Method of planning the movement of trains using route protection
View Patent ↗A method of planning the movement of plural trains over a train network utilizing route protection for the route immediately ahead of a train to avoid undesirable changes to the planned route of the train.
1. A method of planning the movement of plural trains over a rail network comprising:
(a) providing a first movement plan for a train, said first movement plan including a plurality of portions;
(b) monitoring the actual movement of the train;
(c) evaluating the actual movement of the train in a computer system against the planned movement;
(d) providing a second movement plan for the train to account for deviations of the actual train movement from the first movement plan;
(e) evaluating the first movement plan against the second movement plan;
(f) preventing modification to a first portion of the first movement plan if the difference between the first and second movement plan is less than a predetermined threshold; and
(g) modifying a second portion of the first movement plan to account for the deviations.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first portion of the first movement plan represents a geographical area.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first portion of the first movement plan is a period of time.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the geographical area is chosen as a function of the track authorities issued for the train.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein the second portion of the first movement plan represents a geographical area.
6. The method of claim 3 wherein the second portion of the first movement plan is a period of time.
7. A method of planning the movement of plural trains over a rail network comprising:
(a) providing a first movement plan for a train;
(b) monitoring the actual movement of the train;
(c) evaluating the actual movement of the train in a computer system against the planned movement including the current location of the train at the current time;
(d) modifying the first movement plan to account for deviations of the actual train movement from the first movement plan; and
(e) preventing modification of the first movement plan for a predetermined distance from the location of the train.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined distance is a function of a block control of the train.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined distance is a function of a movement authority issued for the train.
10. A method of planning the movement of plural trains over a rail network comprising:
(a) providing a first movement plan for a train, said first movement plan including a plurality of portions;
(b) monitoring the actual movement of the train;
(c) evaluating the actual movement of the train in a computer system against the first movement plan;
(d) calculating deviations representing differences between the actual movement and the first movement plan;
(e) preventing modification to a first portion of the first movement plan immediately ahead of the train as function of the deviations; and
(f) modifying a second portion of the first movement plan to account for the deviations.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein said first portion of the first movement plan represents a geographical area.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein said first portion of the first movement plan is a period of time.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein the geographical area is chosen as a function of the track authorities issued for the train.