CLUG Demonstration of Readiness for Rail
GNSS and SBAS (EGNOS) is amongst the “game-changing” technologies for future digital and automated rail operations, as acknowledged on the longer-term perspective for the evolution of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) and in the adopted report on railway safety and signalling from July 2021 which calls for a joint effort towards the introduction of European GNSS in the ERTMS deployment.CLUG 2.0 (Certifiable Localization Unit with GNSS in the railway environment), a 24-month project started on February 2023, continues the activity of the CLUG project with the same main objective of demonstrating and complement the existing European Train Control System (ETCS) odometry system through an on-board GNSS+EGNOS-based multi-sensor fusion architecture enabling absolute safe train positioning and navigation whilst also transforming the way train localisation is done today. CLUG was focused on demonstrating the feasibility of the multi-sensor fusion approach and defining a safe functional architecture using GNSS and EGNOS. Both objectives were supported by simulation analysis and by real sensor data collection in different test trains. The collected data were post processed by a preliminary prototyped localisation function while safe functions were designed at a Proof of Concept maturity level. Also Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety (RAMS) analysis was performed to evaluate and determine the associated safety level of the different functions of the system.
CLUG 2.0 is going a step forward through the improvement of the safe functional architecture (LOC-OB System) design to be prototyped, mainly through post processing and partly in live demonstration. The LOC-OB System will be reviewed, consolidated and tested using as a basis the high-level user needs and subsequently the system requirements – including RAMS defined in the project and putting a focus on relevant functionalities such as Data Fault Detection and Exclusion, Track Selectivity and Integrity. The improved LOC-OB System will contribute to make rail transport more attractive and enhance the competitiveness of rail for citizens and businesses. All thanks to the improved LOC-OB System for ERTMS, benefits such as increasing the line capacity, reducing headways between trains, reducing expenditure for rail infrastructure rollout can help to reduce emissions and accelerate the adoption of sustainable and smart mobility solutions that revolve around rail.
