Analysis of Signaling and Train Control System Interoperability in East Africa Railway Network
| dc.contributor.advisor | Sosina Mengistu (PhD) | |
| dc.contributor.author | Frehiwot Adugna | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-12-31T09:40:07Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-12-31T09:40:07Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-09 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Interoperability of the train control and signal systems is required to realize safe, smooth, and efficient railway transport, particularly across borders such as those in the East African Region. The transition risk and interoperability issues are estimated for four main East Africa railway corridors with a systematic technical comparison methodology, Hazard identification analysis, and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). Interoperability matrix is developed on the basis of Jaccard similarity as an initial analytical indicator in order to research cross-border running issues. The Jaccard index provided a baseline interoperability value for each pair-wise situation. Results indicate an average interoperability score of 41.11%, with significant inter-corridor gaps. The study reveals extensive inconsistencies in communication schemes and signaling standards, most importantly between Chinese CTCS and European ETCS implementations. A set of hazard logs and scenario FTAs for each transition determine primary paths of failure leading to unsafe operation, namely communication dropouts, driver misinterpretation, and inactivity of Automatic Train Operation (ATP). To address these challenges, the study employs a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach on the basis of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to weight evaluation criterions, and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to analyze possible solutions for enhancing cross-border interoperability. Five different alternative solutions were evaluated according to a range of technical and operational criteria, the relative weight of each being determined through AHP. Sensitivity analysis with ±10% and ±20% fluctuation in weights was employed to assess the validity or robustness of TOPSIS ranks. The findings highlight the utmost requirement for interoperable, standardized technologies and harmonized control strategies on East African rail networks. Ultimately, through the integrated synergies of Jaccard similarity for interoperability testing, technical hazard modeling and TOPSIS for solution ranking. The study concludes with strategic recommendations to achieve optimum regional interoperability as standard harmonization, collaborative communications infrastructure investment, and coordinating operating policies across the border. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/7585 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | |
| dc.publisher | Addis Ababa University | |
| dc.subject | Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) | |
| dc.subject | East African Rail Networks (EARN) | |
| dc.subject | Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) | |
| dc.subject | Interoperability | |
| dc.subject | Jaccard Similarity | |
| dc.subject | Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) | |
| dc.subject | Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) | |
| dc.title | Analysis of Signaling and Train Control System Interoperability in East Africa Railway Network | |
| dc.type | Thesis |