ECAI 2016 - International Conference – 8th Edition

Electronics, Computers and Artificial Intelligence

30 June -02 July, 2016, Ploiesti, ROMÂNIA

Communications in Railway Centralized

Traffic Control Systems
Communications

Mihai Dima, Iulian Adrian Chihaia, Maria Claudia Surugiu

Remote Control and Electronics in Transports Department,
“Politehnica" University of Bucharest - Faculty of Transports,
Bucharest, Romania
claudia.surugiu@upb.ro

Abstract – Centralized Traffic Control system for
railways overlaps hierarchically over interlocking and
fixed block installations that allows traffic control
between railway stations and represents the
management core and organization of railway traffic.
This paper shows the necessity of CTC use since this
centralized control model decisions and related
implementation actions concerning traffic control are
carried out by the same entity and setting routes or
changing signal aspects are tasks performed by remote
control from the respective positions.
Network management involves the centralized traffic
control for an optimum system with the following
functions: Ethernet network design; maintenance and
control the local network security; remediation of faulty
or failing system equipment; the correct management of
the local network (IP, communications equipment,
specific applications); maintaining appropriate quality
standards in terms of network configurations.
Presented simulation achieved in MATLAB can be used
as a basis for designing an electronic track circuit for
train detection and data transmission.
Keywords - centralized control system, rail traffic,
centralized traffic control network, electronic track circuit,
data transmission.
adding a technical system with the main role of
allowing direct action of an operator [1], [2] , located
in a central control room, for coordination of traffic in
subordinated stations and to obtain the control of
transportation process in an objective way.
The CTC system replaces reports and phone directives
with commands and orders [2].
The major advantages represented by the use of CTC
in railway systems are [3]:
 Increase the efficiency of transport control
activity on a branch of movement made of
several sections;
 Rise the transport capacity, which is obtained
by adding the capacity value of CTC system,
significant for low traffic times, with the
capacity value of fixed block installation,
significant for high traffic times;
 Better coordination in operating activities,
because the traffic regulation for a large
section of rail is made from a main center;
reports and directives by telephone are
replaced with graphics, data records and
orders from CTC console;
 Reduce the maintenance and operating staff.

I. INTRODUCTION II. DATA TRANSMISSION TROUGH TRACK CIRCUIT

CTC1 system for railways overlaps hierarchically
over interlocking and fixed block an installation that
allows traffic control between railway stations .
The activity of each station must be correlated so
that, in a certain section of traffic, at the limit of entire
railway network, the transport process has to be
optimum (minimum effort, maximum capacity,
reduced time). Requirement presented above is
partially solved until now by a human operator [1].
The operator has a role in traffic regulation and
maneuver activities, based on reports and telephone
directives received from local operators from stations
or regional railway traffic department that coordinates.
An increase of efficiency in this activity of traffic
regulation for a section of movement is achieved by
1 thus data from the interlocking must have bit
CTC - Centralized Traffic Control
For train detection a transmitter and receiver is
used and the communication environment is
represented by the two rails. In addition to its core
function, safe train detection can be used for data
transmission on the train occupying the relevant track
section. This information is fed to the transmitter
trough a serial link from encoding binary data. To
match both requirements, the track act in a frequency
range of 5,6KHz to 8,6KHz and is capable to modulate
the carrier rates up to 100Hz (corresponding to a
200Baud data rate) [3], [4].
When the transmitter identify the absence of track
to train via electronic centralized system (interlocking)
it generates modulation for train detection purposes at
a frequency of 20Hz. Data absence is assumed after a
minimum duration of 200ms without level transitions,
 2 Mihai Dima, Iulian Adrian Chihaia, Maria Claudia Surugiu
transitions within a maximum of 40 bits (at a rate of
200Baud) [4]. Since track to train data transmission
relies on the train travelling towards the transmitter of
a track circuit and trains may need to travel in either
direction over any particular track, the capability of
switching the transmit to the receive end of a track
circuit must be provide. The changeover is provided
by electromagnetic relay contacts under the control of
electronic centralized system.
Figure 1. Block diagram for track circuit emitter
MODULATOR
SELLECTOR OSC AMPL. TRANSFORMATOR
CURRENT
DETECTOR
Track circuit emitter operates in one of two modes:
 Train detection
In the train detection mode, a modulator produces
square wave with a frequency of 20Hz which is
default modulation frequency in the the absence of
serial data from the interlocking [5]. Square wave
signal modulates the carrier frequency signal F1 from
the oscillator output, to obtain a frequency in range
[F1–100Hz, F1 +100Hz], where F1 is one of the
nominal operating frequency of the track circuit. Train
detection mode is activated when the serial data input
is missing more than 200-500ms (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Frequency modulation for track circuit’s encoder
 Data transmission
When the serial input detect data from the
interlocking (via an encoder), the selector holds off the
modulator and allow received data (100Hz equivalent
to 200bits/sec) to activate OSC (Oscillator) input and
modulate its output [5].
The serial input is driven by a 20mA loop current
from an ATP2 encoder, as shown in figure 3.
2
ATP – Automatic Train Protection
Figure 3.Serial input arrangement
Signal received from the track is fed to TRANSF
(Transformer) input, filtered by F1 filter block, which
is tuned for lower sideband frequency and also at F2
which is set to the higher sideband frequency. Each
of the two resulting signals is then amplified at AMP
(Amplifier) 1 and AMP (Amplifier) 2, filtered
through band pass filter F2 and demodulated at
DEM1 and DEM2 (figure 4).
The resulting signals are then combined in SAG
circuit which only gives a constant output when both
signals are in anti-phase to each other.
The detector interprets a loop current of less than
2mA as a logic '0' and any current greater than 12mA
as a logic '1'. A logic level '0' results in the low
sideband being transmitted and logic '1' in the high
sideband being transmitted. For a level of 10mA
modulation control is returned to the current loop.
In both cases, the amplifier is setting the signal to a
suitable level and the transformer performs impedance
adaptation between the output of the amplifier and the
load [5].
Figure 4. Block diagram for track circuit receiver
F1 AMP1 F2 DEM1
SAG DELAY RD
TRANS.
F1 AMP2 F2 DEM2
If the continuously resultant signal is present for
longer than one second, the track relay is energized
through corresponding control circuit.
SAG (Sequential AND gate) circuit is designed to
test both receiving signals from the two sidebands.
If the resulting continuous negative signal (from
“Delay to Operate” circuit) is present more than one
second, DELAY circuit generates a sequence of pulses
which must be continuous for Relay Drive output to
obtain a constant level (the answer is “all or
“nothing”).
 Communications in Railway Centralized Traffic Control Systems 3

Figure 5. FSK modulated channel for detection
FG(x) = x33 + x32 +x30 + x29 +x28 + x27 + x26 +x23 + x22
+ x20 + x15 + x14 + x13 + x11 + x9 + x8 + x6 + x5 +x2 + x
+1 (1)
FG(x) is the product of two polynomial functions F(x)
and G(x):

F(x) = x6 + x5 +x3 + x2 +1 (2)

G(x) = x27 + x22 + x21 + x19 + x18 + x17 + x15 + x8 + x4

+ x +1 (3)

Highest rank term (x33) check the first telegram

If the resulting signal input to the SAG circuit are
not in anti–phase or not present (when a train is
present on track circuit), the relay is not energized.
Figure 6. FSK modulated channel for telegrams
bit (bit 0). Standard CRC code is, as usual, is the rest
R(x) resulting from the polynomial division of the
telegram T(x) to the polynomial FG(x).
However, in order to produce the CRC code R'(x) used
here, binary addition for G(x) with standard CRC R(x)
is necessary:
R'(x) = R(x) + G(x) (4)

The resulting CRC code is stored with the most

significant bit first (the least significant bit of address,
the most significant bit position).
CRC method is very often used in error detection. It is
based on calculating a checksum and comparing the
values obtained with some arithmetic values should be
obtained in case of correct data transmissions. If these
values differ, then we say that the transmission was
not carried out correctly and announce transmitter
about retransmission of the sequence in question.

III. MATLAB APPLICATION FOR A BINARY

COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
CRC Coding
We consider a binary communication system,
CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Control) is a using two FSK signal waveforms given below [6]:
mathematical method used to verify data integrity.
It is a form of checksum, which is based on the (5)
theory of maximum length polynomial. Even if the
CRC method is more secure than a method based on a
simple checksum does not provide a real , (6)
cryptographic security. CRC is a technique used to
detect transmission errors. For errors detection and
correction, there is a special register that stores the where and , = length of a
checksum of data transferred. This compares with bit interval [6].
calculated checksum and eliminates possible errors. In The channel introduces a phase shift for each signal
this case, the CRC technique is only used to ensure the and, in the absence of the noise, the received signal is
integrity of data transfers on the bus, not to improve [6]:
data integrity of data which is stored on hard drives.
In terms of the type of code, CRC codes are all
cyclic codes, so using polynomials. Polynomial , i=1, 2, (7)
accepted as the standard for which is the example
given above, namely IEEE 802 standard. For the binary communication system it was
The track circuit transmitter receives a telegram to implemented a correlation type demodulator for FSK
input with 29 bits (bits 0 ... 28) of the telegram "load" signals [6], as follows:
are supplemented by a one bit (29 bit) before applying  The received signal is sampled in a bit
CRC algorithm. This bit is always used for checking interval with frequency .
inversion and is always set. This telegram with 30 bits
has attached 33 bits for CRC purpose. Therefore, the received signal is represented
For CRC calculation of the telegram for extended 30- through 5000 samples ( ).
bit, the following polynomial function is used:
 4 Mihai Dima, Iulian Adrian Chihaia, Maria Claudia Surugiu

 The correlation demodulator multiplies
with the sampled version [6]:
, ,
, .
Based on the relationships described above ((5) ÷(9))
still stands out in Figure 7 how to transmit data in the
track circuit using FSK modulation .
Figure 7. Data transmission with FSK modulation
( ) linear characteristic, the frequency band occupied by
the FSK signal is greater than the baseband
modulating signal. For this reason, FSK is used on
(8) communication channels where the frequency band is
not very efficient. The modulation/demodulation FSK
(9) equipments have a medium complexity. The amplitude
of the modulated signal is constant, so the power of
signal can be easily controlled, which makes this kind
of modulation used to limit the signal strength. In the
figure 8 below are the variations of the correlator
outputs for binary FSK demodulation for received
signal (relations (10) ÷ (13).

IV. CONCLUSIONS

Transmission of information via data

communication systems is limited in performance
(volume, speed) by several factors, including the
strength of the broadcast signal, noise or bandwidth.
In this context, the problem was to find methods that
allow transmitting useful information content as close
to the maximum transfer capacity of a communication
channel. In order to achieve this goal, the binary
sequence of data to be transmitted is transposed in a
The correlator outputs are, [6]: waveform suitable for a particular channel. These
conversions can be applied both in the sequence of
k
 n   n bits from the channel input (encoding, compression)
r1c (k )   r  u1   , k  1, 2, ,5000
n  0  Fe   Fe 
or in the association of bits with waveforms for
(10) transmission (modulation, coding).
As a result of communication nature, bits have to
k
 n   n 
r1s (k )   r  v1   , k  1, 2, ,5000 be associated with accepted parameters of the
n  0  Fe   Fe  communication channel signal. In addition, the
(11) waveform of the information carrier has to be adapted
k
 n   n 
r2 c (k )   r  u2   , k  1, 2, ,5000 to the available communication channel.
n  0  Fe   Fe  This method has an enormous advantage,
(12) represented by the ability to detect burst errors,
k
 n   n  stretched over several bits, which makes it very useful
r2 s (k )   r  v2   , k  1, 2, ,5000. in areas such as communications, especially between
n  0  Fe   Fe 
computers and the Internet, where data flows in the
(13)
form of packages is very important and we can check
more bit errors rather than bit by bit, data storage etc.
Figure 8. The correlator outputs for binary CRC method for error correction is suitable for
FSK demodulation railway track circuits communications, where data
transmission speed from ground to train is not high
(<1Mb), but data accuracy is critical for train safety.

REFERENCES

[1]. J.B. Calvert, "Centralized Traffic Control”, 1999

FSK modulation is one of the most used modulations
due to the simplicity of obtaining the modulated signal
and for demodulation available methods. It is mainly
used in low speed data transmission. Due to the non-
[2]. Lunden, Carsten S., "Protection of opposing trains when
approaching sidings." North American Signaling: Absolute
Permissive Block, 2000
[3]. IRSE News,
http://www.irse.org/knowledge/publicirsenews/IRSE%20NE
WS%20147%20Jul%2009.pdf
[4]. Nicolae Mara Niculae, “Hierarchical Dispatcher System for
Railway Traffic Control in Stations”, 2000
[5]. EBI Track TI21, “Track Bonding & Signalling Infrastructure
in Electrified Areas”, 2010
[6]. J.G. Proakis, M. Salehi, G. Bauch, “Contemporary
Communication Systems using Matlab”, Third edition, ISBN-
13: 858-0000697544, 2011