A switch on a train track.

Centralized Traffic Control (CTC)

Do you dispatch on signaled territory? Then RailComm’s DOC® CTC is the smoothest traffic control solution for your operation. That’s because our application is designed with a user-friendly graphical interface - tailor-made to ensure safety, accuracy and efficiency.

Start small and scale up later

Why not begin with a smaller system and build upon the solution as your resources allow? This makes the transition to RailComm as affordable as it is easy.

A train arriving at a switch on a train track.

Benefits of CTC

Railroads with both freight and passenger operations can benefit from RailComm’s DOC system. Here’s how:

  • It allows you to dispatch all types of trains and services
  • With defined configuration parameters, you can dispatch everything from the same platform
  • RailComm’s DOC CTC integrates SCADA capabilities into your CTC system
  • You can control and monitor wayside signals, power devices, substations, heaters, gates and bridges, and any other infrastructure on your mainline and stations
  • The system helps your dispatcher select the best route based on the availability of catenary or third rail power.

Key features of DOC

When using our DOC system for mainline CTC applications, its key features include:

  • Individual switch control
  • Entrance / Exit (NX) routing
  • Route stacking
  • Route slotting
  • Restrictive Aspect Indication
  • Return-to-Train
  • Remote switch blocking

User-friendly controls

RailComm's CTC system offers mainline dispatchers a graphical interface to perform their normal operations. This user-friendly tool allows them to perform tasks in the safest and most effective way possible. This is because the system can help manage:

  • the dispatcher transfer process
  • the supply of track bulletins and other track and employee protections (based on the railroad's specific ruleset of operation).
  • multiple rulesets for railroads that operate different rules in different subdivisions or territories
  • additional factors such as train calls, sheets, resources, delays and weather

Advanced field communication

In terms of field comms, our CTC system can support multiple communications protocols and methods. These include:

  • Serial
  • Modem
  • Modbus
  • IP
  • Genisys
  • DataTrain IV
  • DataTrain VIII

Crucially, the system's fully future-proofed. This is because it’s designed to accept new methods and protocols (existing and future) with minimal modification.

How it works

RailComm’s controllers are installed within the signaling bungalows at each control point. This establishes the communication between the field and the RailComm servers. The operation’s carried out centrally via an arrangement of DOC servers and workstations (based on your dispatching needs). Thanks to DOC’s architecture, the CTC system can be used in conjunction with other DOC applications for mainline train control, e.g. Track Warrant Control. Importantly, this is without the need to purchase additional infrastructure. RailComm’s CTC system is available on a client-server architecture or hosted as Service-as-a-Software on RailComm’s cloud.