Development of train positioning and dead reckoning system using GPS

Train position and velocity determination are of great importance for railway systems since uninterrupted data of train position and velocity is required for the signaling system to manage the traffic and maintain the safety of railway network. Hence specific train positioning system using a satellite network is developed. Due to very high investment, the satellite train positioning system is available in only some countries and limited classes of vehicles. Train localization using GPS data is an alternative, and a dead reckoning system is integrated to handle intermittent GPS data. Since the dynamic model of the train is unavailable, the proposed estimator is created by using a PID controller and double integrator. The developed system is installed and tested on a commuter train in Bangkok and the device can provide the train position and velocity in real-time without interruption.