0 Introduction
With the continuous expansion of China’s railway operation network and the increase in train operation speeds, higher demands have been placed on daily planning, resource allocation, and dispatch command work. The railway transportation dispatch command system is key to ensuring safe, orderly, and efficient transportation production. In recent years, the architecture and key technology research of railway transportation dispatch command management systems and dispatch command control systems have received widespread application and scholarly attention. In practical applications, different countries have adopted various railway dispatch command management and control systems to meet their own needs, achieving goals such as ensuring operational safety and rational use of transportation resources. For example, the European Union has launched the European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS) to solve communication issues between trains and dispatch centers, controlling train operation speeds; Japan primarily uses the Train Dispatch Command System (COSMOS) to achieve integrated management of Shinkansen operations, equipment management, and safety management; the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has developed the Intelligent Railway Control System (RCS) to realize functions such as automatic train adjustment, operation control, conflict resolution, and event analysis. In China, the Train Dispatch Command System (TDCS), Centralized Train Control System (CTC), and Train Dispatch Management System (TDMS) are mainly used to achieve comprehensive management and control of train, station, and line resources.
In theoretical research, many scholars at home and abroad have conducted studies on the integration of railway transportation dispatch command control. Regarding the integration of dispatch command control systems, Wang Shushan views planning as the management aspect of the integrated control system, defining the planning implementation process as the control aspect of the integrated control system, establishing an intelligent processing technology system for integrated transportation organization control, and achieving intelligent translation from train operation diagrams to train dispatch diagrams. Zhao Ruyue and others, from the perspective of organizing the operation of conventional railway freight trains, have looked forward to the functional improvement direction of the CTC system under integrated control, focusing on real-time collection of operational status from plans, preparation and adjustment of station access plans, and mutual feedback mechanisms between plans. Qin Ning and others proposed a comprehensive control integration plan for the CTC system of the China-Laos Railway, achieving closed-loop management of production factors through phased control of event cycles. Xu Qun and others have used a unified visualized production operation control platform to conduct intelligent business for various operational management issues at marshalling stations, enhancing the intelligent level of dispatch command production operations. In the aspect of intelligent scheduling collaborative operation integration, Bai Ming and others constructed a standardized, intelligent, professional, and integrated collaborative management platform for power supply scheduling work, improving the efficiency of power supply scheduling operations and safety management levels. Mu Qi introduced the interface methods of the intelligent power supply scheduling operation system with the CTC system, TDMS, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system from the perspectives of scheduling collaboration, operational intelligence, and decision-making intelligence, promoting the integration and coordination of multi-type scheduling operations. Li Huarong, based on the existing CTC 3.0 system, deeply integrated train plans, traffic information, and network data, achieving the integration of train dispatch plans and collaborative processing of train dispatch access, further improving station operational efficiency.
The aforementioned research primarily explores the integration of dispatch command control from various actual production operations in the railway sector, lacking research from a systems theory perspective on the integration of railway dispatch command management and dispatch command control systems. This paper analyzes the interaction and coordination mechanisms between the railway dispatch command management system and the dispatch command control system aimed at integrated control, to enhance the comprehensive dispatch command capability and efficiency of railways.
1 Differences and Connections Between Dispatch Command Management System and Dispatch Command Control System
1. 1 Difference Analysis
Although both the railway transportation dispatch command management system and the dispatch command control system are key components of railway transportation dispatch command, there are significant differences in system objectives, service targets, dispatch plans, business needs, resource utilization and allocation, dispatch command characteristics, and data security (see Table 1). The railway transportation dispatch command management system focuses on long-term planning and macro management of resources, emphasizing macro dispatch planning and collaboration, and is oriented towards formulating dispatch strategies and resource integration across multiple trades and departments. Its purpose is to improve the overall efficiency of railway transportation through management of planned operations, addressing daily production closed-loop management and information sharing issues, ensuring optimized operation of the entire railway network, and enhancing dispatch command efficiency. In contrast, the dispatch command control system focuses on the micro-operation dispatch and real-time control of trains, aiming to directly command and adjust train operations and optimize centralized control of signal devices. The dispatch command control system translates operational plans into actual operations to execute railway transportation tasks, ensuring real-time safety of railway transportation and achieving transparent command, real-time adjustments, and centralized control of train operations at all levels of railway transportation dispatch.
Table 1 Differences Between Dispatch Command Management System and Dispatch Command Control System
1. 2 Connection Analysis
The railway transportation dispatch command management system is responsible for completing tasks such as plan preparation, while the railway transportation dispatch command control system mainly handles plan implementation and feedback, as well as train operation supervision. The management system and control system influence and relate to each other; the accuracy and timeliness of management operations are crucial for the effective execution of control operations, while real-time feedback from control operations directly impacts the adjustment and optimization of management operations. The collaborative work between the railway transportation dispatch command management system and the railway transportation dispatch command control system constitutes a closed-loop process of “plan preparation—plan execution—implementation feedback” (see Figure 1). Throughout this process, the close connection between the two systems is reflected through information transmission and sharing, where the dispatch command management system primarily transmits daily plan information to the dispatch command control system, which then commands and adjusts train operations based on the received information. When real-time monitoring data of trains is collected by the dispatch command control system, these operational execution result data will be fed back to the dispatch command management system for further optimization and adjustment of subsequent dispatch plans. The transmission and sharing of information are realized through T/D combined interfaces, which support real-time and non-real-time data exchange. Real-time data transmission is mainly achieved through message queues (MQ) and transmission control protocol (TCP/IP) connections to ensure that dispatch instructions can be transmitted quickly and accurately, while non-real-time data exchange is conducted through shared databases.
Figure 1 Connection Between Railway Transportation Dispatch Command Management System and Dispatch Command Control System
2 Analysis of Interaction and Coordination Mechanisms Between Systems Aimed at Integrated Control
2. 1 Current Status and Problem Analysis of System Interaction
Although data interaction interfaces have been established between the TDMS system and the TDCS/CTC systems, the differences in data sources and heavy reliance on manual input significantly affect the quality of data interaction between systems, weakening the data-driven business processing capabilities, and limiting the comprehensive utilization of information resources, resulting in systems that cannot fully meet the demands of railway transportation production. Specific issues are as follows:
(1) Insufficient data sharing capability and low quality. Railway transportation dispatch command-related data is isolated and dispersed across different systems, lacking effective integration and sharing mechanisms, leading to poor information flow and information redundancy. For example, in passenger dispatch, when preparing passenger train operation plans, dispatchers need to accurately grasp temporary change information about passenger trains, including additional services, suspensions, and route changes. The acquisition of such information relies on manual input by dispatchers, lacking data security control functions. Therefore, errors or inconsistencies in data input may lead to discrepancies during the planning and implementation stages, further affecting the accuracy and timeliness of dispatch commands.
(2) Insufficient automation. In the railway transportation dispatch command process, due to weak automatic perception and deduction capabilities of transportation situations, as well as a lack of support from data mining and artificial intelligence technologies, dispatch personnel need to spend a lot of time manually processing train flow calculations, predicting the arrival times of freight trains at technical stations, and adjusting train operations, which not only increases the labor intensity of dispatch personnel but also makes it difficult to ensure the quality of dispatch commands.
(3) The degree of collaboration between planning preparation and execution needs improvement. Since the dispatch work plans and station segment plans are prepared separately, dispatch personnel mainly obtain and understand train disbanding and station shunting operation progress through phone calls, thus requiring enhanced collaborative work among the plans at various levels of “dispatch center—dispatch office—station,” as well as interaction of dispatch plans among different types of dispatch work such as passenger transport, freight transport, and construction. Furthermore, the coordination and interaction between various plans, as well as between planning preparation and execution, also need to be further standardized, automated, and real-time to improve the efficiency and accuracy of dispatching.
2. 2 Improvement Directions for Interaction and Coordination Mechanisms Between Systems
Based on the differences and connections between the dispatch command management system and the dispatch command control system, this section discusses how to improve the current interaction and coordination mechanisms between the two systems aimed at integrated control. In terms of business process interaction, it is recommended to clarify the division of labor and positioning between the dispatch command management system and the dispatch command control system, where the main goal of the dispatch command management system is macro management of dispatch operation plans, while the dispatch command control system focuses on micro execution and control of dispatch operation plans, ensuring that the same dispatch plan remains consistent at both macro and micro levels, thereby enhancing the smoothness of business interaction between systems. In terms of data interaction, based on the original interaction methods, it is necessary to ensure efficient, real-time, and consistent transmission of relevant data between the dispatch command management system and the dispatch command control system while ensuring data security during transmission. This will be analyzed from four levels: planning preparation stage, plan execution and feedback stage, plan adjustment stage, and data interaction between each stage.
2. 2. 1 Planning Preparation Stage
(1) Unified preparation of various dispatch plans. The daily plan is a macro plan collaboratively prepared by planning dispatchers and dispatchers from various professional trades through the dispatch command management system. Once the daily plan is completed, it is transmitted to the dispatch command control system. Train dispatchers utilize static data related to on-site operations and real-time dynamic data to generate detailed and executable stage plans and train operation plans within the dispatch command control system. Before and after the issuance of the daily plan, the feasibility and safety of the daily plan should be checked to enhance the possibility of plan implementation, avoid plan execution failures, and improve the efficiency of converting the daily plan into stage plans, achieving unified preparation of dispatch plans at different granularities from macro to micro.
(2) Unified management of operation diagrams. Due to the complexity of China’s railway network, the dispatch command management system and the dispatch command control system are set up with data platforms according to dispatch segments, and trains running across platforms are segmented by “line drawing” methods, resulting in actual train operation diagrams being spliced from segment data, making it difficult to maintain consistency between operation line information and train information during dynamic processes. Using “one operation line” to ensure the uniqueness of operation diagrams across platforms and to unify the management of operation diagram data in the dispatch command management system and the dispatch command control system is beneficial for the dynamic optimization of various plans.
2. 2. 2 Plan Execution and Feedback Stage
(1) Establishing interfaces between the dispatch command control system and station platforms. The purpose of the plan is to command the execution of actions, and the execution location is at various station segments. The preparation of plans needs to integrate information about station shunting operations, the number of cars stored at the station, the number of cars to be detached, and train composition reports. However, currently, most station platforms of railway bureau groups exist in local independent platform forms, and the information reported to the dispatch command control system is not timely enough; for example, the report of cars stored at intermediate stations is submitted once every 6 hours, reducing the accuracy of plan preparation. During the plan execution stage, it is necessary to establish an interface between the dispatch command control system and station platforms to grasp station operation information in real-time, ensuring a closed loop between planning and control, and laying the foundation for the dispatch command management system to accurately prepare plans and implement control accurately.
(2) Supervision and feedback of plan execution progress. After receiving the daily plan sent by the planning dispatcher using the dispatch command management system, train dispatchers will convert it into stage plans and issue them for execution at various station segments. During the plan execution stage, automatic, real-time, centralized monitoring of the execution status of train operation plans, station operation plans, and access plans should be conducted, detecting and recording operational-level data such as train arrival and departure times and the start and end times of shunting, and transmitting this data to the dispatch command management system to guide the preparation of various plans.
(3) Automated reporting of abnormal information. The dispatch command control system needs to transmit any abnormal information discovered during train operation monitoring that requires plan adjustments to the dispatch command management system in real-time and accurately, to assist in the automatic preparation of train operation adjustment plans.
2. 2. 3 Plan Adjustment Stage
Due to the large and complex nature of dispatch adjustment work, it is recommended to implement collaborative division of labor during the plan adjustment stage, where planning dispatchers or train dispatchers dynamically generate adjustment plans based on the strength and scope of disturbances. For example, in the case of weak disturbances, train dispatchers can directly use the train dispatch command control system to prepare train operation adjustment plans, adjusting train arrival times, track usage, and train operation sequences in real-time. For strong disturbance situations, planning dispatchers should utilize the real-time transmitted plan execution status and various risk situations from the dispatch command control system to formulate macro dispatch adjustment plans through the dispatch command management system, issuing them to the dispatch command control system, such as implementing train suspensions or additional services, while train dispatchers make micro-adjustments to convert them into detailed and executable train operation adjustment plans.
2. 2. 4 Data Interaction Between Each Stage
(1) Data standardization processing. Since some railway bureau groups share train operation data obtained through T/D combined methods with latency, for example, inconsistencies between locomotive number information and actual locomotive numbers, it is necessary to unify management, standardize definitions, and process the data transmitted between the two systems. The data for interaction and coordination between the dispatch command management system and the dispatch command control system includes “stage plans,” “station stored car information,” “actual train operation diagrams,” etc. For instance, the data source for “stage plans” is TDMS, the data usage permissions are “planning dispatchers” and “train dispatchers,” the data content includes “expected train departure time,” “expected train arrival time,” “train number,” etc., the data usage systems are “TDMS system” and “TDCS/CTC system,” and the security level is “high.” Therefore, it is essential to ensure consistency during the data transmission process to achieve accurate and efficient information exchange between railway transportation businesses, thereby enhancing the efficiency of transportation production.
(2) Data security and real-time transmission. In terms of data security transmission, since the security level of the dispatch command control system is higher than that of the dispatch command management system, when transmitting information between the two systems, various data must be encrypted, and secure and efficient transmission protocols should be adopted. In terms of real-time data transmission, the data interaction mode between the two systems should be optimized, adopting a more efficient message passing method than MQ to improve overall data processing efficiency.
2. 3 System Function Enhancement Requirements to Achieve Integrated Control
Based on the analysis of improvement directions for the interaction and coordination mechanisms between the two systems, the following system function enhancement requirements are proposed to achieve integrated control for more efficient information interaction and collaboration between the two systems.
2. 3. 1 Automation of Dispatch Operation Processes
(1) Automatic connection and feedback functions between planning preparation and execution. Establish a dynamic feedback mechanism between stage plans, adjustment plans, station operation plans, and access control, enabling dynamic information transmission, operational collaboration, and feedback of actual execution status among railway bureau groups, dispatch offices, and station duty personnel, making plan adjustments real-time and predictable.
(2) Automatic drafting and issuing functions for dispatch commands. Clarify the mapping relationship between dispatch plans, dispatch commands, and dispatch command receiving points, utilizing intelligent algorithms such as machine learning and semantic recognition to achieve automatic drafting of dispatch commands, which can then be issued by dispatchers to the designated stations.
(3) Intelligent calculation functions for train flow. In the dispatch command management system, enhance the preparation of freight loading and unloading plans with scientific, intelligent calculations and time predictions for train flow, guiding plan preparation based on changes in train flow to improve the accuracy of plan preparation.
2. 3. 2 Safety Control Functions at Each Dispatch Stage
In the planning preparation stage, implement safety control functions for speed-limited locomotives, the number of cars and total weight of special freight trains, and axle weight information in the dispatch command management system, reducing the manual transmission workload and promptly identifying safety issues during the planning preparation process. In the event of plan conflicts, timely warnings should be issued to effectively prevent safety risks such as miscommunication or omission of key dispatch plan items. In the plan execution stage, enhance safety monitoring and risk identification functions for train operation plans and track usage plans in the dispatch command control system, enabling real-time issuance of adjustment plans and dispatch commands to eliminate risks. In the dispatch command issuance stage, add verification rules for dispatch commands in the dispatch command control system to check the business logic of dispatch commands, achieving safety control of dispatch command content and improving the correctness of dispatch command texts, addressing common issues of miscommunication or omission in dispatch commands.
2. 3. 3 Plan Quality Control Functions
(1) Establish priority relationships for plan preparation among positions. For example, the preparation of locomotive work plans by locomotive dispatchers and train work plans by planning dispatchers should be synchronized and mutually influential, standardizing the daily plan preparation process to reduce the error and duplication rates of plan preparation, thereby improving the overall efficiency of plan preparation.
(2) Dynamic evaluation functions for plan preparation. Evaluate all stages of plan preparation to assess the feasibility of prepared plans. Based on evaluation results, adjust prepared plans in real-time to prevent issues during plan execution.
(3) Data verification functions. Monitor the consistency of plan lines and analyze the transmission process to ensure the effectiveness and timeliness of information transmission between positions, including monitoring situations such as train plan operation line mapping, neighboring platform access, handover back connections, and transmission failures.
(4) Feasibility verification functions for plans. When issuing various dispatch plans, the dispatch command management system should verify the feasibility of the plans to improve plan execution efficiency.
3 Conclusion
Through an in-depth analysis of the current status and issues, differences and connections between the railway transportation dispatch command management system and the dispatch command control system, this paper proposes improvements to the interaction and coordination mechanisms between systems aimed at enhancing business operation connections and information sharing, and discusses the functional enhancement requirements of dispatch command management and control systems. Future research should further explore methods to realize functional enhancement requirements, plan the development direction of dispatch command management systems and dispatch command control systems, lay the foundation for the research and promotion of the next generation of dispatch systems, and promote the integrated control of railway transportation dispatch command.
Excerpt from “China Railway” 2024, Issue 12
Related Information
Authors:
Pan Yuwen, Beijing Jiaotong University, School of Transportation.
Wang Yihui, Beijing Jiaotong University, School of Automation and Intelligence.
Li Jianming, Shenyang Dispatch Office, China Railway Shenyang Bureau Group Co., Ltd.
Hong Xin, Institute of Electronic Computing Technology, China Academy of Railway Sciences Group Co., Ltd.
Hou Xiaoyu,Beijing Jiaotong University, School of Transportation.
Citation:Pan Yuwen, Wang Yihui, Li Jianming, et al. Analysis of Interaction and Coordination Mechanisms Between Railway Dispatch Command Management System and Dispatch Command Control System[J]. China Railway, 2024(12): 1-7.
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