPS receiver by constraining the solution to a
road in the stored map. The positioning ‘space’ for
railways is even more constrained. As a guided
transport system, the location of the train can only
be somewhere along a one dimensional length of
track.
Occasionally the track can diverge and the train
can take one of two or more routes. If the control
system knows the switch position, the location
requirements remain one dimensional. However, if
the positioning system has to determine the route
taken, an additional parameter is needed at switch
locations.
4.2 Solution approaches
A variety of approaches have been developed to
improve on the block location provided by track
circuits and axle counters.
In ‘distance to go systems’, trains follow braking
curves by using odometry measurements to
control train speed against distance travelled.
However, odometry has the limitation that it only
provides location relative to a known starting point.
This starting point or ‘spot location’ requires some
form of infrastructure, such as coded track circuits
or transponders/balises placed in the track.
Nevertheless odometry combined with spot
locations has the advantage of simplicity, which is
of great importance in providing a high integrity
system.
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Other approaches have sought to take advantage
of the major advances in commercial positioning
technology in order to achieve a low cost system.
Every ‘smart phone’ is now equipped with GPS
and a range of ‘location aware’ applications. A
GPS module costs just a few dollars and can
provide precise location to less than 5m. It also
has the major advantage that its ‘spot location’
infrastructure – ie the satellite constellation – is
available almost everywhere and is provided free
of charge to the user.
These benefits have led to much research activity
into the use of GPS for both continuous train
positioning and spot location (the ‘virtual balise’).
However it continues to be a challenge to achieve
high integrity performance in an environment of
weak GPS signals and unpredictable local
interference.
4.3 Practical considerations
In addition to technical performance, there is a
range of other more practical issues to address.
4.3.1 Installation and maintenance
The cost of retrofitting positioning equipment to
rolling stock is key to its viability. For example,
GPS systems have a distinct advantage over the
suite of axle end odometers, balise antennae and
Doppler radars used for European ERTMS
installations.
4.3.2 Trackside infrastructure
Infrastructure operators are seeking to move away
from trackside infrastructure such as track circuits
that are costly to install and maintain. Even track
mounted transponders have an associated cost
that is significantly greater than the capital cost of
the equipment. Again the GPS approach scores
highly in this regard.
4.3.3 Availability
The reception of GPS signals can be difficult in the
rail environment with tunnels, deep cuttings,
covered stations, urban and wooded areas. In
order to provide high availability, other sensors
such as odometers or accelerometers are needed
to compensate for the areas of poor visibility of
GPS satellites.
4.3.4 New approach
These considerations led us to conclude that a
new train positioning technology is required that is:
- low cost and straightforward to install and
maintain
- continuously available over the whole network
- capable of high integrity performance.
We considered that the best way to achieve high
integrity performance would be to pursue the 1
dimensional approach discussed in section 4.1.
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Video Train Positioning
Two or three dimensional approaches would need
to resolve to a point on a one dimensional stretch
of track and this conversion itself could
compromise high integrity operation, particularly in
areas of closely spaced multiple tracks.
We felt that one dimensional spot location coupled
with along track odometry would provide the most
robust results.
5 TECHNOLOGY SELECTION
We looked at a range of technologies to meet the
requirements and tackle the issues identified
above.
For low cost installation and maintenance we
wanted to avoid mounting equipment, such as
radar, under the train. Also, as a consequence, the
positioning technology could not physically touch
the ground, ie it needed to be non contact.
Radio frequency tags (eg RFID) operate at low
power and might be good for position markers.
However, we did not find a simple way to avoid
cross-talk (eg activating a tag on an adjacent
track). Furthermore, they provided a solution only
at specific points and not for odometry along the
track. For similar reasons, ‘long range’ balise
readers were also discounted.
Inertial navigation systems using accelerometers
and gyros meet many of the requirements.
However, for operation over long periods of time,
relatively expensive components are required to
avoid unacceptable drift. Furthermore, we felt that
a safety case argument would be hard to construct
for a system that was essentially ‘floating’ in the air
with no physical reference other than gravity.
Of all the options we studied, it became apparent
that real time image processing held the greatest
potential for success.
Video odometry can determine the speed and
position of the train from a sequence of images of
the view ahead. The real cost of camera and
computer technologies continues to decrease
rapidly as the result of commercial developments.
In addition, cameras are passive devices that have
good reliability.
A video system has the advantage that it is
relatively easy to install in a train. In general, there
is space for a camera to be installed in the cab
facing forwards through the windscreen. The
relatively benign cab environment improves
reliability compared with external mounting and, in
addition, there is easy access for maintenance.
There are of course visibility limitations from rain,
fog, dirt on the windscreen, etc, but the system
uses the design principle that provided the driver
can see to drive the train, the camera system will
work.
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6 VIDEO ODOMETRY
Video odometry is a technique to recover the
ground track of a camera from a sequence of
images. The general case of obtaining camera
movement data from video footage is known as
‘match moving’ and is used extensively in the
movie industry to extract the camera movement in
live action shots, so that computer generated
effects can be accurately overlaid with the correct
motion and perspective.
The basic approach we have developed for train
positioning is to take a portion of the image
corresponding to the track immediately in front of
the train. This image comprises the projection of a
3D scene onto a 2D image plane. As a result of
this projection, parallel lines in the real world (eg
tracks), become intersecting lines which meet at
the vanishing point on the horizon. We refer to
this as the ‘warped’ image.
Using a mathematical transformation, it is possible
to undo the projection to produce an ‘unwarped’
image with a viewpoint looking vertically down
onto the tracks (see Figure 2).
Figure 3: Image inset on the right is obtained from
‘unwarping’ the area inside the dashed lines
As the train moves, the unwarped images appear
to move over the track. By correlating the pixels of
one unwarped video frame with the next video
frame it is possible to determine how far the train
has moved between the two frames. The
correlation process uses a grid of 256 blocks. In
each block the pattern of light and dark is matched
with a similar displaced pattern in an earlier frame
(see Figure 4).
IRSE Australasia Technical Meeting: Sydney
Video Train Positioning
Figure 4: Matching blocks between two frames determines
distance travelled by train (picture courtesy of The Rail
Engineer magazine, Issue 61, November 2009)
Combining the distance moved with the frame rate
of the camera gives a measurement of train
speed.
The approach has been designed to operate in the
rain with the windscreen wipers operating. The
wipers only occupy a small proportion of the image
for a short time as they move across the field of
view. The remainder of the image continues to
provide good speed measurements. This is also
the case if part of the image is obscured by spots
of rain or dirt on the windscreen.
7 TRIALS
In 2007, we undertook trials of the system in winter
on a locomotive running on the 1,500km route
from Stockholm in Sweden to Narvik, north of the
Arctic Circle in Norway. Not only did this give
plenty of darkness, but also plenty of snow.
Because the system relies on tracking texture in
the image, a snow covering is possibly the worst
condition for measurements. Therefore the trials
enabled us to investigate performance in these
challenging conditions.
These initial trials enabled us to validate the
approach. We found that the system worked in
snow and icy conditions of the real operational
environment. We found that there was enough
variation in light and dark for the speed to be
tracked.
The headlights of the train also provided sufficient
illumination for the system to operate at night.
However, this is not the case for all locomotives.
For example, train headlights in the UK are
designed principally to make an approaching train
visible to track workers, rather than to illuminate
the track ahead.
For these cases we have developed an infra red
lamp unit which is installed in the cab. The unit
provides infra red illumination of the track which
enables the camera to operate without distracting
the driver.
8 PERFORMANCE
We carried out testing with RFI on the high speed
line between Turin and Milan. During these trials,
we were able to test the performance of the
system at speeds up to 300km/h. Figure 5 shows
the speed profile for a test run of about 30
minutes. The measurements from the video
system are overlaid on the speed estimate
determined by the onboard ERTMS computer
(EVC).
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Figure 5: Speed measurement comparison
on high speed line
The closeness of the match can be seen,
illustrating that the results meet the ERTMS
requirement for speed measurement of ±2 km/h
error at slow speeds up to ±7.5 km/h error at
around 300km/h.
In terms of distance, the system operates well
within the ERTMS requirement of less than 5%
distance error over the distance travelled (eg less
than 50m error over 1 km). Typically, the system
achieves errors of 1% or less, equivalent to the
performance of an axle end odometer, but without
the wheel slip/slide effects and calibration issues.
We have also derived a detailed mathematical
model of the error in the system. The model
enables the speed and distance error bounds to
be derived formally for use in system safety cases.
At very low speeds the performance is dictated by
the pixel resolution in the ‘unwarped’ image. At
higher speeds the error is dominated by changes
in height and downwards pointing angle from the
installed position. For sinusoidal motion typical of
suspension movement, errors from changes in
pointing angle integrate out to a very small
residual error.
9 HIGH INTEGRITY MEASUREMENTS
High integrity operation is of critical importance for
train detection and train control applications.
There is a range of hazards that might affect the
correct functioning of the system. Perhaps the
most difficult to deal with are external factors
which might 'deceive' the image processing
algorithms. For example, the shadow of the train
itself may appear to be stationary ahead of the
train even when the train is moving.
To protect against these types of hazards, the
image processing scheme has been developed to
carry out multiple simultaneous measurements. By
dividing each unwarped image into 256 pixel
blocks, each block is processed independently.
The probability of a number of these blocks
producing the same speed measurement by
'accident' decreases rapidly with the number of
blocks in agreement. For example, the chances of
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Video Train Positioning
40 blocks all providing the same speed
10
measurement at random is less than 1 in 10 .
This approach can also be used to defend against
large scale effects in the image, such as falling
snow, rain on the windscreen, moving shadows,
etc.
The number of blocks that are in agreement on the
speed measurement provides an indication of the
quality of the measurement. A threshold can be
set to ensure that all measurements are of
sufficiently high quality.
The approach does not however counter hazards
that produce the same erroneous effect over most
of the image. For example, if there is dirt on the
windscreen that obscures almost all of the image,
the system may produce a zero speed
measurement. For these cases, the system carries
out a 'sufficient variation' test to make sure that
there is a changing range of light and dark in the
image as is found in a view outside the cab.
In addition to hazards arising from the general
environment, there are other hazards that can
affect the physical system. Knocks to the camera
may affect its alignment and calibration. By
identifying the location of the tracks in the image,
the calibration of the system can be constantly
checked.
A final category of hazards concerns the correct
functioning of the system software and hardware.
This is mitigated by using multiple image sensors
and image processors operating in a 2 out of 2 or
2 out of 3 arrangement.
10 SPOT LOCATION
The previous section has focused on the use of
image processing to measure the distance moved
between video frames and hence determine the
speed of the train. However, this technique does
not identify the specific location of the train. An
absolute location is needed periodically to correct
the build up of odometry errors and to determine
or confirm the running track.
In ERTMS, this function is carried out by the balise
in the track being identified by the passing train.
The technology used is well proven, but little
changed over many years.
As an alternative, we have designed the video
system to detect and read position markers which
we call ‘visual balises’. These markers are
installed by the side of the track. The information
stored in a visual balise can be encoded into an
industry standard 2 –dimensional bar code. The
visual balise is illustrated in Figure 6 using the
Data Matrix standard in widespread use; it has the
same capacity and error protection as the
equivalent but more complex ETCS position
marker(Eurobalise).
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Figure 6: A ‘visual’ balise using a
2-dimensional Data Matrix barcode
We have carried out trials with this design of
marker at night. In relative darkness, the camera
exposure time needs to be longer, which in turn
causes motion blur. This could result in elements
of the bar code merging into each other. However,
we have carried out tests at 100km/h and found
that the markers are readable with no difficulty.
We therefore expect that marker reading at much
higher speeds will be possible, although this has
yet to be tested in the field.
The marker (and marker reader) offers the
potential for significant cost savings for rolling
stock migration. The markers can be installed and
maintained from positions of safety and the
condition of the marker can be clearly seen. In
addition, a marker can be read from a distance
whilst stationary. For example, a marker placed at
the end of a platform could provide precise
location information before a train moves off.
The distance of the train from the marker can be
calculated from the size of the marker in the
image, provided that the size is known. The
method is described below.
When the camera reads the marker it measures
the size of the marker in the image in pixels. If the
actual size of the marker is known, the system can
calculate how far away it is.
For example, a camera might be calibrated so that
a 1m wide marker that is 10m from the camera
appears to be 100 pixels tall in the image.
If the camera reads the same size marker on the
track and measures its height as 200 pixels, it can
calculate that is 5m from it. Fig 7 shows the
geometry involved.
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Video Train Positioning
Figure 7: Measuring marker distance (pre-calibration top,
operational measurement bottom)
By measuring the distance to the marker, we
should be able to obtain accuracy to +/-500mm.
Please note however that although the theory of
this approach is sound, we have not yet been able
to carry out extensive testing with markers at the
trackside to provide operational evidence.
11 CURVATURE MEASUREMENT
High integrity odometry and spot location can
provide the positioning needed for train control. A
further capability of the system is the
measurement of track curvature.
When a train moves on curved track, the rails in
the unwrapped image are no longer vertical, but
become slanted across the image. Consequently,
the pixel blocks not only move down the image,
but also across it. By measuring the sideways
movement of the pixel blocks, an estimate of track
curvature is obtained (see Figure 8).
Figure 8: Curvature measurement
The curvature information is used in a number of
ways for:
• GPS infill
• Track discrimination
• Map matching
11.1 GPS infill
For GPS infill, the curvature information is used to
estimate the change in heading of the train. This is
combined with the odometry measurements to
determine the track of the train during periods of
poor satellite visibility. By using the heading
information, better estimates of position can be
obtained compared with the use of odometry
alone.
11.2 Track discrimination
At switch locations, the curvature measurements
are used to determine the route taken by the train
through the junction. A simple track diagram is
used to store details of the switch locations. Using
only odometry and curvature information, the
system navigates around the diagram and
provides positioning information to the level of
individual tracks.
The advantage of using a track diagram compared
with a full geographical map, is that it is much
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more straightforward to assemble and manage.
The diagram for even a large scale national
network with up to 50,000 switches can be
contained on a single spreadsheet. Figure 9
shows train position (in red) on a track diagram.
Figure 9: VTPS provides real time train position on a track
diagram (in red)
11.3 Map matching
As track curvature is fixed for a particular track
location and it is independent of train speed, the
information can be used to position the train on a
geographical map. As the train passes through
curves, its position can be confirmed and updated.
This approach can be used to position the train
independently of GPS or any other spot location
technique. In general, curve transitions on rail
networks are relatively sharp (unlike roads for
example). This enables the technique to position
the train reasonably accurately to within a few
metres.
Map matching requires a full geographic map as
for GPS positioning. It can be used to provide a
diverse channel, and hence additional integrity, for
GPS based solutions.
12 COMPLETE NAVIGATION SOLUTION
By combining all the techniques for odometry, spot
location and curvature measurement a complete
navigation solution can be implemented using only
video positioning information.
Precise positioning can be obtained using
trackside marker boards, eg for platform stopping.
High integrity odometry information can be used
for communications based train control systems.
This can be supplemented by curvature
measurement and a simple track diagram for track
specific location.
Other positioning related requirements can also be
fulfilled. For example the video odometry
technique provides an accurate positive
measurement, even when the train is stationary.
This makes it a powerful technique for standstill
and cold movement detection. It can also
distinguish forward from reverse movement, eg for
rollback detection.
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Video Train Positioning
The outputs from camera units at the front and
rear of the train can be combined to provide a train
integrity solution. The low power requirements of
the camera system, make a portable battery
powered version viable for the rear of freight
trains. We would caution however that we have
not yet had the opportunity to trial the system from
the rear of a moving train in heavy snow.
Dependent on the aerodynamics of the train,
billowing snow may obscure the view of the tracks
at the rear of the train. We would welcome the
opportunity to trial the system with any operator
that has access to suitable snow conditions!
Billowing snow is likely to be less of an issue at the
rear of a slower moving freight train than for faster
vehicles.
13 INDUSTRY ADOPTION
Video positioning is a new technique that is
unfamiliar to the industry. It may take some time to
build confidence in the system especially for safety
critical applications.
Our proposal is to introduce the technology for
general purpose positioning applications initially. In
addition, it will be of benefit to those railways with
limited train protection, where some increase in
safety at low cost will bring significant benefits.
For general positioning, the technology has the
capability to provide infill and track discrimination
for GPS based systems at low cost. The cost
benefit case is even stronger where forward facing
cameras are also required for surveillance and
incident recording.
Applications areas for the technology include:
• Surveillance and incident recording
• Real-time positioning and fleet tracking
• Asset management
• Operational applications
For example, the positioning information can
provide track specific location in a signalbox or
control centre that is more precise than a track
circuit berth. Such information is useful not only for
passenger information, but also for newer
applications, such as energy efficient driving or
train scheduling through capacity limiting switches
and crossings.
We anticipate that the first commercial products
employing video positioning technology will be
available in the second half of 2011.
14 CONCLUSION
This paper has described the operation of a
revolutionary new system for train positioning,
termed the Video Train Positioning System.
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Using a camera mounted in the cab, the system

uses image processing for three key functions:
Richard Shenton is the Managing Director of the
• video odometry UK company Reliable Data Systems. He has
worked in railway telecommunications and
• spot location
signalling for about 20 years. He was Director of
• curvature measurement. Rail Business at the Smith Group (now part of
BAE Systems Ltd) and the Principal Design
The measurements can be made with a high
Engineer for GSM-R for Network Rail.
degree of integrity for use in train control systems.
Since the early 1990s, he has been heavily
In addition, the functions can be combined into a
involved in the development and adoption of
complete positioning solution for operational
GSM-R technology for European railways.
applications, encompassing train control, platform
stopping, standstill detection and train integrity. He is a member of the IRSE, and has an MA in
Mathematics from Oxford University and an MBA
The technology offers the opportunity for an
from the TRIUM programme (a joint programme of
industry quantum step in the affordability and
the London School of Economics, New York
performance of train detection and positioning
University and HEC, Paris).
systems.

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