European Train Control System Speed-Distance

Mode Curve Analysis and Simulation

Jing-jing Wang, Hua-Shen Wang, Bai-Gen Cai, Wei ShangGuan, Jian Wang, Han Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Rail Traffic Control and Safety, School of Electronic and Information Engineering
Beijing Jiaotong University
Beijing, China
E-mail: wjj9@hotmail.com

In the paper, the basic principles and classification of

European Train Control System (ETCS) are analyzed
firstly. Then the principles and classification of speed distance mode curves are researched deep. It is great
significance to establish the suitable control curve model
of Chinese Train Control System (CTCS) and develop
gradually the technical specifications of CTCS, drawing
on the ETCS successful experience.

AbstractTrain control system works to control the train

speed, ensure traffic safety and improve the transport
capacity where it is necessary to conduct systematic
research on the speed-distance mode curve. The
development and application of ETCS speed-distance
mode curve is introduced on the basis of the ETCS
fundamental principles and classifications. The
classification and theory of ETCS speed-distance mode
curve is focused while the algorithm and simulation of the
speed-distance mode curve is briefly discussed. The model
of ETCS speed-distance mode curve is core technology in
the protection of foreign countries which accounts for the
great significance for our study in the CTCS control curve
model.

II.

A. ERTMS system architecture

The European Rail Traffic Management System
(Short for ERTMS below)is a kind of traffic transport
management system with European Traffic Management
Layer (Short for ETML below) as the transport
command basis, ETCS as the security kernel, the Global
System Mobile Devoted to Railway (short for GSM-R)
as the transmission platform[5,6].

Keywords-ETCS; speed control; model curve; highspeed railway

I.

INTRODUCTION

The rise and development of high-speed railways

brings vigorous vitality to revive the world railway,
which also proposes a higher requirement for train
control system [1, 2]. When the train speed improves to
a certain limit, there would be little time left for the
  
        

        


only based on ground signal. Therefore, with the
increase of train speed and density, we need to come up
with much more advanced, safer, reliable and efficient
train control system to ensure the safe operation of the
train[3].

B. Basic principle of ETCS traffic control system

 
  
  
the signal sent from the ground is neither target speed
nor track clear information (domestic commonly called

 !   "   #  $
The movement authority indicates to on-board
equipment the allowed traffic running target location, i.e.
 # %&#$The target speed at EOA
is the allowed speed at EOA, and EOA is called as
'  # %'&#*+/7$

In European, speed-distance mode curve algorithm

of high-speed train control system has been carried out
for about ten years, mature representative of which is the
European Train Control System (ETCS). ETCS is a
technical specification of train operation control system,
which Rail Europe and European signal industry
formulate after 10 years of efforts in financial support of
the European Commission [4]. It is intended to set up a
railway signal standard which cannot just be compatible
with existing signal system, but also be used in every
country to improve the incompatible condition of the
signal systems, and ensure the trains in every country
can run in the whole European railway network to
improve transport efficiency.

8    9      

information to confirm the distance to EOA where the
target speed is zero, the running authority will be given
in form of LOA, where the traffic target speed is higher
than zero. The ground equipment is responsible for the
safety distance after EOA/LOA to stop the train from
target speed without any danger. If the train has not yet
received new information when passing through EOA,
the on-board equipment will apply the brake.
C. Technical grade classification of ETCS
The European Union establishes the ETCS technical
specifications together and divides them into 5

Manuscript received March 18, 2011. This work was supported in part
by Technological Research and Development Programs of the
Ministry of Railways (No. 2009X003-G, Z2009-059), National
Natural Science Foundation of China (No.60736047, 61104162),
Independence Research Task of State Key Laboratory of Rail Traffic
Control and Safety (RCS2009ZT013) and Fundamental Research
Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2009JBM005).

___________________________________
978-1-4244-8268-9/11/$26.00 2011 IEEE

EUROPEAN TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM



application levels (TABLE.I) to solve the compatibility

problem of transnational traffic control system.
TABLE I TECHNICAL GRADE OF ETCS
ETCS
Grade

ETCS Grade Description

ETCS-0

Train equipped with ERTMS/ETCS can run on railway

lines without ERTMS/ETCS or national signal system
or lines with ERTMS/ETCS system

ETCSSTM

Train equipped with ERTMS/ETCS run on lines

equipped with a kind of ATP system

ETCS-1
(without
in-fill)

Existing signal system+balise system track circuit. I.e.

by use of point ultra speed protection system composed
of balise system, the train control and command trains
not able to run in time keep the ground signal

ETCS-1
(with infill)

Existing signal system+balise +track circuit+euroloop or

GSM-R

ETCS-2

Track circuit+balise +GSM-R

ETCS-3

Balise +GSM-R

III.

Figure1 Diagram of TVM430 Speed Mode Curve

B. High-speed train control system in Germany

LZB system in Germany is a train control system
based on track cable for communication which had
realized continuous speed control mode in FuldaWurzburg high speed rail line for the first time in 1988.
The system mainly consists of ground sub-system
LZBL72 and on-vehicle sub-system LZB80 [11].
All the fixed data such as geographic parameters of
the line and regional fixed speed limit are stored in LZB
center. Block occupation of the train is checked by the
track circuit or axle counter. The control center confirms
the train travels at the maximum nominal speed. LZB80
no longer stipulates target speed at each block section;
instead th    
distance to the target and train braking control. The
Germany LZB system controls speed as illustrated in
Figure2.

APPLICATION OF ETCS MODE CURVE FOR

EUROPEAN HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY

A. High-speed train control system in France

The TGV-Q \
    ^ speed railway which went into operation in 1980,
heading from Paris to Lyon, has reached the speed of
270km/h with U/T (UM71+TVM300) train control
system [9, 10]. There are two standard train control
systems in U/T train control system with one being
UM71+TVM300,
the
other
one
being
UM2000+TVM430. Differences of the two are listed as
TABLE II.
TABLE II ANALYSIS TABLE BETWEEN TVM300 AND TVM430
Device
Name
Maximum
Speed
Block
Modes
Brake
Modes
Control
Modes

TVM300

TVM430

270km/h

320km/h

fixed block

fixed block

Speed Code Ladder

Control
Human control as main,
Equipment as assistant

Hierarchical Speed
Control
Human control as main,
Equipment as assistant

Figure2 Speed Control Diagram of Germany LZB

C. High-speed train control system in Japan

The Shinkansen (new main line), first high speed
railway in the world, starting with the speed of 210km/h
from Tokaido to Shinkansen, was put into operation in
October, 1964. The train adopts ATC train control
system which consists of the traditional ATC system and
digital ATC system.

The UM71+TVM300 standard has adopted velocity

code step control with one permitted velocity in one
block. The permissible speed is the one at which when
entering the block, namely the target speed of the
previous block. When the train speed exceeds the
permissible one, the on-vehicle facility will
automatically brake. The velocity code step controlled
U/T system requires guarded section settled.
The UM2000+TVM430 standard system adopts
speed-distance mode curve with subsection speed
control. The train travels at the speed given by the
ground information sent by the track circuit. The on
 
 ^    ^  
normal operation; when it exceeds the permissible one,
the facility brakes automatically. TVM430 speed mode
cure is illustrated as Figure1.

Figure3 Speed-Distance Mode Curve Control of Traditional ATC

The traditional one adopts the hierarchy speed

control without guarded section settled and has better
trafficablity than TVM 300 does [12]. Speed-Distance



Mode Curve Control of Traditional ATC System is

illustrated as Figure3.
Whereas the digital one adopts continuous speeddistance mode curve [13, 14]. Integrating the ground
information and series number of the open block section,
the on-vehicle equipment works out the distance to the
previous train according to which and combining the
line data in the on-vehicle equipment storage, braking
performance and the maximum permissible speed to
calculate how far the train could travel and the
permissible speed, then the targe

 
speed mode curve to monitor the safety operation of the
train.
IV.

Figure5 Principle of Continuous Speed Control Based on Fixed Block

The moving-block based continuous speed control

mode adopts intercommunication between train and the
ground where the moving information of the car would
be sent to the following train. The control information
responds continuously or periodically with the advance
of the leading train. The following train aims at the back
of the leading train and when speed of the train exceeds
the permissible one, the train would start a safe braking.
The functional block is shown in Figure6.

ETCS SPEED-DISTANCE MODE CURVES

A. Hierarchical speed control

Hierarchy speed control: the speed control mode
curve is hierarchical with only one target speed set up in
each block section. The information transmitted from
ground facility to the on-vehicle equipment includes
speed in the next block section, distance and data of
condition, but not all the data along the target, namely to
transfer the change points into first-order braking mode
curve. The functional block of the hierarchical speed
control is illustrated in Figure4. Control of the
hierarchical speed works through the check of the
  


 
 $ 
following train receives the target speed and line
parameters to generate the speed limit curve relevant to
the distance, which differs from situations in stepping
control where there being one speed limit in one block
section and the speed limit varies with distance change.

Figure6 Principle of Continuous Speed Control Based on Move Block

After lucubration into train control system in France,

Germany and Japan, it is believed that train control
systems abroad owns advanced technology and
equipment, given that the train control curve mode
technology belongs to the overseas key protected
technology whereas weak point in our country, after
plenty of introduction from the overseas of advanced
facility to prepare basic conditions and resources for its
localization ,we should understand the excellence and
weakness for develop and renovate.
V.

CONSTRUCTION AND PROSPECT OF THE CHINESE

TRAIN CONTROL SPEED-DISTANCE CURVE

To satisfy the increasing demand of the rail

transportation, with a reference to the ERTMS/ETCS
and considering the actual situation in China, the
Railway Ministry stipulates the Provisional CTCS
Technical Specifications and relevant CTCS engineering
conditions to fit the actual implement of the speedraising strategy. CTCS works to ensure the operation
security and fulfills transport demand of different lines
in classification [15].

Figure4 Principle Diagram of Hierarchical Speed Control

B. Continuous speed control

The fixed block-based continuous speed control
realizes through block section. The functional block is
shown in Figure5. After the occupancy of the previous
train in block, data are generated for the following train
in need of the generation of speed limit curve. The data
include parameters of every block between the leading
and following train, target speed; the generated curve
stops at the starting point of the block where the leading
train occupies, but the middle curve cannot exceeds the
speed limit in every block.

With reference to the advanced train control

  -distance mode curve abroad, domestic
experts embark on design and development of
hierarchical speed control and continuous speed control



As required by the CTCS-2, ground-train

intercommunication adopts track circuit dotted balise
whereas speed control adopts target distance mode cure
control. The target distance mode curve has an
algorithm based on train safety margin.
S

2
2
V u t 4.17 1  k  V0  Vm
0 
3.6
b w i
0

very practical significance in developing Chinese Train

Control System with independent intellectual property
rights, consistent with the national conditions for china.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was supported in part by Technological
Research and Development Programs of the Ministry of
Railways (No. 2009X003-G, Z2009-059), National
Natural Science Foundation of China (No.60736047,
61104162), Independence Research Task of State Key
Laboratory of Rail Traffic Control and Safety
(RCS2009ZT013) and Fundamental Research Funds for
the Central Universities (No. 2009JBM005).

(1)

As shown S is the actual braking distance(m)

V0 is the initial velocity(km/h) Vm is the final braking

velocity(km/h) k is the gyrating mass coefficient
b is the braking force unit(kN) w0 is the basic unit

R.B.G. thanks for Pro. Cai and Pro. Wang who had
devoted their attention to my study and guidance the
right research direction; thanks for my team partner,
they had given me many instructive advice to my

  |         giving love is my most important power; thanks for
everybody had ever helped me.

resistance(N/kN) i is the additional resistance of the

ramp(N/kN) t is the idle braking time(s).

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[4]
Figure7 Braking Curve of EMU CRH2

[5]

Take the CRH2 bullet train for example[16]; the

parameters are taken from the main Engineering
Specifications of CRH at speed of 200km/h and
300km/h, under the condition of limited speed of
`{{| }    {~  -distance mode
curve can be simulated in Matlab through Equation (1).
   -distance mode curve (EBI/SBI
braking curve) is illustrated in Figure8. As shown in
Figure7, the emergency braking distance is 2786.68m,
satisfying our countries braking requirements for high
speed railway: When the maximum speed reaches
300km/h, the braking distance should be less than
3700m.
VI.

[6]

[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]

[11]

CONSTRUCTION AND PROSPECT OF THE CHINESE

TRAIN CONTROL SPEED-DISTANCE CURVE

[12]

Currently, High Speed Railway is rapidly developing

worldwide; number of the already-built or underconstructional high speed railway is more than ten.
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[13]
[14]
[15]

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