Method and system for performing a planning process of a railway service

Abstract

Method for a planning process of a railway service, including acquiring train data relative to movement of trains along a railway track, and reference data relative to a timetable of train trips, generating a three-dimensional graph including a three-dimensional cylinder and associating a Cartesian system to the cylinder, calculating coordinates of history points and reference points for each train as a function of the train and reference data, the coordinates of the history and reference points in a planar direction being a function of a train position, and the coordinates of the history and reference points in a vertical direction being a function of a time associated with the train position, the coordinates of each history and reference point corresponding to a point belonging to the surface of the cylinder, and planning the railway service as a function of the three-dimensional graph, and the history and reference points.

1 . Method for performing a planning process of a railway service, comprising:
 acquiring, using sensors, train data relative to measured movement of trains along a railway track, and reference data relative to a reference timetable of train trips;   generating, with an elaboration unit, a reference three-dimensional graph including a three-dimensional cylinder and associating a reference Cartesian system to the cylinder;   calculating, with the elaboration unit, coordinates of history points and reference points for each train in the reference Cartesian system as a function of the train and reference data, the coordinates of the history and reference points in a planar direction of the reference Cartesian system being a function of a train position corresponding to the train and reference data, and the coordinates of the history and reference points in a vertical direction, perpendicular to the planar direction, being a function of a time associated with the train position in the train and reference data, the coordinates of each history and reference point corresponding to a point belonging to the surface of the cylinder;   displaying on a display unit the three-dimensional graph, and the history and reference points; and   planning, with a control unit, the railway service as a function of the data displayed by said displaying.   
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , further comprising performing a plurality of moving operations on the cylinder, so as to acquire combined train-related information for planning the railway service. 
     
     
         3 . Method according to  claim 2 , wherein the moving operations comprise shifting the cylinder along the Z axis to examine the impact of any deviation between an expected train position and a current train position. 
     
     
         4 . Method according to  claim 2 , wherein the moving operations comprise:
 intersecting a horizontal XY plane to the cylinder at a predetermined position along the Z axis corresponding to a predetermined time instant, so as to get train positions; and   rotating the cylinder, so as to examine all train positions which are indicated in the XY plane as a carousel.   
     
     
         5 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the train data comprises, for each train, current train position and trip history, and the reference data comprises, for each train, expected train position and reference timetables of trips. 
     
     
         6 . Method according to  claim 2 , wherein the moving operations comprise tilting the cylinder so as to provide a train position graph which shows each train and the relationship of its trip history to the reference timetable of the trip. 
     
     
         7 . Method according to  claim 6 , wherein the train position graph comprises a triangle that demonstrates if a train is in advance or delayed compared to its reference timetable, the triangle being generated and displayed during said displaying, and being in a horizontal XY plane and having as vertices one of the reference points, one of the history points and one point on a central axis of the cylinder. 
     
     
         8 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein, said displaying generates and displays, for each train, a curve linking the history points and a curve linking the reference points. 
     
     
         9 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said planning comprises modifying, using the control unit, the planning of the railway service as a function of the position of the reference and history points in the three-dimensional graph. 
     
     
         10 . A system for performing a planning process of a railway service comprising:
 a plurality of sensors located along a railway track and arranged to acquire train data relative to measured movement of trains along the railway track, and reference data relative to a reference timetable of train trips;   a control unit arranged to receive the train and reference data, the control unit comprising:
 a memory storing the train and reference data; and 
 an elaboration unit arranged to:
 generate a reference three-dimensional graph including a cylinder, and associating a reference Cartesian system to the cylinder; and 
 calculate coordinates of history points and reference points for each train in the reference Cartesian system as a function of the train and reference data, the coordinates of the history and reference points in a planar direction of the reference Cartesian system being a function of a train position corresponding to the train and reference data, and the coordinates of the history and reference points in a vertical direction, perpendicular to the planar direction, being a function of a time associated with the train position in the train and reference data, the coordinates of each history and reference point corresponding to a point belonging to the surface of the cylinder; and 
 
   a display unit for visualizing the graph, and the history and reference points,   
       wherein said control unit plans the railway service as a function of the data displayed on said display unit.