System Architecture and Risk Management for Autonomous Railway Convoys

The RailCab project envisions autonomous railway vehicles which drive in convoy without mechanical coupling. The RailCabs can dynamically and autonomously build and dissolve convoys. This enables an on-demand use of these vehicles while retaining the cost and ecological advantages of public transport. The development of such system has to be rigorous with respect to safety issues in order to avoid loss of lives and other damages. In this paper we present an overview about the system architecture of the RailCab prototype on the test track as well as the actions to be taken to ensure safe operation.