Project number:
T1251
Reducing the risk of train over-speed with new technologies
This project looked at technologies to help reduce the risk of train over-speeding, especially technologies that the industry can use quickly and easily.
'The research identifies solutions that can provide informative and timely data to help manage overspeed risk.'
The challenge
Trains which do not comply with speed restrictions create serious safety hazards. These include collision, derailment, asset damage, and injury to track workers. There
is a need to understand and control this risk.
Trains may travel too fast through speed restrictions because they are not sufficiently aware of the location or speed. After the Sandy South incident in October 2018, the
RAIB report highlighted over-speeding as an important issue. Drivers need better notifications about speed restrictions.
This project assessed technological approaches that could help this issue.
What we did
All occasions where trains exceeded a temporary or emergency speed limit were investigated. The Overspeed BowTie was used to assess relevant technologies.
This research found that the use of the GSMR Acknowledged broadcast could be used to advise drivers of degraded speeds.
The project also identified five other technologies were already in some form of use and their use could be expanded throughout the network quickly and safely.
These were:
- driver advisory systems or Timetable Advisory System
- mapped lineside images
- work management platforms with mobile applications
- better emergency speed restriction database
- structured reporting mobile applications for train drivers.
Benefits delivered
This project gives industry a better understanding of how to use technology to reduce train over-speeding. GSM-R Acknowledged is a quick win that industry can use now.
This research could save around £1.6million to industry over a ten-year horizon driven by:
- fewer signals passed at danger
- fewer derailments
- reduced delay minutes associated with over-speeding
The research was used for the new Rail Industry Standard on the management of speed restrictions. It also met RAIB’s recommendation 2 in its Laurencekirk and
Portlethen report.