Septentrio GNSS receivers to guide train systems for Wabtec

Septentrio is providing GPS/GNSS receivers to Wabtec, a global company specializing in equipment, digital solutions and services for freight and transit rail systems.

Wabtec is implementing Septentrio GNSS receivers in its GoLINC Edge platform, providing positioning, connectivity, data storage and enhancing positive train control (PTC) with the adoption of higher precision positioning technology.

The enhanced navigational reference capability can benefit U.S. railroad operations as Septentrio GNSS receivers are installed on Wabtec’s latest GoLINC mobile data center platform operating onboard freight locomotives. Two GNSS receivers are being installed on each locomotive to provide precise positioning information as part of the GoLINC system.

Septentrio receivers are also being installed as position reference modules along 30,000 miles of track. They will provide GNSS corrections to the rover receivers aboard the locomotives for reliable and accurate positioning, even in difficult environments such as when tracks run alongside mountains, around cliffs or under foliage.

“The Septentrio GNSS receiver was chosen based upon its superior performance and has proven to have the technology advantage that our customers are looking for,” said Michael Miner, GoLINC product manager at Wabtec.

Wabtec’s GoLINC system — comprising networking, communications and applications management platforms — makes trains smarter by collecting numerous parameters about the train and its route.

GoLINC is integrated with Wabtec’s PTC solution, which functions as a safety overlay and is designed to enforce existing railroad signal indications and other operating rules. Moreover, PTC provides critical information about proximity of work zones, movement authorization, switch positions and other operational data.

“For two decades, Septentrio has been delivering GNSS receivers to customers requiring accuracy, reliability and safety,” said Neil Vancans, Septentrio vice president of global sales. “We have pioneered and fine-tuned capabilities such as position reliability and interference robustness driven by our customers in markets such as offshore energy, mining and construction.

“Over the last several years, we have been working closely with the transportation and logistics sector as well,” Vancans said. “Cooperation with Wabtec offers an excellent opportunity to further deploy our high-precision positioning technology in the rail industry, where the unique capabilities of our GNSS hardware and software match perfectly with the accuracy and safety demands of positive train control.”

Beyond PTC, the high-precision GPS infrastructure along the track will enable other applications such as drone flights for rail inspection.

Septentrio will be exhibiting its latest GNSS receivers at the Railway Interchange exhibition and technical conference, which runs Sept. 22-25 in Minneapolis, Minn., USA.

Feature photo: Septentrio