EP1494906A1 - System of transporting road vehicles on trains - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a system of transporting road vehicles on trains, comprising adapted stations, handling systems and carriages. According to the invention, each carriage comprises: a connecting bar (19) which connects two bogies, the bogie/bar sequence forming trains; a removable shell (1), known as a passable shell, comprising the frame which is open at the two ends thereof, road vehicles being able to enter said shell; and a rigid lining at the central part. The carriages can support the weight of a standard modern road trailer. Said trains can withstand speeds of the order of 200 km/h and can travel on gradients of 35 mm/m due to the fact that the motorisation is distributed over the bogies. Automated handling devices are installed in the stations in order to load/unload the passable shells onto/from the trains. The vehicles embark/disembark the passable shells simultaneously at several points, such that stopping times in train stations of the order of 6 minutes are achieved.

Description

Position of the problem and state of the art:

The modal shift of traffic from road to rail in Europe is essential. Solutions already exist for transporting cars (shuttles), heavy goods vehicles (piggyback), containers (combined transport) on the train. A piggyback solution applied in Switzerland or under the Channel, known as the "rolling road", consists of loading heavy goods vehicles on their own on a continuous platform made up of special wagons. We are experimenting between France and Italy with special wagons fitted with a base on which we can tranship a road assembly without lifting. The base is aligned with the axis of the wagon during its routing on the track, and offset by an angle of about 30 degrees when the train is in the station: this solution has the advantage of allowing loading / unloading part of the train at the station, which in theory allows connections to be made with several segments (therefore intermediate stations). These two solutions are open to criticism for the following reasons:

• Transhipment, stowage and stalling operations are long and immobilize the train. As a result, the system is only efficient if the transfer stations are very far from each other (typically, 500 km), except in special cases of point-to-point links intended to cross natural obstacles.

• Due to the length of these operations, the trains cannot follow one another quickly, which leads to underuse of the tracks. • The speeds that can be reached are limited to what road trailers are supposed to support (many have tarpaulins). In practice, little more than '100 km / h at top speed.

• Safety is not ensured in the event of a fire, especially in tunnels due to the effect of air draft. Certain recent accidents in rail or road tunnels make this constraint very critical for operators.

We start from the premise for the present system that we should not think in terms of "jumping natural obstacles" but from the perspective of a mesh network, on a European scale. Apart from the cost, the parameters which condition the acceptance of a transhipment by rail for the managers or drivers of trucks, are the total time of the journey from end to end, the proportion of this time deducted in driving time and the possible distance supplements linked to the location of embarkation and disembarkation points: this leads to bringing stations closer to one another, therefore to increasing their number. But the reduction in the distance between stations makes it crucial, in determining commercial speed, the time the train stops at stations. intermediate. It is therefore essential to reduce this downtime as much as possible. Modern signaling systems allow trains to run fairly close to each other, with an order of magnitude of one train every three to six minutes depending on the level of equipment of the link. This therefore supposes, if all trains have to stop at a given station, that the stopping time is less than this value (for example five to six minutes), otherwise the system will be blocked. Technological constraints must be taken into account:

• With regard to conventional rail routes (excluding special TGV tracks), the difficulty is to manage traffic, on the same route, for passenger trains traveling at high speeds (of the order of 160 km / h) and trains goods traveling at lower speeds (around 100 km / h). The resulting constraints lead to underuse of the tracks.

• Pulling heavy trains is a problem (especially in the mountains) by having to multiply the locomotives: on a slope of 30 per thousand, a locomotive (for example 90 tonnes) can only pull four times its weight (360 tonnes) to stay in grip conditions whatever the weather conditions.

To reduce the journey times of piggyback users and optimize the use of the current network, trains carrying road vehicles should be run at a higher speed than current freight trains, which poses motorization problems, but also of protection (the wagons must be closed and not opened). To meet the constraints of use on mountain lines, the objective is, in the present invention, to be able to anchor piggyback trains with 35 mm / m slopes: value commonly encountered on mountain lines. Although this is a different problem and likely to have other solutions applied (rental, etc.), part of the traffic of light vehicles (cars) would be likely to use a combined rail-road system. But it is clear that the demand for this type of traffic is strongly linked to timetables: there are certainly many more potential customers for the piggybacking of light vehicles during the day than at night, and this provided that commercial speeds are important in order journey times are close to what they can be by using the motorway network.

Finally, although there are specific solutions, freight trains, special wagons, specialized yards, for transporting containers or swap bodies by rail, the question arises as to whether a piggyback system capable of transporting road vehicles could not, with inexpensive adaptations, also transport containers or swap bodies. We will see below that this is quite possible. Presentation of the functionalities of the devices which are the subject of the invention.

The object of the invention is to allow to embark road vehicles - trailers, trucks, passenger cars - as well as containers or swap bodies on trains made up of special wagons suitable for high speed (160 km h and more ), whose loading level is lowered to make the best use of the existing network, to climb the steepest ramps of the network (35 per 1,000 or more), and to limit downtime to transshipment stations to a minimum ( about six minutes) so that the speed on the tracks and the overall efficiency of the infrastructure can be optimized. These reduced downtime will allow for a tight network of stations (100 to 200 km away) without penalizing users who travel long distances: in fact, the combination of train speed and short stops, allows significant commercial speed. The proximity of the stations between them allows, by increasing the number of embarkation or disembarkation points on the route, to offer a better service to the users, and to improve the profitability of the system, as well as to better distribute on the territory the nuisance concentration points that constitute stations. The speed of these trains, comparable to that of passenger trains, makes it possible to optimize the speed on the lines by simplifying their control, including in the situation where, on certain sections, passenger traffic and piggyback traffic coexist. The whole uses simple principles of modularity and techniques from the field of industrial automation, in order to reduce the costs of using the system and to quickly reach the profitability of the necessary investments. The basic principle is not to load the road elements, trucks, trailers, ..., directly on wagons, but to use an intermediate support called "passable": a kind of large pallet capable of receiving a truck, a road trailer, containers or even cars. The trains are made up of special low-frame wagons specially designed to load passenger cars. The stations, which are specially adapted to this type of traffic, consist of a road traffic area connected to the road or motorway network, an area comprising the tracks for stopping trains, and an intermediate area located between the two previous ones, in which the passable areas are handled by automated devices. The crux of the invention is in the presence of this "site" of automated loading and unloading, which implies the definition of the practicable as basic module handled by the said site, and which induces the total restructuring of the train as a whole able to load and move passables. To reach high speeds, it is necessary to cover the wagons, because road trailers designed for speeds of the order of 100 km / h cannot be left in the open air. Covering the wagons in this way provides another functionality: fire protection, especially in tunnels. To cross significant slopes it is necessary to motorize the wagons, which gives the trains significant accelerations allowing them to better integrate into traffic: this requires to distribute the motorization along the trains and to develop them as "self-propelled "in the railway sense

This being posed, it is possible to envisage a deployment in several stages of a commercial system according to the principles of the present invention, to abandon or to postpone some of the functional constraints exposed above: this results in cheaper systems and whose implementation may require shorter times. The following variant embodiments will be cited:

• It is possible not to put a cover on the wagons, leaving the road vehicles in the open air during their transport. This obviously limits the possible speeds and leaves the problem of safety against fires in tunnels, but on the contrary would give a definite advantage in terms of usable railway gauge (for example "Bl" instead of "C").

• It is possible not to impose the constraint of easy crossing of mountain ramps and to give up important accelerations to produce traditional passive wagons pulled by power cars. These variants will be detailed later in the description of the rolling stock.

Description of the invention. The principle will be better understood with regard to plates N ° 1 to 16:

• board N ° 1 represents, with figure N ° 1, a train,

• board N ° 2 represents, with figures N ° 2, 3, 4, a walkable,

• board N ° 3 represents, with figure N ° 5, a double walkable

• board N ° 4 represents, with figure N ° 6, the practicable in perspective • board N ° 5 represents, with figure N ° 7, the general concept of a bogie,

• board N ° 6 represents, with figure N ° 8, 9, 10, a simple bogie,

• Plate N ° 7 represents, with Figure N ° 11, 12, the passable carrier cradle

• board N ° 8 represents, with figures N ° 13, a motorized bogie,

• board N ° 9 represents, with figures N ° 14, 15, a wagon with its covering, The plate N ° 10 represents, with the figures N ° 16, 17, the train head element,

• board N ° 11 represents, with figures N ° 18, 19, a principle of movement of passable in station in the area of the automated site,

Board N ° 12 represents, with figure N ° 20, a device for storing passable vehicles at the station in the area of the automated site facing a wagon,

Board N ° 13 represents in profile, with figure N ° 21, the setting up cycle of the automanipulator under the wagon, for taking charge of the practicable,

• Plate N ° 14 represents in top view, with Figure N ° 22, the relative positioning of a wagon and a self-handling device with a view to taking over or depositing a passenger on a wagon by the automanipulateur,

• the board N ° 15 represents, with the figures N ° 23, 24, 25, a principle of automanipulator,

• Plate N ° 16 shows with Figure N ° 26 the general principle of a station.

Description of the floor area.

Figures N ° 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of boards N ° 2, 3 and 4 schematically represent the principle of the mobile system called "passable". It constitutes the load-bearing structure of the wagon, which will lock onto the rolling parts which will be detailed according to the figures in plates No. 5, 6 and 7. Key element of the invention, the floor area is made up of an overall structure (1 ) with double wall which forms a shell producing a "U" profile of variable thickness. This shell ends with two beams (2), located in the upper part of the vertical cheeks (3) of the "U", which extend far beyond the length of the "U" profile and serve as support and fixing on the plate. of the wagon while reporting the effects of the load inside the axles. The upper wall (4) of the shell (1) corrugated in the width direction ensures the transverse rigidity of the floor area by the presence of the folds (5) and against folds (6) necessary for its realization. This rigidity is reinforced by the incorporation of the central half beam (7) running over the entire length of the floor area and whose additional functionality will be better understood after the description of the figures of the boards N ° 5, 6, and 7. The lower wall (8) flat ensures removal to the ground. In the central part, this wall follows the profile of the upper wall (4) to create a free central passage over the entire length of the floor area. Laterally two cheeks, (3) natural continuities of the elements (4, 8) ensure by their bending upwards the main longitudinal rigidity of the assembly, which comes to complete the central half beam (7). The connections between the beams (2) and the walls external (3) end with gussets (10) which have the role of reinforcing the mechanical resistance of the beam (2). To ensure the connection with the bogies, the ends of the beams (2) are equipped with anchors (11) which ensure the embedding and the locking of the passable in the platform of the bogies. These functionalities will be better understood after the description of the figures in plates N ° 5, 6 and 7.

At the ends and in the center of the floor area, folds (9) are produced, the upper level of which will be identical to that of the central beam (7), thus defining a flat surface allowing the removal of a 40-foot container, of a European box. 45 feet, or two 20-foot containers, inside the floor. The shape of the platforms can be adapted to more specific products such as, for example, cars, empty trailers that could be loaded on two levels, as described on Plate No. 3.

We will retain as fundamental elements of the invention the principle of the use of a removable and interchangeable floor space serving as a chassis for the wagon, the reservation made in its lower part, half beam (7), which allows it to be embedded in the beam of connection of the bogies (19), described in plate N ° 5, the U-shaped shapes guaranteeing the best rigidity of the assembly, the positioning and locking on the half-plates of the wagon made possible by passing the upper beams (2).

Variants in various materials.

It will be noted that the walkable, instead of being made of metal by cutting, folding, welding techniques, can consist of a double shell of composite materials, the whole being assembled around the two beams (2) which would keep all their functionality and a filling material according to the principle of "structural counter molding". It will be noted that other materials, other methods of manufacture and other forms are possible for the passable, which would not call into question the principle of the present invention.

Description of the wagon

Although we speak of "wagons" and their bogies, while referring to a classic conception of railway equipment, we must rather reason in terms of a succession alternating bogies and intermediate elements of load transport - passable - s 'pressing at their ends on two consecutive bogies, bogies which they share with the previous and next passable.

The figures of plates N ° 5, 6 and 7 show the elements of a special wagon, which includes two bogies of ends N ° 5-6. Each bogie supports two plates supports (14) which ensure the articulation of the train and receive on offset planes (17) the ends (2) of the walkables. The plates (14) extend at the feet of the walls (21) of counter plates (15), the functionality of which will be better described in Plate No. 13. The counter plates (15) of two successive bogies are connected together by a beam of attachment (19) to constitute - Figures N ° 11 and 12 - the longitudinal connection structure of the train in the absence of the passable surface described in Figure N ° 2. The connections between two counter plates (15) and the beam d 'fastener (19) are provided at each end of the beam (19) by rigid recesses (20). Not allowing the transmission of tensile forces during the running of the train, the beam (19) however ensures at station stop maintaining the interval necessary for the passage of the passable between the walls (21) of two consecutive bogies ; it allows the passage from one bogie to another all along the train, electrical fluids for power and control, braking circuits, connections, etc. The beam (19) has the same thickness as the counter plates (15) in which it fits. On the plates (14) of the bogies are integrated ruptures of levels (17), with regard to the bosses (11) described in the plate N ° 2, they ensure by embedding and in the presence of the passables the rigidity of the convoy. In the axis of the ruptures (17) of the plates (14) are incorporated the assemblies (22) - jacks, knee pads ... - for locking the passable (2). Each plate (14) has two anchor points, a bogie therefore has four anchor points: two for the upstream passable, two for the downstream passable. The connection between the plate (14) and the bogie is ensured by a horizontal longitudinal damping system (25) located at the center of articulation of each half-wagon. The active parts of each anchor are in the form of a cylindrical plate (24) embedded in the chassis of the bogie and a mobile (23) - itself fixed to the plate (14) - caught between the two springs (25 ) which have the function: • to keep the anchoring centered in the absence of practicable (therefore longitudinal effort), train stopped, • to absorb the longitudinal stresses in the different phases of dynamic operation of the train . In addition to these mechanical functions, it is necessary to provide a directional hydraulic compensation system (26-27) composed of hydraulic cylinders whose action, which could be described as programmable springs and dampers, is to soften the connection to low speed, especially in small radius curves, and on the contrary to harden the connection when the train travels at high speed on straight tracks or large radius curves. As it is described in the figures of plate N ° 2 the floor area has at its center and in the direction of the length of a cavity in the form of half beam (7) which while allowing to reinforce its rigidity allows its embedding in the fastening beam (19) of the wagon. This embedding function is one of the key elements of the invention. To engage or disengage the practitioner from the attachment beam (19), it is necessary to equip the system with a lifting of the practitioner and therefore of the load. This system can be installed either on bogies or in stations. The description of plates N ° 13, 14 will allow a better understanding of the need.

A number of variants can be described from the principle set out above, without thereby constituting a modification of the scope of the invention.

Variant with separate bogies.

Although this appears to be less efficient in terms of cost and mechanical space constraints, the invention would retain its full value if one-piece wagons were designed, each provided with two clean bogies at the end, and coupled to each other according to the scheme generally used in railway construction.

Motorized variant

Figure N ° 8 of Plate N ° 6 and Figure N ° 13 of Plate N ° 8 represent what could be three-axle bogies each comprising two free axles (28) and a driving axle (29), which is linked to an assembly consisting of an electric motor (31), a reduction gear (32), a transmission, all ensuring the motorization of the bogie. The reduction gear can have a fixed ratio or constitute a gearbox with several ratios. In connection with this mechanical assembly, an electronic control and power supply group (34) specific to each bogie is installed. This electromechanical assembly will be incorporated in a frame (33), integral with the bogie plate (30), capable of ensuring its protection. The connection to the control station installed at the head of the train will be carried out by an electric line of the bus type, preferably direct current, for power, and by a set of control signals: computer network, security signals. Obviously, the principle of the invention will not be modified by designing a bogie with two or three driving axles in place of the version described comprising two free axles plus one motorized. Figure N ° 1 of plate N ° 1 foreshadows what could be a succession of self-propelled bogies connected by beams (19) Non-motorized variant

The bogies, with two or three axles, may comprise only free axles (28) in sufficient number to meet the constraints of the loads. The motorization of the train must be done in a traditional way, by traditional power cars. The logic of this solution would be to make the decision to limit the bogie to two axles, which must allow the axle load of 22.5 tonnes, and would limit the length of a wagon equivalent to 17.5 m instead 19 m, but with severe drawbacks, especially on mountain lines. To conclude, it should be noted that the advantages of the motorized variant, in terms of costs, of manufacturing with lower power equipment in greater number for the power components, in terms of operational availability, with fault tolerance and ease of maintenance, in terms of universality of trains capable of running both on the plain and in the mountains, should largely compensate for the additional cost, in study and in production, to deploy a piggyback solution on a large scale.

Variant with cover.

The figures in Plate N ° 9 describe a response to the constraints imposed, namely the dressing of the wagon to allow speeds of the order of 200 km / h, to ensure fire safety, to reduce aerodynamic resistance and noise at high speed. These figures make it possible to have a vision in place of the various elements of the invention while giving a visual perspective of a load. The design of this covering is strongly linked to the space which will be freed up by the calculation of the mechanical stresses supported by the platform of the wagon, that is to say the floor area described with the figures in plate No. 2, by the template maximum of the infrastructure on which the trains (tunnels) will be used and by the height of the trailers which are admitted by the system. It is moreover necessary to provide a device capable of absorbing the variations in length due to the modifications of the geometry of the trains in the various dynamic working configurations (passage in curve, dynamic forces along the train). The covering must constitute with the floor space a unit as closed as possible to serve as containment in the event of fire of a load. For this, the design of the frame (33), described in the figure of plate N ° 8, comprises a watertight partition (32) separating this frame into two distinct zones: one reserved for the power, regulation and 'servo, the other to the establishment of a gas reserve (46) and an injection assembly (45). A control system, equipped with sensors capable of detecting smoke or heat sources, can activate a set of solenoid valves which ensure the diffusion of an inert gas, such as carbon dioxide. We can thus extinguish or at least contain a fire.

Concerning the mechanical realization of the covering (plate N ° 9), two approaches are possible: • the covering is part of the wagon, the covering is then designed from the cradle described in figures N ° 11,12 of the board N ° 7 to which is added at each end a hoop (34) integral with the plate (14), the whole following the profile of the frames (33) described in the figures of board N ° 8. In each cradle is incorporated the jack (35) which allows the lifting of the one-piece cover (36) running between the two hoops (34) to form the top cover of the wagon along a transverse profile offering sufficient resistance to bending. This lifting is made necessary to free the floor area from the beam (19) and the embedments (17). The two lateral faces can be produced by pivoting doors (37-38) which, from the roof (36) which supports them by a set of articulations, are raised by sets of cables (39) and pulleys (40). The latter, in sufficient number and judiciously distributed over the length of the structure, make it possible to carry out the lifting from a central axis (41) integral with the roof (36) supported by a geared motor (42). Likewise, the floor area described by the figures in plate No. 2 serves as a support base for the panels (37-38) and ensures the low tightness of the structure. The ends are sealed against the frames (33) by flexible or inflatable seals, which have the secondary function of limiting the noises due to the relative movements of the elements between them. • the covering is an integral part of the floor area, the solution is identical to the previous case, the hoops (34) becoming integral with the floor area (1). It is possible to replace the covering, as described above, with a mechanically simpler monobloc cover which should be put in place and removed by devices integrated into the stations. This method, simple to implement, has not been described in the figures and would not change anything within the scope of the present invention.

Variant without skin.

There is nothing special to describe, except that the elements explained in the previous paragraph are absent. It will be noted that the combination of the variant without trim with the non-motorized variant leads to a single wagon. Description of service cars

They are essential for drivers and passengers of on-board road vehicles. These cars could have a layout on one or two levels. In addition, to facilitate the change of composition of trains depending on the circumstances, day / night, transport of cars or heavy goods vehicles, one could very well conceive of the service wagon as a "passenger container", capable of being installed or removed from the train in stations with the same devices as passable. The additional constraint to take into account, compared to a passable, is that a passenger wagon must be connected to the energy distribution system of the train, in order to be able to have lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, safety devices, etc. It will therefore be necessary to provide cables between the bogies or the motorization blocks integrated into the bogies and the said service wagons. In view of the fact that boarding a service wagon on the train is an unfair operation, it is not necessarily useful to provide for the automated connection of the connections when the service wagon is placed on the train: manual connection seems sufficient.

Head and / or oar tail elements.

The description of the wagons above, with the motorized variant of the bogies, requires proposing for the train an overall architecture in which there would be no power cars in the conventional sense. Indeed, some functions cannot be distributed in the bogies, others have no interest in being distributed for economic reasons. A solution is therefore proposed which will be better understood after description of Figures N ° 16 and 17 of Plate N ° 10. At each end of a reversible train is an element which comprises:

• a driver's cabin, • the system block sensors,

• track-train teletransmission elements,

• a computerized train control system,

• security elements,

• a current collection system on the catenary (pantograph), • an electrical protection system (circuit breaker),

• a current transformation system making it possible to convert the energy distributed by the network to the system chosen for the "energy bus" along the train (for example 25 kV 50 Hz for the catenary, 1500 V DC for the energy bus) . In fact, the above description only takes up the list of elements that a conventional powerplant comprises, with the exception of the motors and their control electronics. Insofar as, according to the figures of plate N ° 8 the bogies of the train are motorized, one can very well conceive that the bogie (14) which supports this head element, on the side of the train, is identical to the bogies of the wagons , and is shared between said head element and the first (or last) wagon of the train. On the other side, that is to say under the driving cabin, a passive bogie (60) will suffice. Reference will be made to FIG. 16 of the plate 10 for a description of this principle. But we can go further, given the infrastructure required in stations. The oar head and tail elements are constructed as follows. As for the wagons making up the train, these elements are constructed with a chassis whose central part is the same level with respect to the rails as the passables at the time of their entry by the passable handling system. At the end, head or tail of the train, there is a structure made up of the driver's cab, block system sensors, remote transmission elements between the track and the train, the train control system, safety elements, a passive bogie (60), a motorized bogie (14) and pantographs.

In the hollow released in the central and lowered part of the chassis, one or two removable "energy blocks" (61) take place. These energy units include: • an electrical connection with the current collection system,

• the electrical protection system (circuit breaker),

• the system converting the energy distributed by the network to the system chosen for the "energy bus" along the train,

• the connection connection to the train. For a train which would only run on one type of electrical supply (for example on 25 kV 50 Hz), this breakdown would be of little interest. But it is very interesting for trains that have to travel in Europe where four different electrical voltage systems coexist. Each energy unit (62) would be able to manage one (or two) given supply system (s). It would be enough, when the train stops at a station, to come and place the energy blocks on the head and tail oar elements, and to replace them with blocks adapted to the power zone that we will meet when continuing the journey. This would avoid having the additional cost necessary for adapting trains to "poly-current" or the concern of managing a fleet of trains composed in part of single-current elements restricted in their possible routes and of elements polycurrent capable to cross borders. The fact of being able to have two distinct energy blocks on the same head element would make it possible to exchange them in specialized stations for the system, necessarily distant from the voltage change points at the borders. We can even go even further: nothing prevents us from providing a somewhat particular energy unit which would consist of a generator (63), diesel or turbine or fuel cell, with its fuel tank, giving the possibility to trains that would load this type of block on non-electrified tracks. The manipulation of the energy blocks could be done after opening one of the side doors (64), by the same devices which are used to load / unload the practicable on the wagons, figure N ° 20. A difficulty posed by the use of this principle is that, in a station where we exchange energy blocks, assuming that we always use the same track for traffic in the even direction and the other in the odd direction, we would be forced to recycle the energy blocks between the even path and the odd path: they arrive on one path and leave on the other! This is not a big problem: we will see later that the handling device provided in stations would be able to transfer the energy blocks over long distances, and we can consider recycling them above or below. trains, by transferring them through a level crossing, or by a special device located between the even track and the odd track. We will not detail this particular point of the implementation of the invention.

Principle of the station

For the understanding of the continuation, one will qualify, "embarkation / disembarkation" the operation of establishment / removal of the load on the practicable, "of loading / unloading" the operation of establishment / removal of the practicable on the wagon. The structure of the piggyback station according to Plate No. 16 is part of the invention. The design of the trains and passables, described above, makes it clear that in the case of standardized mechanical elements, the operation of loading / unloading a train can be carried out by automated devices which do not directly handle the road vehicles, which are not standardized, but the road surfaces that support them. Boarding / disembarking operations being manual, it is advisable to allow sufficient time to carry them out, to take into account the time required and the vagaries linked to the human factor: we will therefore work in "hidden time" with several embarkation stations / landing at the right of each loading / unloading station. The solution which is presented on board N ° 11 and described later on in boards N ° 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 consists of having several "cells" on a "boarding platform" (for example example four), each capable of receiving a passable, arranged on an axis perpendicular to the axis of the railway, and taking the same space in the direction of the axis of the railway as a wagon. Vehicle embarkation / disembarkation operations on / from the platforms can therefore be broken down and carried out simultaneously, in "hidden time", on four stations, which allows more time to execute them (for example four times more) than the base period given by the train succession rate.

Numerous solutions are possible for handling the passable areas, which would not call into question the principle of the present invention. For reasons of efficiency and versatility, in the description of the present invention, we are moving towards a solution for handling by automated self-propelled carts. The space between the railroad track and the boarding platform is therefore made up of an area in which trolleys circulate, hereinafter referred to as "self-propelled vehicles", capable of ensuring the transfer of a platform between the train and the platform. boarding and vice versa.

Structure of the loading / unloading site.

The concept of work in masked time, requires the storage of a certain number of passable, some in the process of embarkation and loading and others in the process of unloading and disembarkation. These operations are repeated in extreme cases for each wagon at each train stop, it is necessary to organize the movements of the passable in an area between the road platform and the railway. This storage capacity allows the work to be broken down into elementary functions. In theory, the total time required for a complete cycle divided by the number of positions will define the rate of succession of the trains in the station. These principles being exposed, the essential structure of the station can be described, namely the automation zone located between the railway and the road traffic zone. Between the embarkation platform (51) made up of a series of cells (54) and the railroad track is arranged a circulation area (50) having a smooth horizontal floor in which the self-propelled vehicles move. We can clearly see in Figures N ° 18 of Plate N ° 11, that this circulation zone (50) is lower than the rails (52) and themselves lower than the road circulation zone (51). It will be retained as an absolute necessity that the level of the embarkation / disembarkation quay (51) must be at the same level as the underside of the passable on the train in the disengaged position of the beam (19) and that the offset between the levels (50 -51) must allow the passage of the self-manipulating F, with the construction constraints which result therefrom. This space (50) can be provided with wire-guiding devices integrated into the ground and interactive landmark systems, which allow the automanipulators to find their way and move around on the ground. The passable are placed and propped on the ground on the level of road traffic (51). Embarkation / disembarkation of road vehicles is done at level, "while driving" for trailers and tractors.

As for light vehicles - cars - it has been seen, we have seen, to provide a passable on two levels. To access the high level, an access ramp (55) is provided which is articulated and integral with the quay. Nothing will be changed in the principle of the invention by making the upper floor mobile as movable as on a road transport of cars: the access ramp would then be partially or totally integrated into the practicable.

The auto-manipulator slides under a walk-in to take it over or, on the contrary, place it on the quay. On the side of the track, the self-manipulator has its upper part at the level of the bottom of the floor exit from the beam (19), which allows it to be loaded / unloaded onto / from the train by a horizontal transverse movement easy to perform.

Figure N ° 20 of plate N ° 12 shows the waiting platform (51) which presents repetitive structures, cells (54) in the shape of a "T" located along the length of the station perpendicular to the direction of travel of the oar. The "T" shapes allow on the upper wings of two successive "T" s the removal of a walkable and the passage of the automanipulator between the uprights created by the legs of the "T" s. This makes it possible to make the best use of the space available in width to ensure the stability of the load by widening the seat of the auto-manipulator to the maximum. The vacuum formed by the intervals, in the lower part of the alveoli (54), allows the passage of the automanipulator which will carry out the removal or the assumption of responsibility of the passable from below: this method will be better understood after the description of the automanipulator presented by boards N ° 13, 14 and 15. This solution of quays staggered in height also has the advantage of separating the road functions from the loading and unloading functions, therefore clearly defining the safety zones specific to each professional body.

Description of automanipulators

These are special devices capable of moving the floor areas and the loads they support in the site described in the previous paragraph. Their principle is analogous to that of wire-guided trolleys used in flexible production workshops. They ensure the transfer operations of the platforms and their load between the loading docks and the wagon platform and the reverse operation. They position them precisely in the housing provided for this purpose. Given the position constraints, it is mandatory that the automanipulators have three degrees of freedom on the horizontal plane, namely that they can move longitudinally and laterally, as well as turn on the spot. • the succession of positions (from top to bottom in figure N ° 21) represents, in profile, the cycle of setting up the floor area on a wagon, or vice versa, • Figure N ° 22 represents in top view the relative positioning of a wagon and an auto-manipulator when taking over or depositing a floor area on a wagon by the self-handling area, the floor area being represented only on the left-hand side, • Figures N ° 23, 24 and 25 represent a possible design of an automanipulator. To take charge of the floor area on the waiting platform (51), the auto-manipulator is equipped with four short-stroke hydraulic cylinders (70) which lift and immobilize the floor area while it is released from the socket ( 54). The self-manipulator has on top of two raceways (71), located at the end of a structure whose length will be much less than the value defined by the walls (21) of two successive bogies connected to the same connecting bar (19) described according to figure N ° 11 of plate N ° 7. The chamfered front shapes (72) of these raceways will come at the moment of the penetration of the self-manipulator under the wagon and be positioned under the counter plate (15 ) of the wagon described by plate No. 7. Between the raceways (71) and the passable are positioned sets of rollers (73) which allow the displacement of the load under the combined action of the translation systems (74 and 75) screw or jack. The first (74) is directly connected to the raceways (73) to ensure that no slipping occurs during movement, the second (75) is supported by the arms (76) in reservations in lower part of the floor area described in Figure No. 2. To achieve the engagement and disengagement of the fingers (76) in the floor area, they are pivoted under the action of the jacks (77). This set of pivoting fingers will ensure the locking of the floor area on the auto-manipulator during these movements between the different working positions. The application of this principle - well visualized by the phases of figure N ° 21 of plate N ° 13 - authorizes a displacement of the load between the wagon and F automanipulator. The cantilever effect, caused by the passage of the load from one to the other, is canceled by the embedding of the counter plates (15) previously described and the specific shape of the ends of the raceways (72 ). The movement of the auto-manipulator is ensured by 4 gear-motor groups (79) each mounted on a vertical axis pivoting by more than 180 °, under the action of either a centralized control (78) or by the installation in each group of advance of two independent motors (79). Everything is controlled by the electronics on board the automanipulator and slaved in direction to the guidance system. The self-manipulating computer system may also include a reading system identifying the edge of the wagon or the cell, as well as systems for exchanging computer data with the station, by radio network or other means, and / or with the train or even with the passable by the use of electronic labels readable from a distance. We can also set up a passive identification system on bogies and / or passables

All solutions are possible concerning the energy sources on board the automanipulators: production on board by internal combustion engine, preferably powered by gas for pollution reasons, production on board by fuel cell, electrical storage in batteries, pneumatic storage in the form of compressed air, kinetic storage in the form of a flywheel, etc.

Lifting the floor area in the station.

One of the essential elements of the invention is to allow the use of the maximum of the section available in the profile of a railway infrastructure, due in particular to the embedding of the passable in the connecting beam (19). To allow the exit of the floor area it is therefore necessary to provide a lifting system. It is possible, as already written, to equip the wagons with this system, in this case the jacks are incorporated in the plate (14) under the beams (2) of the floor area (1). However, it is also possible to equip stations with this device which will be incorporated between the rails, opposite each wagon stop, by groups of two jacks (81), the upper parts of which are located on the same level as the track. The assembly constituted by these four cylinders is capable of lifting a load of the order of 50 tonnes, must be regulated in speed to guarantee a uniform lifting of a passable.

Approach of the wagons by automanipulators.

As it was stated above, the guidance of the automanipulators on the ground will be done with a proven system (wire guidance, laser guidance, ...), whose principle - well known - does not have to be described in the context of present invention. Note that it will be necessary to add specific sensors, to compensate for the inaccuracies in stopping the train. Indeed, it should be noted that there are necessarily errors in positioning each wagon relative to at its nominal position in the station, taking into account the imprecision at standstill, the flexibility of the couplings and the manufacturing tolerances. These cumulative inaccuracies being of the order of a meter, it is necessary to add another correction system called approach. Various solutions are possible: optics, sensors integrated into the station, sensors integrated into the automanipulator, exchange of information with the wagon or the road ...

Air cushion variant.

The principle of the invention will not be changed by incorporating under the automanipulator an additional air cousin lift system (80) to lighten the pressure on the ground and thereby limit the forces on the wheels and the size of the mechanical parts acting on said wheels. We can use the same principle of air cushion between the raceways (71) and the passable (1), to replace the sets of rollers (73) which allow the displacement of the load under the action of the translation systems (74 and 75). These incorporations by a judicious implantation will be used for lifting the load at the different positions of support and will replace the lifting cylinders (70) on the auto-manipulator: in fact the operation of the air cousin will cause an increase of 30 to 60 mm . of the self-manipulator, therefore of the load, sufficient lifting to release the load in the cells. Depending on the operating phase, the auto-manipulator could therefore circulate on its wheels (empty), on an air cushion (under load). In the second case, the wheels, held on the ground by appropriate active suspensions, would serve to provide propulsion and guidance.

Description of the station operating cycle.

In order to properly describe the invention and assess its feasibility, it is necessary to describe a complete work cycle. For the simplicity of the text, it will be considered that the diagram which will be described corresponds to the stopping of the train in an intermediate station of low speed but of varied need. During the waiting period, the station received road vehicles which were guided to passable vehicles waiting on the boarding platforms above the cells.

The cycle is described for wagons with a covering: it would be simplified if a variant of wagons without covering is used. We will consider what happens for a single wagon, assumed to be both unloaded and recharged in the station. Note that a wagon, even empty, must go with a passable and a covering in place.

The automated operations on the passable on the one hand, loading / unloading and manual on the other hand, embarkation / disembarkation, are carried out "in masked time", that is to say according to cycles with simultaneous changes. To do this, it was necessary to properly dissociate the two functions above, the first calling for maneuvers by special devices using mechanized and automated lifting and moving principles, the second for maneuvering road vehicles "on their tires" by drivers. Either the following four operations or sequences: • unloading a passenger from the train,

• loading of a trainer on the train,

• boarding of a vehicle on a passable,

• leaving the vehicle from the passenger when disembarking.

The sequences described below do not prejudge their position in time but more the necessity of their realization. Some operations can be done without the presence of the train, or can be shared by several automanipulators, which saves significant time in starting the cycle and its progress.

The first "unloading" sequence is: 1. stop and relative positioning of the train,

2. preparation of the wagon (security, openings, ...),

3. lifting of the floor area by the cylinders integrated into the station,

4. final approach of the self-manipulator which comes into contact with the wagon,

5. immobilization and setting of the self-manipulating F, 6. engagement of the lateral transfer device under the stage,

7. lateral transfer of the floor area to bring it in line with the self-manipulator,

8. lateral release of the floor area by the self-manipulator, departure to a free landing station.

9. Engagement of the self-manipulator under the cell 10. Lowering of the self-manipulator and removal of the floor area on the quay

The second "loading" sequence is:

11. the self-manipulator engages in a cell, under a walk-around ready to go,

12. the auto-manipulator lifts the passable, then leaves towards the wagon, 13. final approach of the automanipulator which comes into contact with the wagon,

14. immobilization and stalling of the auto-manipulator,

15. lateral transfer of the floor area to bring it to the right of the wagon,

16. retraction of the self-manipulator transfer device,

17. lateral release of the automanipulator which leaves to perform another task, 18. lowering of the cylinders and locking of the passable on the bogies,

19. preparation of the wagon (security, openings, ...),

20. when all the wagons are ready, the clear track and the departure time arrival, departure of the train. Operations from 1 to 20 correspond to the time the train stops at a station. Depending on the time values which will be assigned to these stops, the sequences will be carried out in parallel, in series or in series / parallel on the wagons to be treated by multiplying the number of automanipulators.

The third "boarding" sequence assumes an empty floor space in place in a cell on the roadside platform.

21. approaching a new vehicle wishing to embark and placing it on the passable,

22. shutdown of the engine, braking of this vehicle, descent of the driver, 23. separation of the tractor-trailer combination if necessary,

24. installation of the vehicle holding devices on the passable,

25. waiting for the scheduled train, the driver joins the service wagon.

The fourth "disembarkation" sequence involves an alveolus on the empty road platform. 26. the driver dismounts from the service wagon and joins the cell where his vehicle will disembark,

27. the self-manipulator comes to deposit a walk-around on the edges of the cell,

28. removal of the devices holding the vehicle in position on a passable vehicle that has just been disembarked, 29. possibly, approaching a road tractor and coupling,

30. Rise of the driver, start of the engine and departure of the vehicle located on this passable.

In the event that a wagon enters and leaves the station without loading or unloading, the sequences described above are obviously incomplete. The operations of the first and second sequences use an automated device. The operations of the third and fourth sequence call upon an operator who advises and guides the road drivers, installs or removes the vehicle maintenance devices on the passable areas, under the driver's control.

The above description might suggest that it is sufficient to provide two cells in the loading dock for each wagon: one for loading, one for unloading. it might be sufficient in the case of a busy middle station. But in the case of a very busy station and in the event that the trains follow one another quickly, every ten minutes for example, it would be advisable to provide several cells facing each wagon station. We could thus multiply the cycles calling for human operations: handling, movement. We could thus be sure never to delay a train because of an incident or a boarding maneuver longer than expected. By placing four cells in a 19 m wagon pitch, we obtain an interval between two cells of 4.75 m, and time left for boarding operations of around 40 min, which seems optimal. As described so far, the station operates on the assumption that only one of the two sides of the track is equipped with loading / unloading / embarkation / disembarkation devices. This leaves the other side available for a passenger platform and / or another lane in the opposite direction. But one could imagine, for intensive use of a station, for example at the end of a line, that the two sides of the track are used for automated loading / unloading, with eight cells available at the right of each train car.

Road infrastructure of the station.

A first approach to the problem consists in thinking that piggybacking is a solution of spatial and temporal continuity between the road and the rail. The first level of system design, as explained above, takes this problem into account, both for heavy goods vehicles and for light vehicles accompanied by their driver. But economic analysis shows that an important source of profitability, as far as goods are concerned, is not to move road tractors or their drivers, but only trailers, containers or swap bodies. In the latter case, if spatial continuity is always essential, the station being the link between road and rail, it is clear that one can - and that one must even - introduce waiting times at the boarding or disembarking and no longer strictly respecting time continuity. In fact, trailers or containers embarking alone on the rail must be brought to a piggyback station with a road tractor and, in the second case, a container trailer. Ditto when they landed. When boarding there will not necessarily be places available immediately on the train. When disembarking, the tractor and the driver are not necessarily available at the precise moment when they are needed. In addition, piggybacking with a driver will probably be more frequent during the day, without a driver at night. It is therefore more than likely that in the latter case, the delivery of trailers or containers for deferred embarkation will mainly take place on evening, their removal at the station in the morning. Finally, the train filling rate being an important parameter of profitability, it is interesting for the operator to have trailers or containers in the stations, ready to board, which allows better filling of the trains. All this leads to structuring the piggyback station to ensure these two functions: management of vehicles with immediate loading and removal and management of trailers and containers with loading and delayed collection.

We can identify six distinct cycles corresponding to a traffic division according to the principle set out above:

1. Entrance to the station from the road network and immediate boarding 2. Disembarking from the train and immediate exit to the road network

3. Entrance to the station from the road network, storage in the park

4. Pick up on the park by a shunting machine, boarding the train

5. Pick-up on the landing quay by a maneuvering machine, storage in the park

6. Collection from the fleet and exit to the road network The first two cycles concern light or heavy vehicles traveling

** ^** *., accompanied by their driver, as well as trailers only. Cycles 3 and 6 concern trailers or containers transported by a road tractor and / or a container trailer. Cycles 4 and 5 concern transfers of trailers or containers by specialized vehicles, internal to the station, driven by agents. This type of machine poses no technical problem and exists, in particular in port or railway sites, for handling road trailers or containers.

During entry operations - cycles 1 and 3 - connection straps from the road network are required as well as the necessary waiting and toll booths. Conversely, during operations 2 and 6, an exit control is needed, if only to avoid theft of vehicles or goods, and the connecting straps to the road network. These infrastructures - ramps, expectations, tolls, controls - are not described in the present patent application, calling for no particular innovation. One will find on figure N ° 26 of plate N ° 16 a description of a possible variant of realization of the road traffic of the station. The figure represents only a quarter of the station. We find there, well distinguished, going from the central axis of the station to the outside:

• a central platform (100), shared between the two directions of train traffic, intended for the movement of passengers and agents, • the railway (101), • the automated loading and unloading site (102), limited by the cells (54),

• a maneuvering area (103), in line with the cells, allowing vehicles to line up with the cells, • temporary waiting zones (104), different for heavy goods vehicles and light vehicles, intended to allow the fluidity of boarding and disembarking maneuvers.

• an ascending traffic lane (105), one-way, for vehicles to or from the maneuvering area. • a descending traffic lane (106), one way,

• a traffic lane serving a storage yard (107) and distributed along the station in the various areas,

• a maneuvering area on the storage yard (108),

• the storage facility proper (109), with locations marked on the ground. It will be noted that the connection between the upward direction and the downward direction is made by roundabouts (110) located at the end of the upward and downward paths. These roundabouts are interconnected on either side of the railway by the track (111) which, to pass under the railway, takes the underground passage (112). We will easily make the correspondence between the flows described above and the various zones. Flows N ° 1 and 2 take the uplink (105). Flows N ° 3 and 6 follow the downward path (107 and 106). Flows N ° 4 and 5 take the three ways and pass from one to the other by the roundabouts (110). It is certainly possible to arrange the elements described above differently, and in particular to plan to extend the occupancy on the ground of the storage fleet for deferred embarkation / disembarkation, which would allow the piggyback system to extend its market shares to the market. traditional combined transport. We can do this for the storage park otherwise, with locations placed parallel or perpendicular to the axes of the station, with a double row of storage locations opposite, etc. It will be considered that the various geometrical variants resulting from the principle of decomposition into zones and distinct flows exposed above, resulting from techniques of layout of road settlements in technical zone, do not have to be analyzed in an exhaustive way within the framework of the this patent application. Advantages of the invention.

Regarding the costs of installation, the overall number of passables is much higher than that of wagons, since at a given time we can count one passable per rolling wagon plus two to three passable per module - location for wagon - in stations . That said, the passable is a passive metal assembly, much cheaper than the rest of the wagon.

Likewise, comparing the present solution with more traditional piggyback solutions, it will be seen that the cost of station automation is certainly high, but relatively light compared to the cost of rolling stock, which can be walked on. It will however be noted that a piggyback solution based on the present invention, by the increase in performance which it allows, makes it possible to achieve favorable economic conditions to make a line profitable. Despite the overall cost, investments per tonne-kilometer transported per year are low and return on investment times are reduced. Regarding the choice of a closed wagon, this allows both to reach significant speeds of the order of 200 km / h without risk for vehicles (tarpaulins flown, etc.), and to improve safety against risk of fire: if a fire breaks out, the closed part of the wagon can be drowned in inert gas without stopping the train, which obviously makes perfect sense in tunnels. The resulting train profiling reduces the energy required for movement and the aerodynamic noise. Finally on the one hand because of the reduction in travel times, we offer a better service to users who, in return, will be willing to pay more for the service, and on the other hand we optimize the use of rolling stock which travels more kilometers at the same time. We can therefore optimize the times of return on investment with skins on the wagons. Regarding the choice of motorizing the bogies of the wagons, this provides good acceleration, to cross significant slopes, to have a unit power well suited to the expected performance of the trains, to solve the problem of the modularity of the means of traction: no need to hitch multiple drive units to build long trains. In addition, the series of electrical equipment, motors, static converters, braking resistors, protective devices, being long, namely thousands of copies to produce, we can lead to lower costs "per kilowatt" than building powerful locomotives in small series, especially since we can accept less reliability while having much higher operational availability, due to the redundancy. If a bogie breaks down, it does not stop the train: it It suffices to provide the necessary devices for any breakdown, electrical or mechanical, to put the bogie in freewheel.

Regarding modularity, we can assume that we could put on a passable: • a 15.5 m road trailer. for 321.,

• two road tractors of 7 m and 101.,

• two 7 m vans,

• a container 14 m long, 2.6 m wide and 4.2 m high,

• two containers 7 m long, 2.6 m wide and 4.2 m high, • a 45-foot European box,

• five private vehicles, on two levels, embarking on a special floor area. Certain combinations are possible, truck plus pickup, two empty flatbed trailers superimposed in a passenger area for cars, etc. A little special loads are possible, for example a passable loaded with caravans or motorhomes, during periods of leave.

Concerning the management of the system, it will obviously be necessary to set up a computer system and remote transmissions which makes it possible to know in advance, in each station, which will be the places which will be released on the train in order to prepare the 'embarkation of vehicles on passable vehicles at the right of these locations. This system could depend on an intelligent reservation system which optimizes the filling of trains.

It will be noted that the system proposed in the present invention would make it possible, by gradually upgrading rolling stock and tunnels, by playing on the engine and the presence of the trim, to follow the evolution of demand. But if one does not want to be forced to redo the stations and to exchange the rolling stock every ten years ₅ it comes to standardize certain elements, in particular everything which gonceme the "interfaces" between rolling stock, passable and station infrastructures, in having in view the final stage of such an evolution.

Claims

1) Embarkation and conveying system for road vehicles or containers on railway convoys, consisting of railway rolling stock and a specific ground infrastructure called "station", characterized in that it employs interchangeable rigid mechanical elements called " passable ", each of said passable being capable of carrying a load such as one or more road vehicles or containers, in that the rolling stock consists of wagons each comprising a lowered chassis (19) connecting two bogies (14), the said bogies being specific to a wagon or, on the contrary, shared between two consecutive wagons, in that the passable is fitted (7, 19) and locked (11, 22) on the wagons ensuring a mechanical chassis and participating function thus to the structure of the train, in that the passable is provided with a grip surface (8) allowing an automated device whose station is provided to take it for the load or unload the wagon, in that the passable is provided with a device (8) allowing it to rest on a loading dock (51) so that road vehicles can embark / disembark in / from the passable , in that the number of locations (54) provided on said embarkation platform for passable vehicles is much greater than the number of wagons of a train so that several of the sequences specific to the operations required, namely unloading d '' a passable from the wagon, loading a passable on the wagon, disembarking a road vehicle from a passable and boarding a road vehicle on a passable, can take place simultaneously, and in that the station is equipped handling devices capable of moving passable vehicles from the loading / unloading quay of road vehicles or containers to / from the places where they will be loaded / unloaded on / d since the wagons.

2) System according to claim 1 characterized in that the walkable consists of a low shell in "U" (fig. No. 2 to 4), provided with openings at both ends for boarding and disembarking independently d '' a road vehicle, in that the passable is provided with anchoring points (11) allowing its installation and its locking on holding devices (17) and locking (22) integrated in the bogies, in that the weight of the floor space and the load it carries is applied at the points of contact (11) with the wagon in the vicinity of the axles, in that the said hull may consist of folded sheet metal (3) and longitudinal members (2) or again of a double shell in composite materials assembled around a filling material according to the principle known as of "structural molding" or of any other material and manufacturing means making it possible to produce similar shapes and giving the necessary mechanical performance.

3) System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a covering system covers the floor area and its load (fig. N ° 14 and 15), held in position and locked on the ends of the wagon or on the floor area (34), in that the covering is provided with an opening system (35 to 42), automated or not, in order to have access to the loads for loading and unloading operations in stations, the opening being possible by the set of movable panels (37 and 38) and lifting devices integrated into the train, or even by the use of a device for lifting the covering integrated into the infrastructure of the station.

4) System according to claim 3 characterized in that one or more sensors located in each wagon make it possible to detect a possible fire start and in that a control device acting by means of solenoid valves makes it possible to control the arrival of an inert gas (46) under the covering of the wagon to fight the said fire.

5) System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the passables have a hollow half-beam (7) having a width less than the minimum spacing provided between the wheels of the loaded road vehicles, in that two bogies consecutive constituting the ends of a wagon are connected by a connecting beam (19) in the low position, the said beam ensuring on the one hand the mechanical intervals between the bogies and constituting on the other hand a passage for the necessary fluids and networks during operation of the train, and in that the passable is fitted during loading over said beam (19, 7) so that the lower level of the wheels of the road vehicles is approximately at the level of the guard necessary for movement above the rails and therefore the overall size in the upper part is lowered accordingly to allow the movement of trains in the railway gauge the most favorable for traffic on existing lines.

6) System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handling of the walkables is carried out by devices called "auto-manipulators", consisting of self-propelled carriages capable of moving on the ground independently guided by suitable devices such as a wire-guiding network integrated into the ground and / or various sensors, or even driven by a human, in that a self-manipulator is provided with driving and steering wheels (79) ensuring its movement on the ground with three degrees of freedom, namely longitudinal and transverse translation and rotation on the spot, in that a self-manipulator integrates a vertical movement (70) capable of lifting / lower the floor area to take it in / drop it off on the boarding platform, in that the function of the self-handling devices is to transport the floor areas between on the one hand the loading / unloading stations on / from the trains and on the other embarkation / disembarkation positions (54) of the road vehicles on / from the passable surfaces, and in that the decreasing height arrangement of the respective levels of the road, railway and ground area on which the automanipulators circulate makes it possible to handle the passable with small vertical movements.

7) System according to claim 6 characterized in that the floor is lifted by a hydraulic device (81), in that guiding and lateral transfer devices of the floor thus lifted (71 to 75) allow the floor to pass from its position in the axis of the train to the right of the axis of the auto-manipulator at unloading and vice versa at loading, in that the said lifting and transfer devices can be either loaded on each bogie, or at a fixed position in the station, either incorporated into the automanipulator, or even combining several constituents positioned respectively on one of the three said elements, and in that suitable additional devices (72) come to bear under the wagon during the transfer operation of the floor area in order to ensure the continuity of the transfer path and to take up the efforts and in particular the overturning torque due to the cantilever of the load.

8) System according to claims 6 or 7 characterized in that the self-manipulator is provided on the one hand with driving and steering wheels ensuring its movement on the ground and on the other hand with air cushions distributed in the lower part, in that that the air cushions transmit to the ground a fraction of the weight of the auto-manipulator and its load, the remaining fraction being transmitted to the wheels, in that the air cushions are used to lift the auto-manipulator, which can in particular allow to ensure the grip and removal of the passable on boarding / disembarking stations (54), and in that the wheels are mounted on devices to ensure their contact and pressure they exert on the ground in the presence or absence of compressed air in the air bags depending on the operating phase.

9) System according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the limit between the area of road traffic of vehicles and the loading / unloading site where the automanipulators operate consists of a quay (51) having cells (54), said cells being produced by "T" shaped beams, so that a walkable surface placed at the upper part of the "T" is located at the level of the traffic area for embarkation / disembarkation and that an auto-manipulator engaging in the lower part of the socket (54) can be introduced under a walkable to take it or deposit it.

10) System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an engine block is arranged on each bogie (14) of the train or on some of the bogies, so that the engine of the train is distributed over the wagons and in what is available at the head and tail of each train, or of each train if the said trains consist of coupled trains, a head element similar to a power train (plate N ° 10) but whose electrical components, called " energy block "(62), have as their function only the transformation of the electric current of the catenary or its production on board thanks to a generator (63), the energy being transmitted to each bogie to be adapted again and locally transformed (34) in the voltage and current systems necessary for supplying the motors (31), in that the said head elements include a driving cab, the electronic components, the information eu and the means of communication specific to the management of a train or a train.

11) System according to claim 10 characterized in that the head and oar tail elements consist of a lowered central frame (61) similar to that of passable wagons, in that can be implemented in said lowered part of the chassis of the interchangeable "energy blocks" (62) containing either elements for capturing, protecting, transforming the electrical energy provided for a catenary supply, or a generator (63) with or without its fuel tank , and in that the stations where these energy blocks are exchanged are provided with the necessary handling means, the so-called means which may or may not be identical to those which make it possible to load / unload the floor areas.

12) System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the road traffic of the vehicles is organized to manage six distinct flows, namely vehicles entering for immediate embarkation, vehicles disembarking for immediate exit, trailers or containers entering for storage on the park. , trailers or containers taken from the park for boarding, trailers or containers disembarking and brought to the park, trailers or containers removed from the park for immediate departure, in that the internal maneuvers at the station are carried out with specialized handling equipment to maneuver trailers or containers, in that the station shows areas for each direction of rail traffic such as platform for agents and passengers (100), railway (101), automated handling site (102), boarding area / disembarkation (103), waiting area before embarkation (104), lanes for embarkation flows t and immediate disembarkation

(105), storage yard (109), maneuvering area on storage yard (108), tracks for deferred flows serving the storage yard (106, 107), and in that various connections and passages between said zones and infrastructure such as roundabouts (110 to 112), toll booths / control and connecting links to the road network ensure the control and routing of all road traffic in the station as well as from or to outside.