Abstract: A system vitally determines a position of a train. The system includes a plurality of diverse sensors, such as tachometers and accelerometers, structured to repetitively sense at least change in position and acceleration of the train, a global positioning system sensor, which is diverse from each of the diverse sensors, structured to repetitively sense position of the train, and a track map including a plurality of track segments which may be occupied by the train. A processor cooperates with the diverse sensors, the global positioning system sensor and the track map. The processor includes a routine structured to provide measurement uncertainty for each of the diverse sensors and the global positioning system sensor. The routine cross-checks measurements for the diverse sensors, and cross-checks the global positioning system sensor against the track map. The routine provides the vitally determined position of the train and the uncertainty of the vitally determined position.

Abstract: A system vitally determines a position of a train. The system includes a plurality of diverse sensors, such as tachometers and accelerometers, structured to repetitively sense at least change in position and acceleration of the train, a global positioning system sensor, which is diverse from each of the diverse sensors, structured to repetitively sense position of the train, and a track map including a plurality of track segments which may be occupied by the train. A processor cooperates with the diverse sensors, the global positioning system sensor and the track map. The processor includes a routine structured to provide measurement uncertainty for each of the diverse sensors and the global positioning system sensor. The routine cross-checks measurements for the diverse sensors, and cross-checks the global positioning system sensor against the track map. The routine provides the vitally determined position of the train and the uncertainty of the vitally determined position.

Abstract: A system for supervising and controlling the movement of a railway vehicle is provided, wherein a plurality of wayside controller units are each distributed to a plurality of wayside controller locations by a multi-access carrier, such as a fiber LAN or IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, for instance, such that supervisory and control operations may be communicated between each of the wayside controller units with a multi-access protocol on the multi-access carrier. The present invention replaces the use of a serial-link protocol for point-to-point communication with a multi-access protocol on a multi-access carrier. In a preferred embodiment, a computer-based control system may be connected through the multi-access carrier, so that communication is achieved solely with multi-access protocols.