EP4454970A1 - Method for controlling a railway installation, holding point device, control device and railway installation - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a railway system (1), in which at least one stopping point (8) for a train (4) is set up along a route (2) of the system (1) by at least one control device (5), in particular a signal box, at which the train (4) is to stop, in which at least one protective section (12) is provided in a direction of travel (3) behind the stopping point (8), which is kept free of train traffic when the stopping point (8) is set up. In order to be able to reduce the restrictions caused by necessary protective sections (12), the invention provides that at least one track-side braking device (10) is activated in the protective section (12), by means of which the train (4) entering the protective section (12) is braked.

The invention also relates to a stopping point device (6), a control device (5) and a railway installation (1).

Description

The invention relates to a method for controlling a railway system, in which at least one stopping point for a train is set up along a route of the system by at least one control device, in particular a signal box, at which the train is to stop, in which at least one protective section is provided in one direction of travel behind the stopping point, which is kept free of train traffic when the stopping point is set up.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a stopping point device for a railway system, with at least one line signal, in particular a light signal, which has at least one stopping operating mode and is designed to be controllable by a control device of the railway system.

Furthermore, the invention also relates to a control device, in particular a signal box, for a railway installation, which is designed to set up a stopping point for a train at which the train is to stop, wherein at least one protective section is provided in one direction of travel behind the stopping point, which is kept free of train traffic when the stopping point is set up.

Finally, the invention also relates to a railway installation with at least one train, with at least one control device, in particular a signal box, and with at least one route, wherein the control device is designed to set up at least one stopping point for the train along the route, at which the train is to stop, and at least one protective section is provided in one direction of travel behind the stopping point, which is kept free of train traffic when a stopping point is set up.

Modern railway systems, particularly those with CBTC or ETCS train protection systems, require a close train sequence and good stopping accuracy. A train must therefore enter stations or reversing tracks at high speed, for example, and approach a predetermined stopping point with optimal braking deceleration. In order for a train to approach a stopping point, for example in a station or in a siding, a protective section is required behind the stopping point. The protective section, which is also known as a protective section, slip path or D-path for short, ensures that the train comes to a stop at the end of the protective section at the latest, i.e. even if there is an error during the braking process, i.e. if it has not yet come to a stop at the stopping point. Accordingly, the length of the protective section along the route must be planned accordingly and kept clear. The protective section is sometimes also referred to as a protective section and can be monitored like a drivable route, i.e. for example, switches are set in the protective section and their position monitored.

In tight spaces, it may be that only a very short protection section can be made available on the track side. If this is not sufficient, the permissible speed before the stopping point may have to be restricted. Examples of such tight spaces can be in the area of switches or level crossings. For switches that are behind a station, the reserved protection section can, for example, prevent other trains from crossing this switch. If level crossings are close to the stopping point, setting up the protection section may mean that the level crossings have to be kept closed, which obstructs car traffic for the entire time the train is stopping in the station. It may also happen that protection sections are separated by separate Track vacancy detection elements, such as axle counters, are limited. On routes with reduced track vacancy detection, an extra axle counter must sometimes be provided for track vacancy detection in the protection section.

In order to guarantee the necessary protection sections, operational restrictions on the railway system must be accepted or longer distances must be planned. This leads to restrictions in the operational process or to higher costs.

The invention is therefore based on the object of reducing the restrictions caused by necessary protective sections.

For the method mentioned at the outset, the invention solves the problem by activating at least one track-side braking device in the protection section, by means of which the train entering the protection section is braked.

For the above-mentioned stopping point device, the invention solves the problem in that the stopping point device comprises at least one track-side braking device by means of which, in an activated state, a train entering a protective section can be braked on the track side.

Furthermore, the invention solves the problem for the above-mentioned control device in that the control device is designed to activate a track-side braking device in the protective section, by means of which, in an activated state, the train entering the protective section is braked.

Finally, the invention also solves the problem for the above-mentioned railway system in that the system has at least one track-side braking device arranged in the protection section, by means of which, in an activated state, the train entering the protection section can be braked.

The solution according to the invention has the advantage that, compared to the known systems, a train entering the protection section can be additionally braked by the track-side braking device, so that the train comes to a stop sooner and the length of the protection section can be significantly reduced.

Trackside braking devices are known from the state of the art and are used, for example, in freight train discharge systems to brake the freight wagons, as in the DE 10 2011 079 335 A1 , DE 10 2011 079 501 A1 or WO 2019141495 A1 described. However, such trackside braking systems have not yet been used for passenger trains and on normal routes.

The trackside braking device provided according to the invention is activated when the control device sets up a stopping point and therefore a protective section for the train. As soon as the stopping point is canceled by the control device and the protective section is thus also eliminated, the trackside braking device can be deactivated so that train traffic is not hindered. When the trackside braking device is deactivated, train traffic can pass through it without restrictions.

By means of the solution according to the invention, a railway system can be improved in such a way that, for example, the travel of another train over a switch that would be in the protection section without the invention is not impaired, that a further track vacancy detection section can be saved or that a level crossing does not have to be closed when the train is in a station.

Line signals here include, for example, light signals or virtual signals.

Virtual signals can be marked with metal plates on the track. The train driver is shown the corresponding stopping points via a driver's cab display. With driverless systems, the signals on the track are no longer needed or are only needed for fallback operation.

The solution according to the invention can be further developed by advantageous embodiments as described below.

In the protection section, at least one vehicle-side braking device is activated, which brakes the train entering the protection section. This has the advantage that the greatest possible braking force is used overall, meaning that the protection section can be made as short as possible. The vehicle-side braking device can be activated automatically, for example in the form of an emergency brake, when the train enters the protection section or incorrectly passes the stopping point.

In order to implement the simplest possible switching logic, the trackside braking device can be activated automatically together with the setting up of the stopping point. The activation or setting up of the stopping point is carried out by the control device as usual, so that simultaneous activation of the trackside braking device hardly involves any additional effort.

Furthermore, the stopping point can be represented by a trackside signal, in particular by a light signal. This has the advantage that the activation of the trackside braking device can also come directly from the trackside signal, for example when it switches to its stopping mode. This also makes it possible to dispense with a direct connection between the control device and the trackside braking device. This is particularly advantageous when retrofitting old systems. The trackside signal and the trackside braking system can also advantageously use the same power supply.

In order to be able to use proven technology, the trackside braking system can be formed by at least one track brake. Track brakes are known from the state of the art and are described, for example, in the documents mentioned above DE 10 2011 079 335 A1 , DE 10 2011 079 501 A1 or WO 2019141495 A1 described.

Furthermore, the railway system can be controlled according to an ETCS (European Train Control System) or CTBC (Communication Based Train Control) standard. This has the advantage that these systems enable trains to run closely together and the solution according to the invention is particularly effective here.

In an advantageous embodiment of the stopping point device according to the invention, the track-side braking device and the track signal can be connected in terms of control technology and the track signal can be designed to activate the braking device when the track signal is in the stopping operating mode. This has the advantage already described above that the circuit effort for activating the track-side braking device is particularly low.

In an advantageous embodiment of the control device according to the invention, the control device can be designed to control at least one track signal, in particular a light signal, arranged at the stopping point, which has at least one stop operating mode, and the track-side braking device is activated depending on the control of the track signal. This has the advantage already described above that the track-side braking device can be controlled particularly easily. When the control device thus puts the track signal into the stop operating mode, the track-side Braking device activated by the control device.

In an advantageous embodiment of the railway system according to the invention, it can comprise at least one stopping point device according to one of the above-mentioned embodiments and/or the control device can be designed according to one of the above-mentioned embodiments of the invention.

Furthermore, in an advantageous embodiment, the railway system can have an ETCS system or a CBTC system.

In the following, the invention is explained with reference to the exemplary embodiment in the accompanying drawings.

• Figur 1 eine schematische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen eisenbahntechnischen Anlage;
• Figur 2 eine schematische Darstellung von unterschiedlichen Bremskurven für den Zug in der eisenbahntechnischen Anlage aus Figur 1.

They show:

• Figure 1 a schematic representation of a railway installation according to the invention;
• Figure 2 a schematic representation of different braking curves for the train in the railway system from Figure 1 .

The exemplary embodiment in Figures 1 and 2 shows a railway system 1, which comprises a route 2, a train travelling along the route in a direction of travel 3, a control device 5 and a stopping point device 6. The railway system 1 can be designed for long-distance traffic or for local traffic, for example, and comprises a corresponding train protection device (not shown), which is designed for example according to an ETCS or a CBTC standard. The train 4 can therefore be either a long-distance train or It can also be a local train, a subway, a S-Bahn or something similar.

The control device 5 comprises a computing device 7 and can also be referred to as a signal box.

The stopping point device 6 comprises at least one stopping point 8, a track signal 9, which is designed here as a light signal, and a track-side braking device 10, which is connected to the control device 5 via an activation device 11. The track-side braking device 10 comprises in the exemplary embodiment in Figure 1 at least one track brake 15 on each rail 14 of the track 2. The track brakes 15 are arranged opposite one another for the most uniform effect possible and can brake the train 4 on the track side when activated.

When the railway system 1 is in operation, the train 4 travels in the direction of travel 3 along the route 2. For the usual operational reasons, the control device 5 does not clear the entire route 2 for the train 4, but rather the train 4 has to come to a stop at an established stopping point 8. For example, the section of track behind the stopping point 8 may still be occupied by another train (not shown). For this purpose, the control device 5 switches the route signal 9 to a stop operating mode in which the train 4 is shown the necessary stop by means of a red signal, for example. The route signal 9, which is designed here as a light signal, naturally also has other operating modes, such as at least one travel operating mode. The stopping point 8 can be arranged at the same height as the route signal 9 or slightly in front of it.

Instead of a light signal, a virtual signal can of course also be used. This is present in the signal box logic, but is not physically on the track as a light signal, but possibly only as a metal plate. In this case, the signal aspect is shown to the train driver via a display in the driver's cab. In driverless systems, this display can be omitted.

Behind the stopping point 8 and the line signal 9, a protective section 12 is formed in the usual way. The protective section 12 is set up at the same time as the stopping point 8 by the control device 5 and is kept free of further train traffic. This ensures that even if the train 4 enters the protective section 12 beyond the stopping point 8 due to an error, it can still brake and come to a stop without a collision. Such a protective section 12 is also referred to as a protective section, slip path or D-path for short.

In the stopping point device 6 according to the invention, the track-side braking device 10 is arranged within the protection section 12, so that the train 4 entering the protection section 12 is physically braked on the track side. If the stopping point 8 is set by the control device 5 and thus in the exemplary embodiment in Figure 1 the track signal 9 is set to the hold operating mode by the control device 5, the track-side braking device 10 is simultaneously activated by the control device 5. This is done by the activation device 11 connected to the control device 5, which is part of the track-side braking device 10. In the exemplary embodiment in Figure 1 the track-side braking device 10 is designed with the track brakes 15, which are moved by the activation device 11 into a braking position in which the train 4 is braked on the track side when it passes the track brakes 15. The activation device 11 activates and deactivates the track brakes 15 according to the control by the control device. Alternatively, the control device 5 could also control the track brakes 15 directly, without the intermediate activation device 11. Track brakes 15 are generally known and, for example, in the DE 10 2011 079 335 A1 , DE 10 2011 079 501 A1 or the WO 201914195 A1 described.

The control device 5 can deduce from its circuit logic or interlocking logic whether the protection section 12 must be activated or not. For example, if the line signal 9 is set to the stop operating mode, the protection section 12 must be activated.

The activated trackside braking device 10 is located behind the planned stopping point 8 and only leads to a trackside braking of the train 4 in the event of a fault, for example if the train 4 has braked too hard and unexpectedly passes the stopping point 8. The resulting maximum speed in the protective section 12 leads, according to the invention, to a shorter distance to a safe standstill when slipping through.

In addition to the track-side braking device 10, the train 4, which incorrectly passes the stopping point 8 and enters the protection section 12, can optionally also be braked by its vehicle-side braking device (not shown). The vehicle-side braking device is activated, for example, as an emergency braking when the stopping point 8 is passed.

Due to the stopping point device 6 according to the invention with the track-side braking device 10, the length of the protective section 12 can be made significantly shorter than in prior art systems.

As in Figure 2 The length L of the protective section 12 in the direction of travel 3 is shown to be significantly less than a length L' of a protective section 12', as would have to be provided without the track-side braking device 10 according to the invention. The track-side braking device 10 according to the invention makes a braking curve 13 of the train 4 significantly steeper than a braking curve 13' as it would be without trackside braking device 10.

Claims (13)

Method for controlling a railway installation (1), in which at least one stopping point (8) for a train (4) is set up along a route (2) of the installation (1) by at least one control device (5), in particular a signal box, at which the train (4) is to stop, in which at least one protective section (12) is provided in one direction of travel (3) behind the stopping point (8), which is kept free of train traffic when the stopping point (8) is set up, characterized in that in the protective section (12) at least one track-side braking device (10) is activated, by means of which the train (4) entering the protective section (12) is braked. Method according to claim 1,
characterized in that
in the protective section (12) at least one vehicle-side braking device (10) is activated, by means of which the train (4) entering the protective section (12) is braked on the vehicle side. Method according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that
the trackside braking device (10) is automatically activated together with the stopping point (8). Method according to one of the above claims,
characterized in that
the stopping point (8) is signalled by a line signal (9), in particular a light signal. Method according to one of the above claims,
characterized in that
the trackside braking device (10) is formed by at least one track brake (15). Method according to one of the above claims,
characterized in that
the railway installation (1) is controlled according to ETCS or CBTC. Stopping point device (6) for a railway installation, with at least one track signal (9), in particular a light signal, which has at least one stop operating mode and is designed to be controllable by a control device (5) of the railway system (1), characterized in that the stopping point device (6) comprises at least one track-side braking device (10) by means of which, in an activated state, a train (4) entering a protective section (12) can be braked on the track side. Stopping point device (6) according to claim 7,
characterized in that
the trackside braking device (10) and the track signal (9) are connected in terms of control technology and the track signal (9) is designed to activate the braking device (10) when the track signal (9) is in the holding operating mode. Control device (5), in particular signal box, for a railway installation (1), which is designed to set up a stopping point (6) for a train (4) at which the train (4) is to stop, wherein at least one protective section (12) is provided in one direction of travel (3) behind the stopping point (8), which is kept free of train traffic when the stopping point (8) is set up, characterized in that the control device (5) is designed to activate a track-side braking device (10) in the protective section (12), by means of which, in an activated state, the train (4) entering the protective section (12) is braked. Control device (5) according to claim 9,
characterized in that
the control device (5) is designed to control at least one track signal (9), in particular a light signal, arranged at the stopping point (8), which has at least one stopping operating mode, and the track-side braking device (10) is activated depending on the control of the track signal (9). Railway technical facility (1), with at least one move (4), with at least one control device (5), in particular signal box, and with at least one route (2), wherein the control device (5) is designed to set up at least one stopping point (8) for the train (4) along the route (2) at which the train (4) is to stop, and at least one protective section (12) is provided in a direction of travel (3) behind the stopping point (8), which is kept free of train traffic when the stopping point is set up, characterized in that the system (1) has at least one track-side braking device (10) arranged in the protective section (12), by means of which, in an activated state, the train (4) entering the protective section (12) can be braked. Railway technical installation (1) according to claim 11,
characterized in that
the system (1) comprises at least one stopping point device (6) according to claim 7 or 8 and/or the control device (5) is designed according to claim 9 or 10. Railway technical installation according to claim 11 or 12,
characterized in that
the installation (1) has an ETCS system or a CBTC system.

Images