Development of Universal Train Simulator (UTRAS) and Evaluations Signalling Systems


Yuji HIRAO, Yutaka HASEGAWA, Hirotane INAGE, Shigeto HIRAGURI
UTRAS (Universal Train Simulator) is a train traffic simulator which aims at multipurpose use such as train operation planning as well as evaluations of signalling systems. In UTRAS, train movements are simulated every second in a more precise manner considering train characteristics, signalling systems, train diagram, terminus stations and the like covering all the line sections concerned. Minimum headway is calculated for each train type by limited simulations and traffic disturbance is determined by the full scale simulations. In applying UTRAS for evaluation of Shinkansen signalling systems with high trafic density, it has been revealed that a new ATC-P with intelligence and information on board and a moving block system can increase traffic density by 15 to 20% compared with the conventional ATC. On the narrow-gauge lines, it has been also shown that UTRAS offers effective means to improve and evaluate signalling systems for heavy traffic lines.