Ubisense

Vehicle Development Insights from Industry: Technologies and Trends for Future Growth - Watching your assets for competitive edge.

The rail industry is entirely about motion: moving trains for the purpose of moving passengers. As we move about in our own lives we can do so blindly to a certain extent, remembering our way around our homes in the dark without switching the lights on. But any unfamiliar environment, or even slight changes in a very familiar one, causes us to need to see where things are to move about efficiently and safely. Sensing location is critical to efficient motion, particularly when the unexpected occurs.

Location solutions are growing in popularity, especially among the transit community that is starting to embrace new technologies that provide a variety of efficiencies. For instance, GPS technology provides system-wide location of trains in real time, reducing accidents, delays, and costs while increasing track capacity and customer satisfaction. The new efficiencies in service that GPS brings are also being extended into maintenance operations using indoor location systems that can provide very accurate locomotive and rail car location in covered maintenance facilities.