Robust Formation Control of Train Platoons for Interval Maintaining

Train coordination technology in moving block signaling (MBS) systems has a huge potential in maximizing line utilization and railways safe operation. However, the realization of reliable cooperative control is a nontrivial task, facing challenges such as environmental uncertainties, unpredictable and time-varying disturbances. This paper investigates the robust cooperative control problem of networked homogeneous trains with physically connected carriages using the cooperative control theories for Negative Imaginary (NI) systems. The coupling between trains within the overall system is described by a network topology. A local robust Strictly Negative Imaginary (SNI) controller is designed to track a prescribed reference and maintain a pre-defined formation. Numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.