Energy is more valuable than ever, and Europe’s climate targets – as set down, for example, in the European Green Deal – are ambitious, especially for the rail industry. The European version of the LEADER (Locomotive Engineer Assist Display & Event Recorder) Driver Advisory System (DAS) represents a powerful response to challenging questions such as how to improve operational energy efficiency and traffic flow.
Driver Advisory System are designed to save energy by displaying driving recommendations on an ergonomically optimized display. To achieve the best saving result in the entire network traffic flow must be optimized and each vehicle must run in the optimal speed. To achieve this LEADER provides 3 levels of optimization:
- Live traffic information via infrastructure time windows to improve traffic flow and energy efficiency from network perspective
- Live traffic information via blocks / signals to improve local traffic flow and energy efficiency for our train
- Global driving advice optimization by using highly available GNSS, topography, train model, physical driving resistances, weather information and electronic timetable
Leader 2.0 is the next evolution of our well established LEADER which is in service since 2018. A bunch of new features will lead to significant improvements in energy saving, traffic flow and driver experience.
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Deutschland - Germany
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Multiple deployment options thanks to three product versions
To ensure that LEADER is deployed across as much of the European rail network as possible, the system is available in multiple versions.
LEADER4DiLoc and LEADER4Tablet deliver driving recommendations to the vehicle operator’s mobile devices. The actual algorithms “run” in Knorr-Bremse’s cloud environment (which is, by the way, carbon-neutral). The results are delivered to the mobile devices over the cellular network. In the case of the built-in LEADER solution installed in the driver’s cab, drive recommendations are computed on the panel PC itself. User logins, downloads of travel data to the panel PC, and transfers of relevant statistics to the back office and cloud, all happen also via the cellular network.
All product versions use the web-based back office. Not only does it act as a “terrestrial” interface between the – carbon-neutral – cloud backend and the live updates from trackside operations. It also provides a comprehensive (real-time) monitoring and analysis tool that makes it possible to use the system on the track.
Our long experience with this product leads to customer-friendly options like
- Timetable Customization: Specifically designed for freight operation, it allows to select /munselect individual stops, including estimated time of arrival
- Two driving modes: Traffic flow mode, designed for freight trains, is capable of driving with the flow, independent from any timetable. Absolute mode, designed for passenger trains, is following the given timetable as far as possible
Which will be implemented in LEADER.
It is capable to handle multiple input data, such as SFERA, railML and customer specific proprietary data formats. This provides the necessary flexibility to introduce LEADER in all markets.
The LEADER license fee is based on the actual energy saving, which is a win-win situation with the following advantages
- Extremely low investment in hardware and software
- Low risk for the customer
- No maintenance costs
- Access to back office with a wide range of functionality
- Benefits from global experience from Knorr-Bremse with continuous improvement
- Customer can influence the development roadmap
Driver Advisory Systems as precursors of automated train operation (ATO)
There is still a long way to go until automated train operation (ATO) becomes widespread on Europe’s open rail networks. Even so, Driver Advisory Systems such as LEADER are playing a pioneering role: Driving profile optimization algorithms that take account of vehicle characteristics, the train’s timetable, track topography and real-time data on surrounding traffic conditions represent a key architectural component of automated train operations capable of achieving the highest possible levels of energy efficiency.
In Australia, Knorr-Bremse’s LEADER Auto Pilot variant is making a significant contribution to the world’s first end-to-end ATO application in the freight-train space. The Rio Tinto mining corporation is using the system to provide advanced, energy-efficient driving strategies, as well as precisely control their trains’ self-driving capabilities.