**1.1.2 Connotation and essential characteristics of digital railway system**

#### **1.1.2.1 Definition**

Digital railway is new railway information system, which researches digitization of the railway infrastructure(lines, bridges and tunnels, stations, signal system, etc.), mobile equipment (locomotives, cars, EMUs (Electrical Motor Units), etc.) and railway environment (dynamic and static information, multi-resolution and 3D information) based on geographical information system (GIS), Global position system (GPS), Remote system (RS), information system, Internet of Things, virtualization, information integration, etc. to realize overall management and vivid indications of the railway transportation capacity resources and service resources. It internally supports Railway Transport Organization, Passenger & Freight Transport Marketing Services, Enterprise Business Operation Management needs, externally supports visual display of the whole process of passenger travels, freight transportation and query, and synthesizes internal and external information to provide visualization integrated decision support for managers at all levels. It is based on the improvement and transformation of existing railway information system, and has an important role in enhancing the railway management, the level of service and images, and ensuring transport safety [2].

#### **1.1.2.2 Connotation**

The concept of Digital Railway has two levels of connotations: the meaning of the first level corresponded with the Digital Earth, is a multi-resolution, three-dimensional representation of China Railway locomotive, car, permanent way, communication & signal, traffic management, etc. related information, and integrated with geographic coordinates, then embedded with large-scale railway associate geographic data and management information; and at the second level, through proper storage management and process with all kinds of data, to make digitalized management for railway transportation industry. Digital dynamic information referenced with static, with a high degree of immersion and presence, in order to facilitate interaction and understanding of the expression to show to the user, makes huge railway system across the country to reproduce the true decision-makers at all levels, to provide a basis for supporting decision-making and production command. Digital Railway will be powerful information infrastructure and resource to support railway modernization construction and operation, and give the decision making organization of railway system the capabilities of meaningful operation, planning and strategy capabilities, and finally realize the idea of "railway in hand". The ultimate goal of the construction of Digital Railway is for servicing with digitalized management to different departments of railway.

In summary, Digital Railway included three aspects of connotation: (1)Digital Railway is a strategic thinking about 21 century China railway modernization development, that will propose integration needs for railway planning, specification, technology, especially information. (2) Digital Railway is a dynamic information mega-system, which provide open, distributed computing capability and full range of services; (3) Digital Railway is virtualized railway, as a digital understanding and reproduction of real railway and its operation [3].

#### **1.1.2.3 The necessity of construction**

With the trend of intelligent, green and sustainable development in today, construction and development of Digital Railway still has significance. Digital Railway is the foundation to

industry. Digital Railway should be the strategic objective of China railway modernization

Digital railway is new railway information system, which researches digitization of the railway infrastructure(lines, bridges and tunnels, stations, signal system, etc.), mobile equipment (locomotives, cars, EMUs (Electrical Motor Units), etc.) and railway environment (dynamic and static information, multi-resolution and 3D information) based on geographical information system (GIS), Global position system (GPS), Remote system (RS), information system, Internet of Things, virtualization, information integration, etc. to realize overall management and vivid indications of the railway transportation capacity resources and service resources. It internally supports Railway Transport Organization, Passenger & Freight Transport Marketing Services, Enterprise Business Operation Management needs, externally supports visual display of the whole process of passenger travels, freight transportation and query, and synthesizes internal and external information to provide visualization integrated decision support for managers at all levels. It is based on the improvement and transformation of existing railway information system, and has an important role in enhancing the railway

The concept of Digital Railway has two levels of connotations: the meaning of the first level corresponded with the Digital Earth, is a multi-resolution, three-dimensional representation of China Railway locomotive, car, permanent way, communication & signal, traffic management, etc. related information, and integrated with geographic coordinates, then embedded with large-scale railway associate geographic data and management information; and at the second level, through proper storage management and process with all kinds of data, to make digitalized management for railway transportation industry. Digital dynamic information referenced with static, with a high degree of immersion and presence, in order to facilitate interaction and understanding of the expression to show to the user, makes huge railway system across the country to reproduce the true decision-makers at all levels, to provide a basis for supporting decision-making and production command. Digital Railway will be powerful information infrastructure and resource to support railway modernization construction and operation, and give the decision making organization of railway system the capabilities of meaningful operation, planning and strategy capabilities, and finally realize the idea of "railway in hand". The ultimate goal of the construction of Digital Railway is for servicing

In summary, Digital Railway included three aspects of connotation: (1)Digital Railway is a strategic thinking about 21 century China railway modernization development, that will propose integration needs for railway planning, specification, technology, especially information. (2) Digital Railway is a dynamic information mega-system, which provide open, distributed computing capability and full range of services; (3) Digital Railway is virtualized railway, as a digital understanding and reproduction of real railway and its operation [3].

With the trend of intelligent, green and sustainable development in today, construction and development of Digital Railway still has significance. Digital Railway is the foundation to

**1.1.2 Connotation and essential characteristics of digital railway system** 

management, the level of service and images, and ensuring transport safety [2].

with digitalized management to different departments of railway.

**1.1.2.3 The necessity of construction** 

in the 21st century.

**1.1.2.1 Definition** 

**1.1.2.2 Connotation** 

realize Intelligent Railway development [13], as well as the content of basic building during railway informatization, and the needs of railway modernization for now and the objective of the future.

Government attaches great importance to the development of national railway, invested heavily in rail infrastructure, especially large-scale passenger line construction. In 2010, China railway mileage will reach 110,000 kilometers, among others, above 200 kilometers per hour and intercity passenger rail line will reach 13,000 km, achieve separating from passengers and freights on busy main line, and a large number of modern integrated transport hub in operation. At the period of great construction and development, various kinds of new business applications are emerging, and made strong demand for railway information. At the same time, for the upcoming large-scale railroad network system, existing decentralized information processing methods of information management systems cannot meet the needs of rapid development of railway operations. That makes urgent needs for modern information technology to carry out in depth research and comprehensive application of railway information resources, integrated utilizing geographical information technology, global positioning technology, remote sensing technology, multimedia messaging technology, intelligent image processing technology, virtualization reality technology and network communication technology, etc., and based on information technology promote Digital Railway construction, use of railway information resource, serving railway business operation, to enhance the level of railway operation and management to provide technical support.

#### **1.1.2.4 Essential characteristics**

Digital Railway is a comprehensive, large and integrated, complex and arduous mega-systems engineering, and it is a development strategy. Instead, the rail transport system will depend on the digitalized and network-enabled information infrastructure. In the railway transport system, production and management of internal operations and external marketing and passenger services are all part of the effective interaction based on the "digital flow". It develops the railway information system in an innovative way, that achieve digitalize railway management, to make a virtual reproduction of the "real world" railway through the computer and information network. By Digital Railway research and development, archive digitalized railway survey and design, digitalized railway engineering construction, digitalized railway equipment manufacturing, digitalized railway traffic command and control, digitalized railway safety inspection and monitor, and digitalized maintenance and repair, etc., then archive Digital Railway business process reengineering, digital management decision-making, and promote organizational process reengineering. The research and development of Digital Railway will promote management innovation through technology innovation, reduce operating costs, improve efficiency and level of management, facility the connection between the railway and highways, waterways, civil aviation and other modes of transport, provide digitalized passenger and freight transportation service, promote intelligent and integrated transportation systems development.

#### **1.1.3 Construction objectives and research contents of digital railway systems**

The objectives of Digital Railway construction include [2]: on the one hand is the realization of Digitalization and Cyberization of the railway business systems, regulating railway foundation information and the methods of information sharing and exchange for dynamic

Digital Railway System 177

The foundation of Digital Railway is the data in all kinds of railway business operation information systems, and now a large number of railway information system has been put into operation, some systems are under construction. Digitalization for these systems means, according to digital integrated display, publishing, management and decision-making needs, that we should demonstrate information and methods for exchange among these systems(both inside and outside), and we also need construct the railway common information platform and realize dynamic information exchange and sharing of business information. To archive the goal that, on the one hand, to meet the business services and management needs, on the other hand, to satisfy management and decision-making needs at all levels of railway operation.

Digital Railway foundation information platform is an important support for Digital Railway, which includes: network communications platform, information sharing platform, common information platform, information security platform and Digital

1. **Network Communication Platform:** Railway network communications platform provide Internet backbone communications infrastructure and intelligent communications management platform for ubiquitous digital network communications environment, including the bearer network (wireless and wired transmission network, switching network, access network), network support

**Digital Railway Technical Systems** 

Railway portal, etc. [4-6]

Fig. 1. General Framework of Digital Railway System

**Digital Railway foundation information platform** 

**Digital Railway Information Standards**

business operation; on the other hand is to establish a railway geographic information platform as the core of information services and sharing for railway systems, ultimately to archive the full sharing of information among railway systems, improve resource utilization efficiency and demonstrate the level of service in the railway.

The research contents of Digital Railway include:


### **1.1.4 General framework of digital railway system**

From an engineering perspective, Digital Railway is a network centric geographic information systems engineering, related to information resources, technology, organization, standards and rules, etc., and the key task is to achieve the railway business integration applications and services through the sharing of spatial data based on geographic information platform. Therefore, the Digital Railway construction composed with digital foundational information platform, Digital Railway geographic information platform, Digital Railway information systems, technology systems and information standard systems, and several other components, its general framework shown in Figure 1.

business operation; on the other hand is to establish a railway geographic information platform as the core of information services and sharing for railway systems, ultimately to archive the full sharing of information among railway systems, improve resource utilization

1. Research of Digital Railway architecture, study on hierarchy, logical structure, physical

2. Research of Digital Railway standards. The development of digital spatial data content and standards of the railway, data quality control standards, spatial data exchange

3. Research of Digital Railway business application for information exchange. According to the unified planning and need of railway information sharing platform, specifications of the railway business information system output and input of

4. Research of railway spatial data model and structure. Propose Digital Railway data structures of spatial models, and demonstrate the content of spatial database system

5. Research of railway spatial information sharing technologies. Research of railway spatial information sharing technologies, including railway foundational spatial information synchronization and spatial information sharing mechanisms, provide a wealth of spatial data sharing and spatial information services, for all railway

6. Research of technology solution of core applications. Study on application solution with 3S technologies, virtualization technology, Internet of Things, spatial data querying, information integration and comprehensive application, etc. in railway business

7. Research of Digital Railway application overall program with internal and external user requirement. In-depth analysis of the various digital application contents and presentation requirements of railway business units and outside users, and propose

8. Research of mechanisms on operation, maintenance, safety & security of Digital Railway information system. Propose Digital Railway information operations, maintenance and updates, and safety & security mechanisms, to ensure that Digital

From an engineering perspective, Digital Railway is a network centric geographic information systems engineering, related to information resources, technology, organization, standards and rules, etc., and the key task is to achieve the railway business integration applications and services through the sharing of spatial data based on geographic information platform. Therefore, the Digital Railway construction composed with digital foundational information platform, Digital Railway geographic information platform, Digital Railway information systems, technology systems and information standard systems, and several other components, its general framework shown in

Railway information is updated in real time and efficient maintenance.

structure of Digital Railway system, and proposed the overall framework.

efficiency and demonstrate the level of service in the railway.

standards, spatial information sharing service standards.

information content and interface specifications.

and logical relationship among them.

Digital Railway application overall solution.

**1.1.4 General framework of digital railway system** 

information systems.

operation field.

Figure 1.

The research contents of Digital Railway include:

Fig. 1. General Framework of Digital Railway System
