Shaping the train positioning algorithms of the future

The Signalling Company and Haslerrail sign memorandum of understanding

The Cooperation

Both companies will share the raw data collected by speed sensors on internet-connected locomotives in commercial operation and stored in the cloud, in a shared storage zone. Accumulating raw data from several categories of vehicles enable both parties to develop, test and validate their algorithms with minimal time and effort.

By combining both companies experience, they’ll ensure that their algorithms can be easily adapted to additional future sensors, like satellite or inertial systems.

This partnership is mutually beneficial, as it supports Haslerrail in getting early testing for new categories of speed sensors products, and it supports TheSignallingCompany by sharing experience with a company that accumulated hundreds of cumulated years of experience in speed and distance measurement.

Odometry strategy

TheSignallingCompany has a different approach than the mainstream ETCS vendors regarding Odometry, starting from prior public research work, some authored by a team including The Signalling Company’s CTO Alexandre Betis. This approach leverages mathematical methods such as Kalman filters which make use of data fusion together with optimal prediction rather than single measurement alone. Even though this approach is relatively new in ETCS Onboard Solution market, it has been used with massive success in the aerospace industry, since the year 1969.

TheSignallingCompany already demonstrated successfully prototypes of its speed and distance algorithm, based on Kalman filter, onboard a HLD77 locomotive in commercial service since March 2020, equipped with speed sensors supplied by Haslerrail and Deuta Werke, two leading speed sensors companies in the ETCS market. This prototype has been discussed in depth in a previous Railway Gazette article.

A huge benefit of this approach for ETCS speed and distance algorithm is that it remains valid when changing, adding or improving sensors, leading to a future-proof, economical and flexible ETCS Onboard Solution for all stakeholders. The other remarkable advantage of this approach is that it is demonstrably robust against some important uncertainties (sensors’ out of range measurement, single sensor failure, wheel diameter changes and so on) that may occur during train travel.

Background

The Signalling Company is currently developing its new ETCS Onboard product, scheduled to be approved on a first prototype of HLD77 locomotive for its customer Lineas in February 2024.

This ETCS product brings one feature expected by all customers in the ETCS market: upgradability, meaning that a same product can evolve with the upcoming ETCS Baseline evolutions and with the new game changers, thereby protecting the investments made by the ETCS users.

Among these game changers, several require improvements in ETCS Onboard speed and distance measurement, notably ETCS Level 3, Satellite positioning and ATO.

As the saying says “if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”: TheSignallingCompany has started creating long-term partnerships with several actors in the ETCS value chain. Earlier this year TheSignallingCompany announced its cooperation with Try and Cert

Timing

The Signalling Company and Haslerrail have signed the collaboration agreement in October 2020.

Both parties intend to demonstrate the results of their cooperative effort at INNOTRANS 2022.

End of the press release


About The Signalling Company

We are building a better ETCS onboard solution, to make the signalling system of the future cost-effective, flexible and future-proof.

The Signalling Company is the result of a joint-venture between two Belgian companies: ERTMS Solutions, an industry leader in railway testing, maintenance and systems integration, and Lineas, the largest private rail freight operator in Europe.


Contact info:

Caroline ERNOULT and Stanislas PINTE

Mail: caro@thesignallingcompany.com, stan@thesignallingcompany.com