Location-Based Frequency Selection: Automating Amtrak's Onboard Radios

Author: Ed Furman
Organization: Automated Monitoring and Control International

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Presented by Randy Keith

FRA regulations mandate railroad dispatchers and conductors maintain radio contact. To this end, locomotives are typically equipped with 99-channel VHF radios. As trains traverse their assigned routes, conductors must consult printed timetables and manually change the frequency of their onboard radios to match local base stations. In this paper we present a solution we have developed to automatically change channels based on location. The system combines precise RF performance prediction, genetically-derived polygonal approximation of coverage contours, and carrier-aided GPS position solutions. We are currently demonstrating this system on Amtrak locomotives in service between Eugene, Oregon, and Vancouver, British Columbia.