Design and Safety Analysis of an Automated Railway Crossing System Using PLC-Based Control and Real-Time Simulation

Abstract

Due to the manual operation of crossing gates, human errors are frequent, making railway level crossings the most dangerous part of the railway network. This paper presents an automatic railway crossing gate control system developed with a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). The system employs a counter-axle methodology to detect trains in the crossing area. The main controller, a Siemens S7-1200 PLC, is programmed with the company's TIA Portal software. The system is designed to close and open railway crossing gates automatically using two axle detection sensors that count the number of train axles crossing the designated section of the crossing gates. The entire system is functioning using the S7-PLCSIM simulation to verify the anticipated operational behavior. To determine the system’s performance in the detection and control of train movement, a response time analysis is completed; this is a study of the time lapse created between the act of train detection and the movement of the crossing gate, as well as the simulation of failure scenarios to assess system functionality in an undesirable condition. The proposed system is designed to control railway crossing gates automatically using the detected train movement and an established responsive time, thereby enhancing the safety of railway crossings and minimizing human error during operation.