Signalling & Transport Information Technology Division

Profile

The Signalling & Transport Information Technology Division is composed of five laboratories of Signalling Systems, Train Control Systems, Telecommunications & Networking, Transport Operation Systems, and Transport Planning & Marketing. The division’s aim is to contribute to enhanced safety, reliability, and convenience through the research and development of signalling systems and safety assessment of them, communication network technology including mobile radio communication, demand forecasting, transportation planning and traffic operation, and condition monitoring technology of facilities.

Introduction

The research and development of this division aims toward solutions and new methods of formulating basic policies based on demand forecasting, assists in train scheduling, signalling systems for safety, adaptive assistance of traffic operation arrangements and information network systems. The division is also working to realize safe, stable and convenient railway systems for highly flexible traffic control through proposing new systems composed of functional fusion of signalling and traffic operation. In addition, the division tackles technical development of various information gathering, organizing interoperable railway information network bases, practical use of big data on passenger flow and equipment condition. We are also studying applications of image processing algorithm and machine learning technique to support railway operation work including maintenance of railway structures and facilities.

Kunihiro Kawasaki - Director, Signalling & Transport Information Technology Division

Laboratories and their field

Signalling Systems

The Signalling Systems laboratory is in charge of research and development of signal equipment containing track circuits, ATP (Automatic Train Protection), switch machines, and applied research of image processing. This lab is also in charge of safety assessment of signalling systems and finding causes of failure, and inductive obstruction assessment of signalling equipment in new cars.

Train Control Systems

The Train Control Systems laboratory is in charge of the research and development of train control systems with new technologies and safety assessments of signalling systems.

Telecommunications & Networking

The Telecommunications & Networking laboratory is in charge of the research and development of railway applications of communication technology with mobile radio communication and communication networks, sensor networks, and information processing technologies including analysis of monitoring data, and mathematical optimizations. This lab is also in charge of assessment of radio interference and inductive interference along railway lines.

Transport Operation Systems

The Transport Operation Systems laboratory is in charge of the research and development of systems and algorithms, the analysis of train delay, congestion and passenger flow in transport, to support transport operations.

Transport Planning & Marketing

The Transport Planning & Marketing laboratory is in charge of the research and development of transport planning centering on railway transport, passenger flow analysis and quantitative evaluation of customer needs, traffic planning support systems, economic evaluations of rail transport, and multi-modal freight transport.

Research Division

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