Development of Timetable Using a Communication Based Train Control in the Case of Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit
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Date
2019-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Currently, Addis Ababa light rail transit is using the traditional fixed block signaling system. Fixed
block-signaling divides the track into small blocks, which determines how far apart the trains will
be kept for safety and how frequently the stations will be serviced. This signaling system of Addis
Ababa light rail transit make the headway of the system unnecessarily long which handcuff the
operator in terms of the number of trains they can push through the system. On the other hand, in
moving block signaling system the train location is continuously updated through the real-time
communication between the train and the wayside. There are no fixed block boundaries which
allows trains to run closer to each other while ensuring safety. As a result, the operators have two
choices to improve their headway and capacity: build more subway lines or squeeze more out of
their existing infrastructure by adapting new technologies like Communication based train control.
In this thesis, a communication based train control system have been used to develop a new
timetable for Addis Ababa light rail transit. The key parameters required to develop a
communication based train control systems timetable such as, dwell time, speed, braking distance,
emergency braking distance, time for lock switches, and synchronization of trains are discussed in
detail and their values are calculated. Depending on those results a new headway for the new
timetable is obtained. The validity of newly modeled timetable is tested using Arena simulation
software. Finally, the calculated values and simulating results shows that the current headway of
Addis Ababa light rail transit can be improved to 8.84 minutes (minimized by 58.93%) from 15
minutes only by changing the signaling system to a moving block based on Communication based
train control system.
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Keywords
Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit, Train Control, Timetable, Communication