Authors: N.Santosh Kumar, V.Kavya, M.Harshitha, P.SudheerKumar, V.Karthik
Abstract: Train collisions are one of the critical safety concerns in railways, which could result from human error, signal failure, communication delay, or reduced line of sight owing to complex terrain. This paper proposes a low-cost intelligent TCPS designed using ESP32 microcontrollers, ultrasonic sensors, ESP-NOW wireless communication, and an automatic servo-based braking mechanism. The trackside unit constantly monitors the movement of the train through two ultrasonic sensors and calculates real-time distances for potential head-on collision detection. When the system identifies a threat, it issues an instantaneous emergency braking signal to the onboard units, which trigger the servo-driven brake assembly. Further, the proposed system is integrated with regenerative braking to recover the kinetic energy for recharging the lithium-ion battery supply present in the system. Experimental testing on a prototype railway track has shown high detection accuracy, quick wireless communication, and reliable automatic braking. The proposed system gives a scalable, modular, and energy-efficient alternative to conventional railway safety mechanisms that can be integrated with state-of-the-art signalling and AI-based prediction in future applications.
