Evaluation of GPS availability for train positioning along a railway line

The use of localisation systems in transport is ever present, particularly with respect to satellite systems. However, studies show that the performance of satellite based localisation processes are often degraded in high-rise masked environments such as railway environments. Experiments have shown that high obstacles bordering a railway line fundamentally characterise the availability of the service. The paper presents our tool based on image processing and software, which predicts the satellite´s paths. It determines whether the satellites can be received or not with regard to the nearby environment. It presents the characteristics of propagation effects that are defined and included in the tool. The experimental and computation results are also presented