Research and Application of City (Suburban) Railway Post-station Fully Automatic Turn-back Method

Objective CTCS2+ATO (Chinese Train Control System Level 2 + Automatic Train Operation) system can meet the requirements for cross-line operation between city (suburban) railway and national mainline and intercity railways. However, it cannot satisfy the demand for the 3-minute headway public transport operation in city (suburban) railway. By optimizing functionality, refining resource management, and simplifying operational processes, the goal of a turn-back interval of less than 3 min within the CTCS framework system is proposed, so as enabling the CTCS2+ATO system to meet the demands of city (suburban) railways in both public-transit operation and interoperability with national railway lines. Method Building on the post-station turn-back technology plan under existing CTCS2+ATO system, this approach breaks away from the traditional route-based interval protection method inside station by implementing resource-based interval protection to shorten the time required for entry and exit from the turn-back siding. Additionally, an automatic procedure is introduced where the train, upon reaching the turn-back siding, automatically switches ends and activates into operational status, significantly reducing the end-changing time. The implementation details of this specific technical plan are expounded, including its application sequence design and applicable scenarios. Result & Conclusion The proposed turn-back method is suitable for intercity and city (suburban) railways designed according to the standards outlined in the Code for Design of Suburban Railway and Code for Design of Intercity Railway. By adopting this method, it is possible to safely meet the operational demand for a 3-minute headway in city (suburban) railway public- transit operations while also ensuring interoperability between this line and the national trains. Train following intervals are reduced, turn-back efficiency is enhanced, and trains are prevented from inadvertently entering non-turnback tracks during unmanned operations.