TraCo – Train Control and Management
The TraCo project develops and analyses technical and operational requirements for the highly automated, networked, flexible and safe rail operations of the future. In order to achieve this, targeted and approvable automation is considered in the balanced interplay of human-technology interaction. The TraCo project is thus developing and demonstrating technical, operational and safety-related solutions for the transformation of railway operations into the networked, safe and sustainable mobility of the future.
The TraCo project is focussing on train control, train protection and train control technology. To this end, the necessary information and management systems, systems to ensure driving stability, efficient, safe and resilient levels of automation, condition monitoring and the division of functions between humans and automation are being developed and their interaction ensured. The aim is to further improve the system benefits of energy efficiency and safety, cost efficiency, reliability and flexibility of the rail transport system.
Project and sub-projects
TraCo is funded from DLR's own resources. Eight DLR institutes and research facilities are involved. The project is led by the Institute of Transportation Systems. The project is organised in four interlinked sub-projects (SP). Each of the four sub-projects is managed by a sub-project leader.
+ SP 1: X-by VehicleData:
New data-based services from vehicle and infrastructure data (managing, analysing, linking and using data)
+ SP 2: Unsteady crosswind stability:
Stabilisation of (high-speed) rail vehicles against unsteady crosswinds using self-adapting running gear or adaptive wind control surfaces
+ SP 3: Humans and automation:
- Development of the implementation scenarios for the different automation levels and market segments, from which the interaction of operating processes, roles and tasks of employees and work equipment emerges
- Application of existing AI methods to a railway-specific problem
- Network-wide, container-specific analysis and optimisation of transport chains for competitive rail freight transport
+ SP 4: Automation island:
Concept and demonstration of the automation island, for rapid migration from today's rail transport system to the highly automated rail transport system of the future
Project duration
2022 to 2023
Budget
approx. € 4.2 million
Participating institutes
- Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine
- Institute of Communications and Navigation
- Institute of Software Methods for Product Virtualization
- Institute of System Dynamics and Control
- Institute of Systems Engineering for Future Mobility
- Institute of Transport Research
- Institute of Transportation Systems