Wireless communication system design for point machine detection and monitoring in railways

Elden B., Sanlier S. D., Talu B., Cetin F., KILIÇ V. T.

Telecommunication Systems, cilt.89, sa.2, 2026 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 89 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s11235-026-01419-x
  • Dergi Adı: Telecommunication Systems
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, ABI/INFORM, Applied Science & Technology Source, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, Communication Abstracts, Compendex, INSPEC
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Point machine, Position detection, Railway, Railway safety, Wireless communication
  • Abdullah Gül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This paper reports on a wireless communication system that is used in railways to instantly detect and continuously monitor point machine positions. Also, with the system the position information is transmitted wirelessly to a train driver. The designed system is composed of TX and RX units. It has a compact structure and is fully modular. The TX unit of the system is placed near the railway point machines and the RX unit is located on a train. The designed system was constructed, and measurements were obtained on-site. Results show that the system point machine position data were accurately transmitted at 1350 m range which is much longer than the safe braking distance of a train. In addition, the measured 1 s data sampling time of the system allows the driver to continuously monitor current RPM positions as well as state changes. The maximum delay was found to be 3 s in the limit range of the communication. It is found that the system has a low power consumption and the designed system can work for long hours. The findings indicate that the designed wireless communication system has a high potential to be used in railways to prevent accidents and contribute to the overall safety and efficiency of operations.