An Improvement of Radar-Based Method Used in Safety Protection for Trackside Staff

Despite the strict rules of safety management and safety protection established by the railway administration department, workers are still at risk of collisions with the running trains because of the carelessness of safety guards and inclement weather as a train approaches the working area. A radar-based safety protection method proposed in this paper can detect the approaching train 1.5 km away from the workplace and alert the people in advance so that they have enough time to withdraw from the possible collision place. The proposed system can resolve the defects of guard failure, which can cause workers to fall into danger. The system can be easily set up depending on the location. However, the radar pre-warning distance may be decreased in the railway lines with small curve radii. Therefore, an improvement method using wireless communication are supposed to improve the detection distance in such a way that it can meet the requirements of special lines and high-speed railways. The hardware diagrammatic drawing of the radar-based system and its' improvement method and the flow chart of radar data processing were also introduced. The test result of the system in a marshalling yard showed that the radar-based system can positively safeguard railway workers from possible dangers. Related hardware structure and software process method can provide technical reference with regards the development of other safety measures for passengers and railroad staff.