BRITISH infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) has tested new train positioning technology on the national network. It is the first time anywhere in the world that a Rail Quantum Inertial Navigation System (RQINS) has been trialled on a mainline railway, according to NR.
The system was installed on a class 717 train operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operating between central London and Welwyn Garden City, north of the capital, earlier this month, providing real-world data to help understand how quantum positioning technology performs within the operational environment of a national railway network.
Quantum inertial navigation uses ultra-sensitive sensors capable of detecting minute changes in motion and rotation. Unlike satellite-based navigation systems such as GPS, it does not rely on external signals, meaning it could provide highly resilient positioning in environments where satellite signals are unavailable, including tunnels, dense infrastructure or areas affected by interference.
The technology is being developed as a potential alternative to fixed trackside train detection equipment infrastructure, which can be costly to install and maintain and is also vulnerable to environmental disruption and failure. Once further developed, NR believes that quantum navigation will enable a lower-cost, more reliable, and more resilient train detection system.
The recent test builds on work undertaken by the Ministry of Defence and Transport for London (TfL). Development is being undertaken by a consortium led by MoniRail, working with Imperial College London, the University of Sussex, QinetiQ, PA Consulting and the National Physical Laboratory, with support from Innovate UK and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
The programme is being coordinated by GBRX, the strategic innovation and technology arm of the future Great British Railways (GBR), which has been formed to accelerate the adoption of strategic technologies that will improve the performance and cost-effectiveness of the national railway.
“Developing new technologies within the complexity of a railway network is essential to understanding how frontier technologies can be translated into operational capability,” says Toufic Machnouk, managing director of GBRX.
“This programme begins the process of understanding how quantum positioning could fundamentally reshape how railways work. In the future, it could reduce reliance on costly trackside positioning systems while enabling new capabilities for signalling, improved operational performance, network planning, enhanced condition monitoring and more intelligent railway operations.”
