Improvement of Transportation Reliability by Mutual Backup System for Controllers

With a focus on creating a 21st century suburban commuter train, JR East has had the advanced commuter (AC) train under development. A prototype car, which was manufactured during the last fiscal year using various constituent technologies to create a comprehensive product, is now having running tests performed on it. JR East is paying attention to how, in th event of a breakdown, AC train impacts on transportation can be minimized, in order to achieve one of the AC train's development concepts, the goal of transportation reliability improvement. JR East has also used an unprecedented concept as the basis of mutual backup system development efforts. JR East has finished AC train prototype production that uses the ATS-P device mutual backup system as an automatic train protection device and door-operating control unit backup system. A field test has been performed for verification of satisfactory basic function. The authors examine these issues.