Real-time train speed regulation with consideration of over-speed protection

A speed regulation strategy for railway vehicles is proposed in this paper with issues of safety and riding comfort taken into consideration. Principles of the ATO (Automatic Train Operation System) optimized running curve and the ATP (Automatic Train Protection System) over-speed protection are intruduced, and a train dynamic model is established for calculation. A hierarchical control scheme using MPC (Model Predictive Control) is proposed for real-time control of the train running speed. The optimized running curve and over-speed protection curve are addressed in the control design. With this control method, unnecessary emergent stops can be avoided, and the riding quality is improved. The effectiveness of the proposed method are demonstrated by simulative studies.