REALIZING BENEFITS FROM ATCS USING A MOTIVE POWER INFORMATION AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM

The motive power management function at a railroad can be significantly improved thanks to more timely and accurate information. With earlier and more reliable knowledge of train and locomotive performance and demands for power, motive power managers can improve their forward planning, which leads to improved locomotive utilization and better on-time train performance. Advanced Train Control Systems (ATCS) can be an important source of information for motive power management. With their train location, locomotive health, and work order reporting systems, ATCS have the potential of increasing accuracy to near 100% and reducing to a matter of seconds the time lag between an event and when that event becomes known to motive power managers. For this more timely and accurate information to be exploited, it must be organized and presented to the motive power managers in an efficient manner. In addition, there must be established a mechanism for timely communication to field forces of the motive power managers' plans. To achieve this, a computerized motive power control system was designed and implemented at Canadian National Railways. It consists of graphic displays of current train and locomotive location and status, alerts that highlight critical new information, functions for motive power planning, and facilities for communicating plans to field forces. With the motive power system in place, and gathering its information from ATCS, managers know about and can respond immediately to changes in train and locomotive demand and performance. Although ATCS are not a prerequisite for achieving benefits from an improved management control system, an effective management control system for tains and locomotives is a prerequisite for achieving full benefits from ATCS.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1991/1314/1314-008.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=REALIZING+BENEFITS+FROM+ATCS+USING+A+MOTIVE+POWER+INFORMATION+AND+MANAGEMENT+SUPPORT+SYSTEM&author=M.+Hornung&author=H.+Rosen&author=J.+Szymkowiak&author=D.+Dion&publication_year=1991
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309051517
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1314, Advanced Train Control Systems 1991: Proceedings of a Symposium, June 17-19, 1991, Denver, Colorado. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Hornung, Mark
  • Rosen, Howard
  • Szymkowiak, John
  • Dion, Dan
• Conference:
  • First International Symposium of Advanced Train Control
  • Location: Denver Colorado
  • Date: 1991-6-17 to 1991-6-19
• Publication Date: 1991

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 44-49
• Monograph Title: Advanced Train Control Systems 1991. Proceedings of a Symposium
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1314
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Automatic train control; Computer graphics; Horsepower; Management information systems; On time performance; Positive train control; Real time control; Real time data processing
• Identifier Terms: Canadian National; Canadian National Railways
• Old TRIS Terms: Motive power
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00621426
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309051517
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 30 1992 12:00AM