Railway User Navigation Equipment (RUNE)

In the Railway User Navigation Equipment (RUNE) project, a team led by Laben (Italy) is using European Geostationary Overlay Service (EGNOS) as part of an integrated solution to improve the train driver’s situational awareness.

Today, the driver does not receive advanced warnings of the status of signals or speed restrictions and, as a result, it is harder to deploy drivers on new lines. RUNE integrates EGNOS/GPS with other on-board positioning sensors, and signalling and speed restriction information from a central control centre. This will significantly improve safety as a result of improved situational awareness, and should also speed up the deployment of drivers on new routes.

The project was completed in 2006.