Overview
The European satellite based localization system Galileo which is currently put into operation promises innovative solutions for transport. The goal of this project is to apply Galileo as a base for migration from conventional railway localization equipment towards guaranteed Galileo Safety of Life (SoL) services for transportation. Since in Europe nearly 50% of all railway lines belong to secondary railway lines (and probably even more in non-European countries), this sector may be assumed as a niche but could rise to a mass market if the number about 50,000 locomotives in Europe is regarded. Reaching for safe, efficient and energy saving train control the new resulting localization unit promises a short-term return on investment (ROI).
The outline for the project GaLoROI therefore aims on replacing trackside or manual localization technique by satellite based localization equipment on trains. This fundamental shift of paradigm generates the localization data at the source of movement to the train. This corresponds also to ETCS level 3. Railway Operators will be enabled to replace expensive and old track side equipment by modern on-board satellite based localization units. On-board satellite based localization supplies the train control and protection as well as interlocking and track vacancy detection with safe and accurate position information at lower costs. Cost-intensive maintenance of track side equipment will not be necessary anymore. If satellite based localization is integrated into a modern train control system, the capacity and/ or frequency of trains will increase and thus will enable more attractively public transport solutions and freight transport. Localization and train control could benefit through satellite based localization. Moreover, optimized train dispatching will benefit from precise localization as well as energy optimized runs of trains.