University of Twente Student Theses
Block sections around stations under ETCS : the effect of the block layout on the headways at stations
Wagter, W.H. (2019) Block sections around stations under ETCS : the effect of the block layout on the headways at stations.
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| Abstract: | Railway networks use block signalling to prevent trains from entering occupied track, and an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system enforces the drivers to follow the signals aspects. This work by fixed blocks and light signals. ETCS, a new digital European ATP and signalling system is developed to replace the legacy systems in countries that are often all different. ETCS has also as advantage that it can reduce driving times and increase capacity on the same infrastructure because of train dependant braking and accelerating. Simulation studies have been performed that show that it actually is beneficial to the capacity, but it has not been researched how the infrastructure, and then mainly the signals need to be layed out to achieve this effect. In this research is looked specifically into block layout around station. The main question is how different block layouts in uence the headway around stations. This is important since current methods for determining block layouts are not suitable to use with ETCS and also reduce the capacity effect. Different block layouts are tested for the Dutch stations Schiphol and Almere Cen- trum and simulated with RailSys to see the achieved headway in both hampered and unhampered conditions. The strategies used for the block design are twofold. A model developed to determine the signal locations is made and tested on the effect on the head- way. For hampered succession this model can actually decrease the headway with around 25 seconds, depending on the distances. These distances are an input in the model. On unhampered succession is this model not very effective, since the minimum headway is often limited by the setting time of switches of dwell time at platforms. It does reduces the occupation time of the blocks, so when more hinder is accepted, for example in delayed situations, the headway can be shorter. The second method to reduce the headway at the platform is by manipulating the last critical block in multiple ways. For example, placing an extra signal at the begin of the platform, or on the platform. The effect on the headway unhampered is around 10 to 15 seconds while for the hampered situation the effect is of the same magnitude. The model that was developed gave some promising results on the hampered headway; the reduction of the headway was larger than with the other measures. The reason being is that the model's block layout facilitates the following train to accelerate fast and without unnecessary slowdowns. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | ET: Engineering Technology |
| Subject: | 56 civil engineering |
| Programme: | Civil Engineering BSc (56952) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/80829 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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