Computer-aided train operation:: CATO

The aim of the CATO project is to lay a foundation for development of a system for optimal driving of trains. It is based on data communication between the train and the Traffic Control Centre (TCC) in combination with a centralised system for the calculation of optimal train movements. This paper gives a brief overview of the system concept, as well as a description of the benefits it could bring to efficient railway operation. The name CATO (Computer Aided Train Operation) has been chosen as a parallel to the concept CATD (Computer Aided Train Dispatching). CATO also comes close to ATO (Automatic Train Operation), even though it is conceived as a non-vital system. Shortly speaking, CATO is an optimising traffic management layer on top of the existing signalling and safety system.