Safety and productivity improvement of railroad operations by advanced train control system

A description is given of an ATCS (advanced train control system) which unifies operations in central traffic control and previously unsignaled territories. It consists of a color graphic locomotive crew display, data radio, and locomotive health monitoring; multisensor position information systems, including transponder or satellite; a two-way digital communications network covering the railroad; wayside switch and detector interfaces; and a powerful central computer system. Safety is improved by powerful movement authority generation, checking, distribution, and automatic enforcement; monitoring and alerting of specified hazards; continuous train-position information; and dispatcher-initiated emergency stops. Operations are made more productive by sophisticated traffic planning and supervision; more train information for the dispatcher and train crew, including a dynamic track map and locomotive status; and car-pickup instructions channeled from the railroad order desk directly to the locomotive cab