State run transportation company Russian Railways is working on integrating satellite navigation signals from GLONASS/GPS in its automated rail transport systems.
The company said some 7,000 locomotives are now fitted with Russian satellite navigation receivers. With a total volume of up to 20,000 users, rail transport is the second-largest potential market for satellite navigation receivers in Russia after road users.
Russian Railways, however, will adopt satellite technology only if its high demands for accurate positioning are met. The company is currently building the infrastructure to cover Russia. It is also developing satellite systems to manage transportation processes and logistics operations; installing satellite navigation systems in rolling stock and developing satellite technology for scanning infrastructure facilities to forecast natural and industrial accidents.
Russian Railways said it has entered global markets with its own technologies and technical solutions in which satellite systems will be integrated in train safety equipment and management systems for the transportation process.
It cited an agreement with Italy’s Finmeccanica where both are jointly developing a train safety system for export to European markets based on the latest Russian advances, with Glonass/GPS as key elements.
Russian Railways is one of the biggest railway companies in the world. A state-owned monopoly, it owns 85,500 km of track and employs 1.2 million persons. Almost 1.3 billion passengers travel via Russian Railways annually. The company also transports 1.3 billion tons of freight. Russian Railways accounts for over 3.6 % of Russia?s GDP and handles 80% of all passenger transportation in Russia and 82% of all freight. The company owns around 20,000 locomotives, 25,000 passenger wagons and 650,000 freight wagons.
Source : Satnews