GB2324638A - Regulating a transport system - Google Patents

Abstract

Certain transport systems, particularly underground railways, are run according to nominal timetables. A problem with this approach is that perturbations in the service cause large time intervals to develop between some vehicles leaving other vehicles with little distance between them. This can cause overcrowding on eg. station platforms. A method of regulating a transport system, such as a railway system, comprises deriving a preferred departure time for a vehicle at a stopping-place, eg. a station 2, by means of eg. a train monitoring system 5 and a computer 3, located at a control site 1; and communicating the time to a driver of the vehicle. The departure time may be visually displayed, in the form of a countdown, on a television screen 12 located either on the platform of the station 2 or in the driver's cab.

Description

REGULATING A TRANSPORT SYSTEM This invention relates to a method of regulating a transport system such as a railway system.

Certain transport systems, for instance, underground railways, typically are run according to nominal dme tables. A problem which may be encountered with such a transport system is that the service provided is subject to perturbations caused by, for example, equipment failures or the actions of passengers. As a result of these perturbations, large time intervals can develop between some vehicles, leaving other vehicles with little distance between them. Thus, at, for example, any station on an underground railway system, at some times there will be long delays between trains which may result in overcrowding on platforms and, therefore, on the next available train. At other times, trains may arrive and depart in quick succession, and so fewer passengers embark each succeeding train. The erratic nature of this system can cause the efficiency of the railway to decrease.

The invention provides a method of regulating a transport system having a plurality of vehicles which follow a predetermined route, the method comprising deriving a preferred departure time for a vehicle at a stopping-place and communicating the time to a driver of the vehicle.

The provision of preferred departure times means that, if train drivers comply with these times, the frequency of vehicles at each stopping-place will be more regular than was achievable hitherto.

Advantageously, the stopping-place is a predetermined location, such as an underground station. The method of the invention is particularly suitable for regulating a railway system in which the vehicles are trains.

The preferred departure time preferably is communicated visually to the driver by, for instance, displaying the time on a television screen located either at the station or in the driver's cab.

The departure time is preferably displayed in the form of a countdown.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of apparatus suitable for effecting the method of the invention; and Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of trains on a railway line.

Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus shown is located at two sites. The equipment indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 is situated at a central control site which is responsible for controlling a railway system. The apparatus indicated generally by the reference numeral 2 is at an underground railway station. The invention is not limited to apparatus 2 being at just one station. Preferably all stations on the railway system are equipped with apparatus 2.

The control site apparatus 1 comprises a computer 3, a user interface 4 and a monitoring system 5, which monitors the positions and movements of each and every train on the system. Monitoring system 5 may, for example, receive information concerning the occupation of track circuits from the signalling system of the railway in order to determine train positions. An alternative method and apparatus for monitoring a transport system such as a railway system is described in our co-pending patent application, given the reference number P/61091/GS in the records of the GEC Patent Department.

The monitoring system 5 produces data on the relative positions and movements of trains on the system, which data is input to the computer 3.

The computer 3 applies a regulation algorithm to the incoming data from monitoring system 5. The algorithm calculates preferred departure times for all of the trains waiting at stations on the railway system. This information is relayed to the user interface 4, which may comprise a visual display unit (VDU) and a keyboard, to inform an operator of the current state of the system, and of decisions being taken by the computer 3.

Referring now to Figure 2, a simple scenario is shown (not to scale) of trains 6, 7 and 8 on a railway line 9, travelling in the direction indicated by the arrow. As can be seen from Figure 2, the distance between trains 6 and 7 is relatively significantly larger than the distance between trains 7 and 8. Therefore, at a given station, the time interval between the departure of train 8 and the arrival of train 7 will be quite short, whereas the time interval between the departure of train 7 and the arrival of train 6 may be sufficiently long as to cause overcrowding of passengers at the station platform.

The positions of trains 6, 7 and 8 on railway line 9 are determined by the monitoring system 5. Information regarding the positions and movements of the trains are transmitted to computer 3 and, on receiving this information, the computer implements a regulation algorithm with the intention of evening out the time intervals between the trains.

The simplest regulation algorithm is known as a balanced headway. If T1 is the time interval between trains 6 and 7, and T2 is the time interval between trains 7 and 8, the (T1+T2) balanced headway interval is 2 Thus, at a given station, the optimum departure time for train 7 is the departure time of train 8 plus the balanced headway interval.

As an example, let T1 be ten minutes and T2 be two minutes. Suppose that train 8 is arriving at the station and that the time is 9.00am. Train 8 waits at the station for one minute and departs at 9.01am. Train 7 then arrives at the same station at 9.02am. The balanced headway interval in this situation is (10+2) = six minutes. Therefore, the 2 optimum departure for train 7 is 9.07am. Train 6 then arrives at the station at 9.12am and departs one minute later at 9.13am.

Therefore, implementing this simple algorithm results in a time interval between trains 6 and 7 and trains 7 and 8 of six minutes, thereby causing the trains to run at a more regular frequency.

Referring back to Figure 1, on calculating an optimum departure time for train 7, the time is relayed to the relevant station via, for instance, an existing telecommunication network or a direct communications link, for communication to the driver. The departure time may be visibly displayed to the driver. A possible means of display is to make use of an image-overlay system 10, located at the station.

A typical underground station has a video camera 11 which generates an image of the platform. More than one camera may be provided. The image generated by a camera is displayed on a closed-circuit television screen 12, conveniently situated near to where the train exits the station, so that a driver of the train can view the image displayed on the TV screen. The driver observes passengers embarking and disembarking the train, and ensures that the train doors are clear before driving away.

The image overlay system 10 displays the optimum departure time on the TV monitor 12 in a suitable format, for instance in the form of a count-down clock. The count down clock is overlaid on the image from camera 11 such that it can be seen easily, whilst not obstructing the driver's view of the image of the platform.

When the count-down reaches zero, the driver should drive the train out of the station.

Should the train remain at the station, the clock continues past zero to indicate to the driver that the train should have already left. This may be further indicated to the driver by displaying the clock in a different colour, or by causing the clock to flash on and off, for example.

The invention has been described with reference to a simple situation concerning three trains on one railway line. However, the computer 3 may calculate preferred departure times for all trains on the whole system, implementing more complicated algorithms than the above-described balanced headway. The user interface 4 permits the user to configure the algorithm by amending certain of its parameters. Such parameters may include the maximum and minimum stopping-times and the number of trains.

Further variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, the TV monitor 12 need not be situated in the region where the train leaves the station. It may be located in any suitably convenient position, for instance, in the driver's cab.

In addition, the departure time may be audibly communicated to the driver instead of, or in conjunction with the visual display. This may be effected by, for instance, causing an alarm to sound in the driver's cab.

The invention is not limited to regulating trains on an underground system. Any transport system comprising vehicles running along routes having stopping-places, for instance a bus system, is capable of being regulated by the method and apparatus of the invention.

Other variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims (16)

1. A method of regulating a transport system having a plurality of vehicles which follow a predetermined route, the method comprising deriving a preferred departure time for a vehicle at a stopping-place and communicating the time to a driver of the vehicle.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the stopping-place is a predetermined location.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the transport system is a railway system in which the vehicles are trains.

4. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims and wherein the time is visually communicated to the driver at the stopping-place.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, and wherein the time is visually communicated to the driver by means of a television screen.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 and wherein the screen is located at the stopping-place.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5 and wherein the screen is located in the vehicle.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim and wherein the time is communicated in the form of a countdown.

9. Apparatus for regulating a transport system having a plurality of vehicles which follow a predetermined route, the apparatus comprising means for deriving a preferred departure time for a vehicle at a stopping-place and means for communicating the time to a driver of the vehicle.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 and wherein the means for deriving a preferred departure time comprises a vehicle detection system.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 and wherein the means for deriving a preferred departure time further comprises a computer capable of receiving data from the vehicle detection system.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11 and wherein the means for communicating the time comprises a television screen.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 and wherein the television screen is located at the stopping-place.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 and wherein the television screen is located in the vehicle.

15. A method of regulating a transport system, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, or as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

16. Apparatus for regulating a transport system, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, or as illustrated in, Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.