The design concepts and operational results of fault-tolerant computer systems for the Shinkansen train control

The Shinkansen is a safe, reliable, mass, and rapid public transportation system in Japan. The authors discuss COMTRAC in the Shinkansen. First, they look into the concept and technology of fail-safe in railways. Second, they explain COMTRAC and its fault-tolerant computer systems. Finally, they give several kinds of field data accumulated during the past several years about COMTRAC, which show its improvement in the availability.