Driverless ATC—it’s just what you’d expect from Union Switch & Signal, the industry’s leader in rail safety, reliability, efficiency and dispatching solutions since 1881. While our technologies continue to advance, our mission remains the same—to make your rail network safer, more reliable, and more productive than ever before. Discover how we can keep your business on track.
What worked in Copenhagen will succeed for you. Our new driverless ATC solution is completely platform independent and can be easily implemented on a variety of signaling systems (fixed block, virtual block, or CBTC). What’s more, it is built on the proven foundational technologies of US&S, recognized throughout the industry as providing the highest degree of control and advanced automation. By integrating three highly dynamic subsystems—automatic train protection (ATP), automatic train operation (ATO), and automatic train supervision (ATS)—US&S driverless ATC takes automatic train control to a whole new level.
Central Office - ATS
US&S Central Office is the industry’s first choice for dependable operational control that is scalable from a single-line metro installation to a continent-sized railway system. With its unique distributed architecture, comprising both local and remote components, Central Office can adapt instantly to failures or anomalies within the network to protect against outages or disruptions of service.
For dependable automated train control, the US&S Central delivers high-performance Central ATC functions, including:
- Control and display
- Automatic planning & routing
- Vehicle regulation
- Coordination of traffic movement
- Management of train schedules
- Recovery from timetable deviations
- Updating reports and alarms
- Emergency stop requests
On-Board Subsystem - ATO/ATP
Driverless ATC’s automatic train operation offers a high degree of functionality in its automated capabilities, due to its robust proprietary software platform. With literally every operational and vital function taken into account, the system eliminates the need for a driver or attendant. Features include:
- Speed regulation
- Platform overshoot recovery
- Overspeed protection
- Station stopping
- Door control
- Passenger information systems (including displays and audio information presented to passengers)
- Radio interface (e.g., emergency stopping of the train, putting a hold on the train, emergency door open, hold releases)
- Rescue Operation
- Vehicle Fault Detection and Response
What’s more, the subsystem’s vital Vehicle Fault Detection and Response component detects on-board failures—in braking, propulsion, communication, doors, and more--that could occur and instantly responds with an appropriate countermeasure. And, the entire subsystem features a fully redundant hardware and software architecture, so that if one unit fails, a backup unit can take over that particular control of the train. The result is increased reliability and availability every hour of every day.
Wayside Subsystem - ATP
US&S’ ATP subsystem is responsible for vital, safety-critical wayside functions such as:
- Train detection
- Train separation
- Interlocking control
- Speed command transmission
- Speed restrictions
- Direction control
- Emergency stop
- Platform screen door interface
