TRAIN AND TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR SUBWAYS

Automatic control of trains has so far been discussed principally in terms of control of individual trains. As far as control techniques are concerned, the target seems to have been achieved. Meanwhile, with the successive introduction of practical supervisory systems that control train groups from the ground, progress is being made worldwide in the commercial application of a new type of highly efficient train control system by combining the ground-based system with the train-mounted system through a data transmission system. The high efficiency of the new system could never have been realized by individual ground or trainboard systems. This paper describes recent developments and examples of automatic train control systems with specific reference to the system for the Sapporo Municipal Transportation Bureau's Tozai Line. In this system, trains are automatically operated by transmitting data to them by very high frequency radio from the ground-based computer-aided traffic control system.