MSc in Electrical & Electronic Engineering

University of HK

ELEC7404 Advanced Railway Engineering

(12 lectures, 30 hrs)

 Dr K M Leung

BSc (Eng.), MSc, PhD, JP

Chartered Engineer, Fellow member of IMechE in UK,
Fellow member of HKIE,
MIET in UK, Registered Electrical Worker(C0 H0)

([email protected])
ELEC7404

Lecture 1
Railway operations

Dr KM Leung
BSc (Eng), MSc, PhD
CEng, FIMechE, FHKIE, MIET, REW
([email protected])

Page 3
8/15/2023
Course contents

1. Railway systems

2. Railway operations

3. Line capacity

4. Headway & signals

5. Push-pull operation (for reference only)

8/15/2023 Page 4
Purpose of a railway system
The primary purpose of a railway system is to move people
(and/or goods) in the trains from one place to another, in a
safe, timely and sustainable manner.
Railway systems - Service types
Types of railway service are :
1. Intercity or high speed rail
2. Regional rail or suburban commuter rail
3. Metro line
4. Light rail, tram
5. Automated people mover, APM
6. Magnetic levitation
Intercity/High Speed Rail
1. City-to-city, long journey, long route length (HK to Guangzhou 142 km)
2. High speed, normally 200 to 300 kph
3. Few stops, headway about 5 to 20 minutes
4. Medium passenger carrying capacity (580 passengers/train and ~100,000
p/day now for HK HSR, designed for 160,000 p/day)
5. Comfort ride, comfortable seating (max lateral acceleration < 0.75 m/𝑠 2 ),
luggage space, Wifi (with interior entertainment), power sockets
6. Crashworthiness design, can compete with air flight over medium distance,
7. High fare, fare is significant
CRH 380A, HK
G-S-HK Express Rail Link
Intercity/High Speed Rail
8. Common HS rail trains (new > 300 kph, existing > 250 kph,
old > 200 kph defined by EC Directive and UIC) worldwide
includes :
• TGV (300/350 kph), AGV (360 kph), Avelia Horizon
(Alstom, France)
• ICE (Intercity Express), Velaro D (350 kph) (Siemens,
Germany), Velaro Novo (280 kph, 4.7 MW 412 tonnes, 202
m, latest) CR 400AF

• Shinkansen (320 kph), ALFA-X (400 kph) (Kawasaki/Hitachi,

Japan)
• CRH380A (&AL, 380 kph), CR400AF, (CRRC Sifong, China),
Intercity/High Speed Rail
8. Common HS rail trains worldwide includes :
• CRH 380B (&BL, 380 kph), CR 400BF (CRRC
Changchun/Tangshan, China)

CR 400BF

• CRH 380D (&DL, 380 kph) (CRRC Sifang/Bombardier)

• Rule of thumb – for HS train, 8-car ~10 MW, 16-car ~20 MW
Regional rail/Suburban commuter rail
1. From regions/suburban into city, medium journey, medium to long route
length (in HK AEL 35 km, TCL 31 km, WRL 35 km)
2. Speed over 100 kph (AEL & TCL 135 kph, WRL 130 kph)
3. More stops (not as many as metro), headway normally >5 minutes
4. High passenger carrying capacity (can be over 50,000 to 100,000 p/h/d)
5. Less comfortable ride than high speed train (max journey time < 120
minutes), more provisions for standing passengers and less luggage space
compared with HSR,
6. Crashworthiness design,
7. Fare is significant, lower than HSR but higher than metro
CAF train for AEL
Metro line
1. Within a city, short journey, limited route length (in HK 3 km to 30 km, ISL
16 km, KTL 14 km, TWL 16 km, TKL 12 km, SIL 7 km) underground and
viaduct operation within city
2. Max. 80 kph in HK, average 33 kph (low speed, short dwell time)
3. Many stops (short inter-station distance, 1 to 2km), headway 2 to 4 minutes
(service frequency more important to customers than timetable, in HK can
be 90 s headway), high acceleration and braking rates,
4. High passenger carrying capacity (2400 passengers for 8-car consists, can
be over 80,000 passengers/h/dir., high capacity urban transport),
5. Fare is cheap
SIL (E) Train
K train
for
TCL/TWL
Metro line
6. Less comfortable ride, limited seating (LU more seats), mainly standing
passengers
7. High acceleration and braking rates
8. Long underground sections (system reliability more important, collision
consequence more severe)
9. Lot of doors to reduce dwell time (5 doors per car for metros in HK to
reduce passengers boarding and disembarking time), high passenger
density
10. Higher risk because of high capacity, ie. higher probability of
mistakes, demanding higher safety measures
Metro line
11. HK total annual patronage was 1800 million in 2018, while
Singapore MRT was 1230 M in 2019 and Tokyo Metro was 3200 M
in 2019 including Toei Subway

Unattended train operation, UTO (GoA4) for Shanghai lines

10, 14, 15 18 and Pujiang line, namely 1500 V DC
catenary
Light Rail

1. Serves a district or an area, short journey, short route length (1 km to a

few km)
2. Proper railway signaling, max. around 80 kph (HK LR max. 80 kph),
can be FAO (driverless)
3. Many stops (0.75 to 1.5km per stop), headway 2 minutes
4. Low passenger carrying capacity (~248 passengers for 2-car consists
in HK, for modern LR can be over 25,000 passengers/h/d)
5. Less comfortable ride, limited seating, mainly standing passengers
6. Fare is low
Light Rail – London Docklands light railway
Single-articulated EMUs, 4 doors/car and 2 or 3 cars form a train consist. Signalled by
moving block TBTC (Transmission based train control) called SelTrac by Thales/Alcatel.
Transmission via inductive loop cable.
Tram (for reading only)
1. Serves a district or an area, short journey, short route length (0.5 km to
a few km)
2. Low speed (crashworthiness less a problem), less than 50 kph (HK
Tramway max. 42 kph), because sharing the road service
3. Line of sight driving/basic signaling in HK, but can be FAO (driverless)
for modern trams
4. Many stops (0.5 to 0.7km per stop), headway 2 minutes (<1 minute
headway possible), very much like LR
5. Low passenger carrying capacity (~300 passengers for 2-car consists,
for modern tram up to 15,000 to 25,000 passengers/h/d)
Tram (for reading only)

6. Less comfortable ride, limited seating, mainly standing passengers,

low floor vehicles
7. Fare is low
Siemens Tram in Almada near Lisbon (for reading only)
Tram car, HK Tram (for reading only)

Heritage tram, old

fleet
Tram, HK Tram (for reading only)
1. Route length 29 km, short headway ~ 1 to 2 minutes
2. Line of sight driving with driver, basic 3-aspect traffic signaling,
commercial speed 8.6 kph, max. speed 42 kph
3. 118 stations,
4. Average daily patronage 230,000 p/day (upper deck 25
passengers and lower deck 115 passengers, total 140 passengers)
5. Traction supply 550 V DC, 2x25 kW DC traction motor drive
6. Dimensions L 9 m, W 2 m, H 4.6 m
Tram car Tram (for
reading only)
Air-conditioned Tram Tram (for reading only)
 APM, Automatic people mover (for reading only)
1. Within a site, airport or theme park, short journey, very short route
length (0.5 km to a few km)
2. Proper signaling system, driverless is common, (HK APM max. 62 kph)
3. Few stops, headway 2 minutes
4. Low passenger carrying capacity (~300 passengers for 2-car consists,
for modern APM can be over 25,000 passengers/h/d)
5. Less comfortable ride, limited seating, mainly standing passengers
6. Usually rubber-tyre, light weight vehicles
7. Normally, fare is free
APM, Automatic people mover (for reading only)
APM at Oakland Airport
Image of APM car, Mitsubishi – 4-car consist (rubber tyre) (for reading only)
 APM car in HK
(for reading only)
APM in HK (for reading only)
1. Serving HK International Airport, headway ~ 2.4 minutes
2. CBTC signaling system, driverless, (HK APM max. 62 kph)
3. Route length 2.5 km
4. Passenger carrying capacity, 7,600 passengers/h/d
5. Traction supply 600 V AC (new TRC Line for 3rd runway 750 V AC),
110 kW DC shunt motor drive,
6. Overall dimensions L 9.85 m (new car 12 m), W 2.7 m, H 3.15 m
Monorail (for reading only)
1. Normally serves small area/district,
2. Rail-based transportation using a single rail,
3. Use rubber tyres/wheels,
4. not commonly used now,
5. not connected to public transport
Magnetic Levitation (Maglev)
1. Levitation - Vehicles are lifted by permanent magnets/electromagnets,
Propulsion - propelled by electromagnets (no moving parts, mono rail/dual
rail with linear motors, electromagnetic suspension),
Lateral guidance - guided by permanent magnets/electromagnets
2. Repulsion by superconducting electromagnets in Japan, highest speed
recorded 603 kph, attraction by magnets in W. Germany
3. 1st commercial line in operation since 2004, Shanghai Airport Link, 30.5
km long, top speed 430 kph, average speed 260 kph
 Source : Wiki
Magnetic Levitation (Maglev)

Electrodynamic suspension
(EDS) Super-concucting
magnets onboard the train.
EDS maglev propulsion by
propulsion coils.

Levitation
Electromagnetic suspension (EMS) to
levitate the train above the track.
Onboard linear motors give propulsion
Lateral
forward. Propulsion guidance
 Source : www.jrailpass.com
Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) in Japan
1. Maglev trains float on the guideway by means of magnetic repulsion
between the cars and track.
2. Electromagnets are installed at the guideways, and superconducting
electromagnets (called bogie) are placed on the train.
3. When stops, the train rests on rubber wheels. When moves, the train
travels slowly on rubber wheels (maglev train rolls on rubber tyres until
150 kph), and the electromagnets beneath the train interact with the
superconducting electromagnets at the guideway to lift, guide (centre
along guideway) and propel the train.
4. Top speed was 603 kph in 2015
Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) in Japan
5. Tobu Kyuryo Line (LINIMO), connecting Nagoya City and
Yakusa, 9 km long, levitated by attractive force of conductive
electromagnets and propelled by linear induction motors.
Details are :
• 3-car trains (capacity 244 passengers) at max. speed of 100
kph (acc. 1.1 m/s2, service braking 1.1 m/s2, e braking 1.25
m/s2) with FAO
• Linear induction motor - 10 units 39.8 kW each per car
• Traction supply – 2 units 85 kW each per train
• Traction control – VVVF inverter
Magnetic Levitation (Maglev)

Fastest train ever built (super-conducting maglev by Japan)

Link - THE FASTEST TRAIN EVER BUILT | THE COMPLETE PHYSICS OF IT – YOUTUBE
Video 11.3 minutes
Hyperloop (Experimental)

1. Still in conceptual and experimental R & D stage

2. Use maglev technology for vehicle suspension and propulsion inside
a vacuum tube (to minimize air frictions)
3. Extremely high speed, over 700 kph
4. See You Tube, Future trains, Hyperloop explained/The B1M, link :
HYPERLOOP EXPLAINED - YOUTUBE
What is Railway operations

Engineering

Service/Product
Development Marketing

Operations
Management

Human Purchasing
Resources

Accounting &
Finance
Railway operations – development (for reading only)
Operations management has become an important area in railway
industry due to key events :
1. Serious rail accidents in late 1980s,1990s and 2000s
2. Train service performance expectation in late 1990s and 2000s
onwards
3. Increasing public demand for safe and quality rail service
4. Increasing awareness of the need for specialist skill to manage the
rail operations
Railway operations tasks
1. Train plan
• Specification
• Weekly plan (train sc hedule time table, RS ser vicing
sc hedules, train duty rosters)
• Timing
• Publishing
Railway operations tasks

2. Performance management (for performance measures)

• Passenger journey on time ((Incoming patronage in a month –
Passengers delayed > 5 min.)/Incoming patronage in a month,
performance > 98.5%)
• Train punctuality ((Actual train trips in a month – Train trips delayed
> 5 min.)/Actual train trips in a month, performance > 98%)
Railway operations tasks

2. Performance management
• Train service delivery (Actual train trips in a month/Scheduled train
trips in a month, performance > 98.5%)
• Ticketing m/c, ticket gate, lift, escalator reliability
• Customer service pledge (plus train reliability (train car km per
train failure causing >5 min. delay, ie how long it can run before a
failure), ticket reliability, station temperature and ventilation levels,
station cleanliness, passenger enquiry response time)
Railway operations tasks

2. Performance management
• Customer satisfaction (safety performance, cleanliness, staff, etc)
• Benchmarking (for comparison with other international operators,
discuss later)
• Maintenance management, emergency operation and degraded
operation procedures
Railway operations tasks

3. Safety management
• Safety performance (mainly focus on serious rail accidents, ie.
collision, derailment, fatal and serious injury), SMS, Rule books
• Continuous improvement (better measurement, better risk
management, better equipment (eg. CCTV) )
• Safety culture (staff attitude towards safety)
• Improved signaling (CBTC, ETCS)
Railway operations tasks

4. HRM
• Proper engineering staff, train crew, signalers, platform supervisors
management (established organization, recruitment and promotion,
Training & Development (training plans for operation staff),
refresher training, annual competence assessment, etc),
• General and technical staff management
• O&M Staff rosters (operational staff rosters, train crew rosters and
schedules)
Railway operations

1. Get the specification/operation requirements

2. Design an effective operation plan
3. Publish, resource and execute the operation plan (safely and
effectively), adjust if necessary
4. Monitor the effectiveness
5. Plan – do – check- act (excel the plan)
Line capacity calculation
• Expressed as trains/hr/dir. or passengers/hr/d
• Determine by
➢ Number of tracks
➢ Signaling, aspects, sighting distance,
➢ Junctions
➢ Train length, train performance (acc./braking, auto/manual)
➢ Train capacity (seats and standing space, 2 to 6 passengers/m2)
➢ Stopping time at stations
 50 Modes of Transport
Line capacity calculation
45

40 Heavy Metro

35

Light Metro
Metros capacity can be over
Average Speed, kph

30
80,000
Light Rail
25

20
APM

15

10

0
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000
Transport Capacity, p/h/d
Line capacity calculation

• Through survey, determine the peak passenger flow, pphpd (or

trains/h/dir)
• Calculate train capacity = (no. of seated passengers + no. of
standing passengers) x no. of cars
• Standing passengers = passengers/𝑚2 (about 4 to 6 passengers/𝑚2
for metros, very crowded can be 8 p/𝑚2 ) x standing area
• Calculate no. of train required per hour to carry the peak hour
passenger load = peak passenger flow, pphpd/train capacity
Line capacity calculation

• Determine the peak load passengers carrying capacity = no. of

passengers/train x no. of trains/hr/d (peak hour load)
(the unit is passengers/hr/direction (pphpd))
 HSR EAL, Suburban ISL, metro LR Tram APM
Route length,
142 46 16 36.2 29 2.5
km
Journey time,
50 45 31
minutes
1.87 (32
Headway, 4 operating (3 1.6 (60/1.6 =
trains/hr = 3 ~2 2.4
minutes design headway) 37 trains/hr)
60/1.87)
120 (average
Speed, kph 200 to 300 80 (av. 33 kph) 15 to 80 9 to 42 20 to 70
50 kph)

6 (now only
Stop 12 17 68 118 3
64,000 p/d)
219 (9 cars, now
Train length, m 200 (8 cars) converted from 12 to 184 (8 cars) 19.4 x 2 cars 9 9.85 x 4 cars
9 cars)

Line capacity 160,000 p/day 393,000 p/day 230,000 p/day

Train capacity 580 p/train 2,700 p/train 2,400 p/train 248 p/car 140 p/tram 76 p/car

Design line 580 p/train x 60/3 (101,000) (85,000) 496 p/LR x 60/3 = 140 p/tram x 60/2 304 p/train x
capacity, pphpd train/h/d = 11,600 2700 x 37 = 99,900 2400 x 32 = 76,800 9,920 = 8,400 60/2.4 = 7,600
Headway

• The time elapsed between the passing of the front of one train and
the passing of the front of the next (at a fixed point in the same
direction over the same track).
➢ Minimum time (or distance) between trains that the signaling will
permit so that the following train is not affected by the train ahead.
➢ The headway depends on the train performance, signaling
performance and the dwell time.
Headway
Basic concept - Driver needs : sighting point, sighting distance, braking
distance and overlap (safety margin).

Direction
of travel

Braking distance, 𝑉 2 /2b=

Sighting distance, 222 /2x0.07g=350 m
Overlap, 180
Metro at 80 kph, 8 s at 22 m/s =
to 200 m
22m/s 176 m

Train 2 Track Train 1

Sighting
Block entrance
point
Headway
• Technical headway - calculated based upon a defined train braking
profile and signaling system
• Operating headway – defined by the operator for train timetable
purpose, and includes the time elapsed for a train to move through
junction layouts, multiple lines sections, station stops and reversal.
• Dwell time – for station stops, dwell time is allowed for
➢ Door opening : stopping accuracy, speed, release strategy
(pneumatic/electric)
Headway
➢ Alighting/boarding ：platform design (no. of entrances and exits),
platform space (stand back, platform width), train design (number of
doors (5 per car in HK) per car and width of doors), passengers
management
➢ Door closing ：staff and passengers culture
➢ Traction application : driver training, technology (traction start time, train
acceleration/braking, signaling response time)
➢ Should platform screen doors, PSD or automatic platform gates, APG
have been installed, extra dwell time is needed for opening and closing
the PSD/APG
Headway
• For example, a 4-aspect signaling system offers a technical headway of
90 s for train speed 160 kph, but the operating headway will >180 s to
allow for junctions, variable train speed, driving techniques, sighting
problems at specific locations, variation in block length to accommodate
station and other structures
• 75 % signaling capacity option recommended by International Union of
Railways (UIC) and Department for Transport, UK (DfT)
Traffic signals
1. Fixed signals are to
• Convey movement authority message to train
driver (how far to proceed, at what speed)
• Indicate to the driver where to stop the train
• Give advanced warning to the driver to bring
the train speed under control or to a standstill
Traffic signals
2. Signals at junctions - where the tracks join or
diverge, the signals are required to prevent
train drivers from attempting to move that
would lead to collisions (conflicting moves)

3. In summary, a signaling system is to

• Maintain safe separation between following trains on the same track
• Safeguard the movement of the trains at the junctions and elsewhere
where the conflicting moves will occur
• Prevent train movement from taking place in conflict with the infrastructures
Traffic signals

R – stop here,
LMA here

G – proceed,
LMA beyond
next signal

Y – stop at next
signal, LMA at
next signal
Headway : 3-aspect signal
• Sighting distance is the distance before the signal that allows the driver to
see the approach indication while travelling at line speed.
Direction
of travel
Headway distance

Sighting point
Sighting Service braking
80 kph, Service braking Train
distance distance, 2 km Overlap
22m/s distance, 2 km length

Train 1 Track

• An overlap is a section (with a track circuit) past the main signal for safety
purpose. It protects against SPAD, and guarantees clear when main signal is
green.
Headway : 3-aspect signal

Direction
of travel

Service braking
Service braking distance
Overlap Train
distance
length

Train 1
Track
Headway : 3-aspect signal

Direction
of travel

Service braking
Service braking distance Train
distance Overlap
length

Train 1
Track
 Headway : 3-aspect signal

Direction
of travel

Service braking
Service braking distance
Overlap Train
distance length

Train 1
Track
Headway : 3-aspect signal

Headway distance

Service braking
Service braking distance
Overlap Train
distance length

Train 2 Train 1
Direction
Track
of travel
Three aspect signalling

Technical Headway Distance = 2 x BD + SD + Overlap + Train length

Worked Example – Signaling system calculation

Q : A metro adopted a 3-aspect signaling system. Trains are 180 m

long and manually driven. Service braking rate is 0.75 m/𝑠 2 and
acceleration is 1 m/𝑠 2 . Sighting time is 8 s. The max. line speed is 80
kph (80/3.6 = 22.2 m/s).
(a) Calculate the minimum technical headway and technical capacity
(theoretical service headway throughput) in trains/hr.
(b)When a station with 200m platform and a 30 s dwell time is added
to the metro, calculate the operating headway throughput and the
operating time headway.
Worked Example
Ans. (a) Assume overlap is 200 m,
Minimum technical headway distance = SD + 2 x BD + OL + TL
= 8 x 22 + 2 x 222 /2x0.75 + 200 + 180
= 177.8 + 2 x 329.2 + 200 + 180 = 1216 m
Technical time headway, 𝐻𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 1216/22.2 = 55.3 s,
Service headway throughput, 𝑇𝑠 , tph = 3600/𝐻𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 3600/55.3
= 65.1 trains/h = 65 tph (round down for safe operation)

Headway distance
Train
Service braking distance
Overlap length
Service braking distance

Train 2 Track Direction of travel Train 1

Worked Example
Ans. (b) A station with 200 m platform and a 30 s dwell time is added to
the metro. Calculate the minimum technical time headway and the
operating throughput.
The new headway will include run-in time, run-out time and dwell time.
Run-in time = 22.2/0.75 = 29.6 s,
Run-in dist. = 𝑣 2 /2b = 222 /2x0.75 = 329.2 m
Run-out time = 22.2/1 = 22.2 s,
Run-out dist. = 222 /2x1 = 246.9 m
Remaining full speed dist. = 1216 – 329.2 – 246.9 = 639.9 m,
ie. 639.9/22.2 = 28.8 s at line speed
Worked Example

Platform 200 m

Ans. New technical time headway = 28.8 + 29.6 + 22.2 + 30 = 110.6 s

= 111 s
New theoretical service headway throughput = 3600/110.6 = 32.5
trains/hr = 32 tph
(Note : theoretical technical headway = 3600/time headway)
Worked Example
Ans.
Apply UIC recommendation of 75% (recovery margin) to allow for real life
operation (to cater for driving skills, coasting, extended dwell time, etc),
Operating headway throughput = 32.5 x 0.75 = 24.4 = 24 tph (round
down for safe operation)
Operating time headway = 3600/24 = 150 s