The Conditions and Suitable Coupling Speed to Create a Train Convoy: A Train Movement under the Virtual Coupling Control

Abstract

A new signaling control called “Virtual Coupling System” (VCS) has been developed and proposed for increasing rail line capacity without construction of new lines. Coupling trains proceeding as a train convoy increases the headway (time space) in front of the convoy. Receiving the benefit from an increase in headway, more trains can be inserted to proceed along the same line increasing capacity. However, it is not clear when trains should be coupled as a train convoy and how a train convoy is built.

In this article, the objective is to provide the conditions to determine whether a train convoy should be built, conditions to determine the number of trains that should be coupled into the same convoy, and the equations to calculate the suitable speed that trains should proceed for coupling into the train convoy. According to the simulated train movement based on the proposed approach, the line capacity is significantly increased as an additional train can be inserted. The headway in front of a train convoy is increased allowing an additional train to be inserted into the same line. In addition, it is ensured that trains can proceed as a train convoy safely, in which the separation distance between successive trains is longer than the minimum safe distance required for the VCS.