Author(s)

A. Filip, L. Bažant & H. Mocek

Abstract

This article describes the theoretical and experimental investigation of the satellite navigation based Safety-of-Life (SoL) services intended for railway safety-related applications. Main attention is paid to the EGNOS Precision Approach (PA) and Non-precision Approach (NPA) navigation modes, which were mainly designed according to the specific aeronautical requirements. Two basic research approaches have been used: 1) a recently developed methodology for the description of the GNSS quality measures in terms of railway dependability attributes, and 2) an operational EGNOS system with SoL receivers. The practical results include the theoretical analysis of the EGNOS SoL services for railway signalling and the experimental evaluation of the EGNOS PA and NPA operational modes in the laboratory and trial area. Keywords: GPS, EGNOS, RAMS, RAIM, SBAS, Galileo Safety-of-Life Service, integrity risk, satellite navigation, railway safety, signalling. 1 Introduction Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as the US Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) [1], the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS) [1], the Japanese MSAT and the future Galileo with its Safety-of-Life services [2], have been mainly designed according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) safety requirements. In order to use this promising technology in the railway domain and develop new GNSS based safety-related applications, the dependability attributes of real GNSS SoL services in accordance with the CENELEC railway safety standards are needed. Generally, it has been assumed that railway signalling could utilise SoL services, such as the Galileo Level A or EGNOS Precision Approach mode.

Keywords

GPS, EGNOS, RAMS, RAIM, SBAS, Galileo Safety-of-Life Service, integrity risk, satellite navigation, railway safety, signalling