Railway Control/Command

Control/command is at the heart of the electronic architecture of rail transport systems on board trains. It supports the vast majority of operational functions required for train operation and maintenance, from the management of movements themselves, to passenger entertainment in the case of passenger transport, via the monitoring and diagnosis of constituent sub-assemblies. This article deals with all on-board railway automation functions, except those relating to signalling protection.

Initially, this article aims to define and define the boundaries of this functional diversity and its continuous evolution over time. It deals with the on-board electronic and computer architecture, not forgetting the complement provided by low-voltage relaying. The essential components of the control/command system are presented, and their respective roles in managing the various related operations are detailed. The article presents the architectural concepts on which it is built, and describes the main technical and technological solutions used to implement it, focusing on the most recent and most emblematic. It highlights the technologies that are already driving the digital transformation of the field, and those that are likely to transform it even more profoundly, such as Internet technologies (IP), the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI).

It continues with a non-exhaustive presentation of the major issues and challenges that control/command is facing, or will be facing in the very near future, in order to continue to ensure and expand its role in providing ever more effective service to operating operations and the legitimate and growing expectations of passengers. The main technical orientations relating to digitalization, virtualization and connectivity are described, in order to grasp the concept of on-board/ground application distribution that is taking shape in the convergence of information technologies (IT) with the more traditional technologies dedicated to operations (OT).

The article points to the emergence of highly promising predictive maintenance, as well as automated operation, even if the latter is still hypothetical in terms of its ability to meet operating safety requirements.

It concludes with a discussion of what is undoubtedly one of the most significant and decisive challenges facing the future of the industry: cybersecurity. The massive adoption of digital technologies is leading to an increase in the risks and threats that need to be protected against, while respecting the constraints associated with operational reliability.