Railway Trends from Western Europe to North America

— Prevent train-to-train collisions

— Enforce speed restrictions and temporary slow orders

— Provide protection for workers and their equipment operating under specific authorities.

Automatic Train Operation — In contrast to automated train protection systems that manage interactions among trains, grade crossings and switching points with specific margins of safety, automatic train operation systems help to optimize performance of a specific unit. Mass transit vehicles equipped with such “driverless” control systems allow for increased speed and frequency of vehicle passage within a system, lower overall energy consumption and precise stops at station platforms.

Passenger Information Systems — Infotainment solutions keep passengers updated regarding route stops, schedules, tips for changing trains, last-minute route changes or delays. They can also provide weather forecasts, news of the day, Internet access and entertainment in the form of TV, movies or music. Content servers used to store data and programming connect to screens and ports within the vehicle via Ethernet LAN. The servers connect to the outside world via various wireless standards to receive up-to-date information even while traveling.

Other Communications Functions — Beyond safety-critical control and passenger entertainment features, vehicle-mounted computers can support other communications-based functions, such as surveillance of passenger compartments and doors in trains, subways and streetcars. Digital video recorders capture closed circuit television (CCTV) images and store collected event data.

To learn more about current trends in rail, go to www.MassTransitmag.com/1045374.

Barbara Schmidt is CMO at Men Mikro Elektronik GmbH.