VALISE - the 'video balise' for precise low cost train positioning

Precise train positioning is key to the vision for an innovative railway presented by the Rail Capability Delivery Plan 2017\.

GPS is problematic for rail and currently the industry relies heavily on signs, transponders and balises in the track to locate a train at a specific point on its path. These are expensive to install and maintain. Each new application that needs them increases the complexity and management burden of the infrastructure.

This project takes a completely new, lower cost, approach. Adapting recent developments in technology for autonomous cars, a train will be able to locate itself without needing any infrastructure equipment. Instead of a physical transponder or balise in the track, the system creates a virtual 'Video Balise' - Valise, which is stored in a forward facing camera mounted in the windscreen. The Valise is 'read' as the camera recognises that the train is passing the stored location.

The Valise will unlock the potential for many high value applications which cannot economically be delivered with today's expensive physical positioning infrastructure.

The project is being delivered by RDS in collaboration with Nottingham Scientific Ltd, Omnicom Balfour Beatty, First Group and Network Rail.

RDS will develop the Valise technology and integrate it with its Video Train Positioning System (VTPS) to provide an autonomous low cost system suitable for deployment in service trains. The technology will be trialled in a real-time demonstrator on a First Group train, integrated with the RDS Driver Support System (DSS). The demonstator will show how the technology would be deployed for platform stopping and 'virtual' temporary speed restrictions.

Balfour Beatty and Network Rail will validate the performance of the Valise against existing positioning systems and demonstate its use for remote monitoring and survey applications.

NSL will bring its R&D experience in 'virtual balise' technology using satellite postioning (GNSS). With this, the project team will develop a safety approach for integerating GNSS and video virtual balises in order to realise a dependable virtual balise capable of use in safety related applications.