Delay Tolerant Network Protocols in a Railway Network

Abstract

The paper is devoted to the analysis of the effectiveness of the DTN (delay tolerant network) system in a communication network on a railway line. Trains act as moving objects that are sending and receiving messages to/from an external network. Trains may also transmit telemetry collected during movement. The article presents data on the effectiveness of the DTN network with various protocols in terms of reducing the delay in the message and telemetry delivery and in increasing the total number of delivered messages in the railway scenario. An analysis of railway lines with various loads and different coverage of mobile networks was made. These models are based on real railway maps and train schedules. The effectiveness of DTN during migration to networks of a higher data rate (5G) and networks with satellite connection of trains is discussed.