1. ETCS Train Radio Is (Not?) Reliable Enough
David N. Jansen
Softwaremodellierung und -verifikation, RWTH Aachen
and others

2. Coauthors conf. Quantitative Evaluation of Systems
Holger Hermanns
Workshop on Software and Performance
Yaroslav Usenko
Verkehrswissenschaftliches Institut
Jürgen Jacobs
Sebastian Klabes
Nils Nießen

3. Why Train Radio? European Train Control System
a new standard for securing trains
GSM-R radio communication between train and radio block centre T

4. ETCS Radio Reliability
Q: Can ETCS radio handle trains?
fast (250 km/h)
in dense traffic (headway ≈ 1 min)
with high reliability (99.95 %)

5. ETCS Radio Reliability
Q: Can ETCS radio handle trains?
fast (250 km/h)
in dense traffic (headway ≈ 1 min)
with high reliability (99.95 %)
A: Yes!

6. ETCS Radio Reliability
Q: Can ETCS radio handle trains?
fast (250 km/h)
in dense traffic (headway ≈ 1 min)
with high reliability (99.95 %)
A: Yes, but...

7. Overview Train protection and ETCS First ETCS analysis: Yes...
New additions: ...but

8. Securing Trains: Principles
Block
exclusive access for a single train
train is not allowed to leave its block(s)
Movement authority
allowance to enter a block
Integrity check
make sure the complete train leaves a block
block
block

9. Securing Trains: Practice
signals communicate movement authorities
some protection against human error
transmit passage of danger points electronically
different national systems
integrity check at block boundaries

10. Goals of ETCS
interoperability

11. Goals of ETCS
interoperability

12. Goals of ETCS
interoperability

13. Goals of ETCS interoperability
transmit more information electronically / via GSM-R
cab signalling
moving block operation

14. Moving Block Operation
block boundaries can be everywhere
enabled by on-board integrity check
each part of the block is released immediately after the train has passed...
...and can be reserved for another train without delay
shorter headway  better track utilisation
block
block IC

15. Moving Block Operation
block boundaries can be everywhere
enabled by on-board integrity check
each part of the block is released immediately after the train has passed...
...and can be reserved for another train without delay
shorter headway  better track utilisation
block
block IC IC

16. Moving Block Operation
block boundaries can be everywhere
enabled by on-board integrity check
each part of the block is released immediately after the train has passed...
...and can be reserved for another train without delay
shorter headway  better track utilisation
block
block IC IC

20. Weaknesses Found
recent discussion with the Verkehrswissenschaftliches Institut der RWTH Aachen
typical capacity bottleneck: braking phase
some assumptions unrealistic

21. Current Work track model trip includes acceleration and braking 250 km
station A
station B

22. Tool Chain MoToR: developed at Univ. Twente
MoDeST
model
MoToR: developed at Univ. Twente
Möbius: developed at Univ. Illinois UC
Möbius
(simulator)
MoToR
(translator)
performance
estimates

23. Headway Distribution

24. Conclusion + Next Steps
Braking phase adds 8–10 sec to headway
still small probability of delay
compare with VIA simulator
longer simulations