Safety modeling of a direct traffic control (DTC) train control system using the axiomatic safety-critical assessment process (ASCAP)

Train control systems provide a considerable amount of critical functionality to the railway transportation industry. A major expectation of any modern train control system is that it must provide a high level of safety. Current safety models for railway and train control systems rely heavily on past history and make no distinction as to the type of train control being implemented. The axiomatic safety-critical assessment process (ASCAP) has been developed as a simulation-based approach for performing safety analysis in terms of a given train control technology. ASCAP models train movement within a corridor in terms of the physical entities contained and the behavior of the dispatcher and train crews required for train movement. From this analysis, ASCAP provides the data necessary to quantitatively predict safety for a given corridor