CTCS—Chinese Train Control System

Abstract

The Chinese Railways and European Railways have similar features in terms of train operation and train control. The European Train Control System (ETCS) has been finalized as the technical standard train control system in Europe after more than ten years of effort. China has more than 71,500 of railway which includes conventional lines with a speed of 120 kilometers per hour, a dedicated passenger line with a speed of 250 kilometers per hour and the speed-raising line with a speed of 160 kilometers per hour. A high speed line running from Beijing to Shanghai with a speed of more than 300 kilometers per hour will be constructed in the next five years. At the present time there is technical standard for Chinese train control systems. In order to ensure the safety and efficiency of train operation and to meet the requirements of modern technical development in railways, the concept of CTCS (Chinese Train control System) was created in 2002 as the technical standard of Chinese train control systems. This paper introduces CTCS in both technical and management aspects and a comparison between ETCS and CTCS is presented.