Development of an automation tool for data configuration of signaling systems

This thesis work, which was realized at ALSTOM S. p. A., focuses on the communication between trackside equipment and the train, which is performed via various protocols to have information in advance about the state of the railway. The object is developing, after a careful analysis of the communication system, the software for the configuration parameters of the database files. Chapter 1, after a brief review of the European regulatory environment in railroad, explains the European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS), the European Train Control System (ETCS), and the radio-based telecommunications standard used (GSM-R). Chapter 2 outlines the software and hardware architecture of Radio Block Center (RBC), in concordance with the specifications furnished by the European Railway Agency (ERA). Furthermore, it provides descriptions of the utilized peripheral interfaces. Finally, chapter 3, which is the core of the thesis work, illustrates an algorithm and software solution for data configuration implemented in Python. Moreover, it examines the structure of parameters, conversion rules, and data types.