Improving railway punctuality by automatic piloting

The hinder of approaching trains at railway junctions and in stations due to delayed trains still occupying the route can be minimized by the use of on-board processors that automatically determine the speed and travel time needed until the next main signal that protects the route of a conflicting train. The actual location, speed and distance of the trains to the conflict point are continuously recorded by on-board processors and communicated via GSM-R to other trains in the same area. A decision support system for traffic control identifies in time route conflicts between approaching trains automatically, estimates the remaining travel times and indicates the suitable speed to follow by each of the trains in order to assure seamless merging or crossing. The individual acceleration, braking and speed instructions are transmitted to each train and automatically applied by the on-board processor. The automatic piloting of trains enables maximal use of available track capacity, while guaranteeing minimal train delays.