[0001 ] This application claims the benefit of Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2011902683 filed 6 July 2012 and Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2012901151 filed 22 March 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a method of operation of a rail system, involving coupling rolling stock such as rail carriages while the carriages are in motion. In particular the present invention provides a rail system involving regular coupling and uncoupling of carriages while in motion and in service.

Background of the Invention

[0003] Conventional rail systems involve assembly of a train from a selected number of carriages and/or engines, with assembly and disassembly of the train typically occurring in a rail yard or similar location off a main line while the carriages are not in service. The train is then put into service and operated as assembled for a substantial period of time, usually at least a single traversal of an entire rail line and is often operated as assembled for many traversals of a rail network over many days or more.

[0004] Carriage coupling is generally effected by an external coupling that connects carriages and locomotives to form a train. A range of coupling types exist, including buffer and chain couplings, link and pin couplings, Norwegian couplings, AAR knuckle couplers, SA3 couplers, and multi-function couplers.

[0005] In some cases, particularly in passenger rail, there is provision for a gangway between carriages that allows for passage between carriages while in transit, requiring a substantially semi-permanent arrangement of carriages and locomotive. This convention requires that commuter passenger trains with semi-permanent gangway connections must be configured for the line they service and remain in that configuration. Given the unchanging configuration of the train while in service, the entire train is required to stop in order to board and de-board passengers. [0006] Current arrangements suffer a number of significant constraints, including limitations of existing infrastructure, low average speed through the system and low average carriage utilisation.

[0007] Many rail networks, particularly passenger rail networks, are operating at or close to peak throughput and permit little growth in throughput under current configurations. It is therefore difficult to cater for increasing passenger demand in such rail networks without investing in significant additional rolling stock and infrastructure such as longer stations platforms or duplicate rail lines. To add capacity to a rail network through additional infrastructure involves considerable cost, and in many networks is extremely difficult or expensive due to limited availability of land in the corridors set aside for rail infrastructure.

[0008] The close proximity of stations to each other in modern cities, while catering for convenient intermodal connections, is a further constraint on average travel speeds with trains having to stop and start more frequently under typical operating conditions.

[0009] Variability in passenger numbers depending on the time and direction of travel particularly in urban metro scenarios is another material consideration, with morning peaks on lines into the city and evening peaks on lines out of the city. This typically results in crowding and overcrowding on trains travelling in the direction of peak demand and underutilisation of trains in the opposite direction.

[0010] These constraints, namely limitations of existing infrastructure, low average speed and low average utilisation, are the main cause of low passenger throughput in today's commuter rail systems. They result in unnecessarily high operating costs and fare prices, often requiring subsidies to operators; slow travel times resulting in low productivity for commuters; and low preference for rail transport resulting in higher use of other less efficient forms of transport leading to congestion and pollution in today's cities.

[0011] Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application. [0012] Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Summary of the Invention

[0013] According to a first aspect the present invention provides a method for operating a passenger train on a rail line, the method comprising:

decoupling a fore first portion of the train from an aft second portion of the train while the train is in motion;

the first portion of the train continuing past a first platform along the rail line;

the second portion of the train slowing to a halt on the rail line at the first platform for passenger boarding and de-boarding;

the first portion of the train converging with and coupling with a leading third train portion beyond the first platform while the train is in motion; and

coupling additional train portions and or decoupling additional train portions in order to operate a longer train along rail sections receiving greater user patronage and in order to operate a shorter train along rail sections receiving lesser user patronage.

[0014] In some embodiments, the present invention may be utilised to effect adaptive length control of the train, whereby a train is lengthened by adding carriages or shortened by removing carriages. For example, such embodiments may be applied to respond to user demand for the train service at respective sections of the rail line along which the train travels, whereby a longer train is operated for rail sections receiving greater user patronage and a shorter train is operated along rail sections receiving lesser user patronage. For example the train may be configured to be longer in a high population density area and shorter when in a low population density area. Carriages removed to shorten a train may be diverted to a siding and/or moved to a reverse direction rail line in order to lengthen trains travelling in the reverse direction on an adjacent line and thereby increase the rolling stock available in a high population density area.

[0015] According to a second aspect the present invention provides a train configured for operation on a rail line, the train comprising a plurality of carriages each configured to couple and decouple to another carriage while the train is in motion and in service. [0016] In preferred embodiments, the method further comprises the first portion of the train coming into proximity with the rear of a second train or carriage pulling away from a second platform past the first platform on the rail line, and the first portion coupling with the second train while in motion on the rail line to thereby form a new train assembly.

[0017] Embodiments of the method and system of the present invention may thus provide a multitude of carriages capable of coupling and uncoupling from each other at normal transit speeds, without having to slow down materially or stop in order to couple or uncouple, to improve the efficiency of commuter rail transport. Moreover, the present invention is applicable to existing single rail line infrastructure and does not necessitate the construction of duplicate rail lines or sidings at each or any station. Construction of duplicate rail lines or sidings at each or any station is expensive and often impractical due to rail corridor constraints and the positioning of existing infrastructure such as platforms and the like. The present invention provides for the fore portion of the train to travel past the first platform while on the single rail line, and further provides for the aft portion of the train to halt at the platform on the same rail line without diverting to a siding or a second rail line.

[0018] In preferred embodiments, each carriage of the rail system is preferably configured for operation in this manner at both fore and aft ends, and is capable of accelerating and braking under its own power or when connected as a carriage in a train.

[0019] The present invention thus provides for two carriages and or train sections to be coupled or uncoupled while travelling at substantially the same velocity as each other. This permits only a portion of the train to be brought to a halt on the rail line at a given station for boarding and de-boarding of passengers, while the remainder of the train continues past that station on the same rail line, without stopping. Thus the train is dynamically re-configured at speed, whether full operating speed or a fraction thereof, while in service and in use by passengers and on a single rail line.

[0020] Given that the present invention provides for only one or a subset of carriages of the train to stop at any given station, it is necessary for passengers wishing to alight at that station to be located in a stopping carriage. Some embodiments of the invention thus provide a passenger communication system configured to communicate to passengers which carriage(s) will be stopping at one or more stations ahead of the train. The passenger communication system preferably directs passengers to the appropriate carriage in good time before the associated station is reached, in order to allow sufficient time for the passenger to walk between carriages prior to the stopping carriage(s) disconnecting from the train. The passenger communication system may be an audible public address system and/or visible display system and/or any other suitable communication system.

[0021] Some embodiments of the invention may thus provide benefits including: high throughput capacity in the form of increased passenger speed and shorter travel time; high line usage/efficiency; lower cost per passenger distance travelled; lower emissions per passenger distance travelled; and one acceleration & one stop per journey for any given passenger.

Moreover, benefits may be provided in station design as shorter platforms may be required, and/or trains may be constructed which are of a length which is greater than a length of some or all platforms. By providing easily adaptable train configurations, embodiments of the invention may also provide improved ability to scale to variable commuter demand, for example including the ability to decouple more than one carriage to be stopped at high volume stations while decoupling only one carriage to be stopped at a low volume station.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present invention, passengers could be directed to specific carriages within the train, either at the fore or aft depending on their destination, and the train could be separated, while in motion, with the forward part of the train continuing on its journey and the rear of the train, now separated, being diverted to an alternative line thereby obviating the need for passengers to change trains.

[0023] Further embodiments of the method of the first aspect of the invention may comprise a rolling stock manufacturer licensing the operating method to a rail operator, and charging the rail operator a usage fee such as a connection fee and/or a disconnection fee for each occasion upon which carriages connect or disconnect while in service. Such embodiments provide the rolling stock manufacturer with operational revenue thereby motivating the rolling stock manufacturer to invest in production of suitable carriages.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the

accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures la-lc illustrate a train carriage configured for operation in a system in accordance with the present invention; Figures 2a-2c illustrate in-service assembly of a new train from two train portions while in motion;

Figures 3a-3c illustrate in-service disassembly of a train into two train portions while in motion;

Figure 4 illustrates the internal configuration of the carriage of figure 1 ; and

Figure 5 illustrates use of a shuttle carriage in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

[0025] Figures la-lc illustrate a train carriage configured for operation in a system in accordance with the present invention. The carriage is fitted with couplings configured for constant velocity coupling while the train is in motion and in service, and is capable of operating in three distinct configurations. Figure la shows a first configuration in which both ends of the carriage are closed and uncoupled. This shows operation as a single carriage train. Figure lb shows a second configuration in which one end of the carriage is open and ready for coupling, and one end is closed. This configuration is appropriate when the carriage is the first or last carriage in the train. Figure lc shows the third configuration in which both ends of the carriage are open. This configuration is appropriate for operation of the carriage as part of a train interposed between other carriages.

[0026] Figures 2a-2c illustrate in-service assembly of a new train from two train portions while in motion. To on-board passengers, a carriage 202 has stopped to disembark the last load of passengers, and then on-boards passengers wishing to join the next Train 204. As portrayed in Figure 2b, the carriage 202 accelerates under its own power ahead of the next approaching Train 204, synchronising speeds as they approach each other and engage coupling and docking mechanisms. As shown in Figure 3, with the carriages 202 and 204 docked, passengers are able to move freely along the length of the Train to the appropriate carriage that will un-couple and stop at their destination station. Note the relative distances travelled are not shown to scale in Figure 3 and carriage 202 may have travelled tens or hundreds of metres from the platform to gain speed before docking with train 204.

[0027] Figures 3a-3c illustrate in-service disassembly of a train into two train portions while in motion. Passengers wishing to disembark at the next stop move to the last (aft) carriage 302 of the Train 304, after which carriage 302 de-couples from the Train 304 and slows to a halt at the station, without the need for the Train 304 to stop at that station. Carriage 306 may later be decoupled from train 304 to board and de-board passengers at a subsequent station, and so on.

[0028] Further, a carriage or carriages which have previously stopped at a station ahead of the train 304, or may have been transferred over from an adjacent line, may be coupled to the front of train 304, so that the length of train 304 may remain substantially constant over time but the particular carriages making up train 304 change over time, or the length of the train 304 may vary over time depending on the demand at that point in the system.

[0029] Figure 4 illustrates the internal configuration of the carriage of figure 1. A feature of the carriage design required to support the method of this embodiment is the passenger standing and internal pedestrian traffic flow arrangements. It will be necessary to demarcate traffic / no standing zones applicable to all but the last carriage (which is due to uncouple and stop). These zones, being wide aisles within the carriage, allow passengers to board and start moving in the direction of their destination carriage. When their carriage couples and the gangway opens passengers have unencumbered travel through the length of the train and can walk to their destination carriage.

[0030] While wide aisles reduce the seated carrying capacity of the carriage, this is ameliorated by the ability to deploy underutilised carriages travelling in the opposite direction to relative demand by de-coupling them and transferring them to the direction of demand, facilitating improved rolling stock utilisation and reduced passenger densities in carriages. The system throughput will vary based on the configuration of the rail network and the distribution of stations. However, in rail networks with typical parameters, the method of the present embodiment in eliminating the need for the train to stop to on-board or de-board passengers will have a significant improvement in average passenger speed. Furthermore, it is also expected that the faster movement of trains and passengers through the rail network will provide capacity for additional trains to be run in the network, depending on the configuration of the network. Such improvements on throughput bring faster travel times, reduced passenger densities, improved rolling stock utilisation, improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions per passenger km and lower cost.

[0031] The operating model can also reduce the number of stops and starts to one per passenger trip. This reduces the number of occasions where such acceleration may cause passengers to lose balance and injure themselves. The rate of acceleration and deceleration may also be reduced without materially affecting the overall speed of the journey. Station platform lengths are a determining factor in train configuration given that stopping a conventional train at a station requires the platform to be longer than the train. This constraint does not apply with the train and method of the present invention. Trains can be configured (more or fewer carriages) to match demand, whether demand is varying in time or varying along the rail line, and the platform only needs to be long enough to accommodate say one or two carriages, or more generally the number of carriages used to de-board and board the passengers at that station.

[0032] The below comparison considers a range of scenarios for a fictional rail line, based on how conventional systems compare to the present embodiment at various threshold speeds. The variables in the model are the acceleration set at 1.2 m/s2 (equivalent to 23 seconds to reach lOOkm/h); the number of stops (9) over a trip distance of 11 Km with an average stationary time in station of 15 seconds. With these parameters the throughput improvements range from 50% to 121% across the threshold speeds ranging from 60 Km/h to 100 Km/h, as shown in Tables la and lb.

Table la Threshold Train Speed

100

Present embodiment 60 Km/h 70 Km/h 80 Km/h 90 Km/h km/h

Top speed m/s 16.67 19.44 22.22 25 · 27.78

Acceleration m s2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

Number of stops 1 1 1 1 1

Trip Distance (km) 15 15 15 15 15

Stationery time (s) 0 0 0 0 0

Total Acceleration & Stopping time (s) 27.78 32.40 37.03 41.67 46.30

Acceleration + Stopping distance (m) 463.15 629.86 822.88 1041.67 1286.21

Constant speed travel distance (m) 14536.85 14370.14 14177.12 13958.33 13713.79

Constant speed travel time (s) 872.04 739.20 638.03 558.33 493.66

Total travel time (s) 899.82 771.60 675.07 600.00 539.96

Train Acceleration Energy 834 1134 1481 1875 2315

Shuttle Acceleration Energy 3057 4157 5431 6875 8489

Total Acceleration Energy 3890 5291 6912 8750 10804

Throughput improvement ¹ 46% 59% 74% 90% 109%

Acceleration energy saving without 58% 58% 58% 58% 58% regenerative braking

Table lb

[0033] It is to be expected that the assumed parameters above will vary for each line in other rail systems.

[0034] The below comparison shown in Tables 2a and 2b considers the deployment and utilisation of rolling stock for a fictional rail line, based on how conventional systems, which run the complete train to the end of its line and then turn it around, compare to the present embodiment which enables the deployment of rolling stock in the direction of demand by decoupling it and moving it to an adjacent line. Both scenarios consider a system capacity of 11,000 passengers per hour running 10 services per hour over 11 stations with 100 passengers boarding at each station.

[0035] The variables in the model are the passenger density set at 200 passenger per carriage for the traditional rail scenario and 130 passengers per carriage for the present embodiment (a 35% reduction in passenger density); the total inbound plus outbound circuit time of 45 minutes, 20 minutes per leg and 5 minutes turn time for the traditional rail scenario model and a total circuit time of 29 minutes for the present embodiment, based on a 40% faster travel time per leg of 12 minutes and a 5 minute turn time. [0036] With these parameters the preferred embodiment results in improved utilisation and a reduction in rolling stock requirements. Carriage utilisation improves by 41%, rolling stock throughput improves by 37% requiring 27% less rolling stock.

Traditional Rail Scenario

1100

System Capacity 0 Passenger per hour

Carriage Capacity 200 Passengers

Train Frequency 10 Per hour

Circuit time 45 Minutes 20 Minutes per leg plus 5 minutes turn time

Carriages per train 6

Trains needed 8

Total Carriages needed 48

Station Number 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 Inward bound

Carriages In Train 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 Carriages Needed 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 Passengers Boarding 0 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Passengers De- Boarding 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total Passengers 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 1000 1100 Utilisation 0% 8% 17% 25% 33% 42% 50% 58% 67% 83% 92% Redundant

Carriages 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 0

Average Utilisation 46%

Table 2a

Present

Embodiment

1100

System Capacity 0 Passengers per hour

Carriage

Capacity 130 Passengers 35% reduction in passenger load

Train Frequency 10 Per hour

Circuit time 29 Minutes 12 minutes per leg plus 5 minutes turn time

Trains needed 5

Avg Carriages

per train 7

27% Less rolling

Total Carriages 35 37% Rolling stock throughput improvement. stock

Average

Utilisation 64% 41% Utilisation improvement Station Number 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Inward bound

Cariages In Train 1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 8 9 10

Carraiges Needed 0 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 9

Passengers Boarding 0 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

Passengers De-

Boarding 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total Passengers 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100

Utilisation 0% 38% 51% 58% 62% 77% 77% 77% 77% 87% 85% 85%

Redundant Carriages 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Table 2b

[0037] Figure 5 illustrates an alternative operating mode which may be particularly suitable in rail systems having closely spaced stations. It is expected that a constraint to the efficiency of the system will be the time required for the slowest passenger moving from the front of the train to the back where their objective is to alight at the very next station. The time available will be a function of the distance between stations, the length of the train and the speed of the train. In the median case of the worked example the time available would be 50 seconds. This would give a range of approximately 80m or 4 carriages walking reasonably slowly. Nevertheless, in the event that stations are so closely spaced that there is not sufficient time for passengers wishing to alight at the next station to traverse the length of the train, it is possible to adopt an operating mode that is described in this schematic that will double the interval available for passengers to traverse the length of the train. In Figure 5a, to de-board passengers at a first station n, a designated "shuttle carriage" 502 decouples from a train travelling from station n+1 away from station n. In Figure 5b, shuttle carriage 502 travels the opposite direction to the train and stops at platform n. In Figure 5c, the shuttle carriage travels further back along the line to station n-1 or nearby, to await a following train. At a suitable time, the shuttle carriage accelerates towards station n in order to dock with the oncoming train. Passengers boarding at station n and wishing to de-board at station n+1 therefore have increased time to walk to the rear carriage, which will only decouple from the train between stations n+1 and n+2.

[0038] While this mode of operation will require more sophisticated signaling and traffic management systems it does not materially affect the overall throughput of the system as the train maintains constant speed and the shuttle carriages do the maneuvering.

[0039] It is noted that some embodiments of the present invention may involve use of higher cost carriages, require a change in commuter behaviour to use the passenger flow systems, provide reduced seating capacity to cater for increased passenger traffic within a carriage, and/or may require more sophisticated signalling systems, however the increased throughput and reduced rolling stock requirements made possible by this embodiment may justify such issues.

[0040] This embodiment thus provides mechanisms that allow for two such rail carriages to couple and dock with each other while moving, and undock and uncouple from each other, at normal travelling speeds. The carriage design preferably provides for protection from the exterior weather and environmental conditions while operating un-coupled carriages, and while coupled to another carriage the docking mechanism further provides for passage between carriages by passengers and or cargo via a gangway mechanism.

[0041] Each carriage further comprises a spatial management system (not shown) that ensures geometric alignment between coupling interfaces and low relative speed between carriages. These physical variables are managed by braking or accelerating either of the carriages. To this end, Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology can be used to understand the relative geographic positioning of carriages to each other, track positioning technology can be used to determine where a carriage is on a track using the positioning measurements of two carriages over time such that the relative speeds and positions can be tracked. Distance sensing methods, such as radar and/or laser distance sensing, and cruise control technology are also used to assist relative positioning. Telemetry is also used and allows the monitoring and management of dynamic characteristics of the carriage including speed and position and the synchronisation of these characteristics between two approaching carriages enabling them to engage and couple.

[0042] Each carriage is equipped with suitable coupling components at both ends of the carriage, and is capable of accelerating and braking under its own power or being connected as one carriage of a multi-carriage train. The coupling process can happen at speed while the train has commercial passengers on board.

[0043] It is noted that the present invention can operate on existing single-line physical rail infrastructure, but that associated systems including software, management systems and signalling currently in place may need to be re-developed in order to permit implementation of the present invention. However the cost of redeveloping and/or replacing such accompanying infrastructure is generally a fraction of the cost of duplicating physical rail-line infrastructure itself. [0044] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.