Automation between Substation and Rail

Project details

Duration

04.2016-06.2017

Sponsor

SBB Forschungsfonds and SBB Hub

Staff

A. Bomhauer-Beins

Summary

In the context of the aim to step-by-step automate the Swiss railway network, the project “Automation between Substation and Rail: Estimation of Existing Energy Saving Potential” is settled. From investigations found in literature, automation do not only promise to allow a more precise operation, but also opens up possibilities to reduce the energy demand. Given the fact that also railways see themselves confronted with the task of reducing their cost to become more profitable, automation seems to enable energy saving synergetically—possibly even as side effect. Simultaneously, the social aim of a more environmentally friendly and sustainable mobility is well served. Thus, there are different reasons to investigate the energy saving potential linked to the automation of railways. So, this is the question this research project focuses on: Is it possible to estimate the energy saving potential of a full automation of the railway system—and if so, how large is it?

In order to answer this question, an evaluation of real-world data from operations is performed on a larger scale:

• Energy data collected at the vehicles, containing information on power, position, and speed second by second
  
• Data from the management system, allowing e.g. to draw conclusions on signals influencing the train run (i.e. yellow or red light aspect)
  
• Weather data allowing to estimate influences of the environment,  e.g. wind and temperature
  

Publications