The Design of Grade Crossing Warning Systems for Electrified Environments

摘要

The Transport Canada Grade Crossings Standards require consistency of warning times such that "Operating control circuits must provide consistent warning times for railway equipment regularly operating over the grade crossing." This can be considered a warrant for constant warning equipment. In electrified propulsion environments, alternative approaches are required. This paper will provide an overview of the different technologies available today to provide consistent warning times for grade crossings, best practices for their application, and the associated design and maintenance risks that must be mitigated. Systems to be examined include the speed selection circuits, axle counter systems, and advanced train control systems such as PTC.