The Development and

Application of IEEE CBTC

Standards
Dr. Alan F. Rumsey
Delcan, Vice President Rail and Transit Systems
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA

APTA 2012 Rail Conference

IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA)

IEEE-SA is a leading consensus building organization that
nurtures, develops & advances global technologies
IEEE standards fuel the development and implementation
of technologies that influence and transform the way we
live, work and communicate
Anyone can participate in IEEE standards development

http://standards.ieee.org/

Communications Based Train Control

A Global Technology
A train-borne method of determining a trains location, length
and integrity
A continuous data communications link between the CBTC
train-borne equipment and CBTC wayside equipment
Train-borne and wayside vital processors capable of
performing automatic train protection (ATP), automatic train
operation (ATO) and automatic train supervision (ATS)
functions

CBTC Influences
To optimize the utilization of the rail transit infrastructure by
providing

Safety of train movements

Maximizing line capacity
Permitting flexible train movements
Providing for high system availability, with degraded modes of
operation

To efficiently move people

IEEE Standards Development Lifecycle

Initiating the
Project
Maintaining
the Standard

Mobilizing
Working Group

http://standards.ieee.org/develop

Gaining Final
Approval

Drafting the
Standard
Balloting the
Standard

Rail Transportation Standards Committee

Rail Transportation Standards Committee (RTSC)
Formed in 1996 as a standing committee of the Vehicular
Technology Society of the IEEE
Develops standards using ANSI consensus procedures as
administered by the IEEE
Develops standards associated with rail passenger vehicles,
trains and systems

IEEE RTSC Working Group 2 (WG2)

WG2 is one of RTSC working groups
Specifically focused on CBTC
Open to all interested parties and includes:

Transit agencies (from North America and Europe)

Signal suppliers
Consultants
Government agencies

IEEE RTSC Working Group 2 (WG2)

WG2 Guiding Principles
Any new CBTC standard should add value to the industry
Development of any new CBTC standard should be achievable
within a reasonable period of time
Initiating the
Project

Four CBTC standards developed to date

Maintaining
the Standard

51 meetings held
~ 10 to 30 participants at each meeting
> 100 individuals participated over the years

Mobilizing
Working Group

Gaining Final
Approval

Drafting the
Standard
Balloting the
Standard

IEEE CBTC Standards

IEEE Std 1474.1TM 2004 (R2009):
Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) Performance
and Functional Requirements
First published in 1999; updated in
2004 to incorporate driverless train
operations; re-affirmed in 2009
without revisions

Standard widely used and referenced

around the world
Also referenced in FRA final rule for
Positive Train Control (PTC)

CBTC PTC Comparison

CBTC

Automatic Train
Supervision (ATS)
Automatic Train
Operation (ATO)
Automatic Train
Protection (ATP)

PTC

IEEE CBTC Standards

IEEE Std 1474.2-2003TM (R2008):
User Interface Requirements in Communications-Based Train
Control (CBTC) Systems
Provides for consistent operationsrelated and maintenance-related user
interfaces
First published in 2003 and re-affirmed
in 2008 without revisions
Also referenced in FRA final rule for PTC

IEEE CBTC Standards

IEEE Std 1474.3TM 2008:
Recommended Practice for Communications-Based Train
Control (CBTC) System Design and Functional Allocations
Published in September, 2008
Captures current state-of-the-art and
industry best practice in allocating the
functional requirements to individual
CBTC subsystems
Also of value in gaining a better
understanding of CBTC system
architectures/principles of operation

Major CBTC Subsystems

Central Equipment

Wayside Equipment

Train-borne Equipment

Data Comm Equipment

Example: Primary ATP Functions

Determine train location

Example: Primary ATP Functions

Determine movement
authority based on
train location and
route status

Example: Primary ATP Functions

Determine and enforce

ATP profile

IEEE CBTC Standards

IEEE Std1474.4TM - 2011:
Recommended Practice for Functional Testing of a
Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) Systems
Defines a preferred sequence and
extent of off-site and onsite functional
testing for CBTC systems with the
objective of maximizing test efficiency
and effectiveness
Published in September, 2011

CBTC Functional Testing

Full Set of CBTC Sub-functions

Factory Functional Testing

Sub-functions Fully
Verified in the Factory

Sub-functions Not Fully

Verified in the Factory

Test Track Functional Testing

Sub-functions
Fully Verified on a
CBTC Test Track

Sub-functions Not
Fully Verified on a
CBTC Test Track

Field Functional Testing

Sub-functions Fully
Verified in the Field
All CBTC Sub-functions Fully Verified

Relationship between CBTC Standards

CBTC System Acceptance
(Trial Operations and
Reliability/Availability/
Maintainability Testing)

CBTC System
Requirements

CBTC System Functional

Requirements
(IEEE Std. 1474.1)

CBTC System Functional

Testing (Factory, CBTC Test
Track and Field)
(IEEE Std. 1474.4)

CBTC System Design and

Functional Allocation
(IEEE Std. 1474.3)

CBTC Subsystem Design

CBTC Subsystem Testing

and Installation
Verification

CBTC Subsystem
Manufacture and
Qualification Testing

IEEE RTSC Working Group 2 (WG2)

In 2010, WG2 was awarded the IEEE-SA Emerging
Technology Award for the groups leadership in
developing universally adopted consensus standards for
communications-based train control technology

Summary
IEEE RTSC WG2 has developed four consensus standards for
CBTC technology
The IEEE CBTC standards are being recognized and
referenced around the world
In developing CBTC consensus standards, WG2 depended
totally on the support of the transit agencies, signaling
suppliers, and other interested parties