CTCS—Chinese Train Control System

There are very similar features between Chinese Railways and European Railways in terms of train operation mode and train control. ETCS (European Train Control System), supported by the European Union and the European Industrials, has been finalized as the technical standard of train control systems in Europe after more than ten years effort. There is more than 71,500 kilometers of railway operation line in China, 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 lines with a speed of 160 kilometers per hour. A high speed line from Beijing to Shanghai with a speed of more than 300 kilometers per hour will be constructed in the next few years. Due to historical and technical reasons, there exist more than six kinds of railway signal systems for Chinese Railways. At present, there is no 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 put forward in 2002 as the technical standard of Chinese train control systems by the Chinese Railway Ministry. In the paper, CTCS is introduced. Based on the present situation of Chinese train control systems and their development requirements, both in technical and management aspects, the frame of CTCS is described. The comparison between ETCS and CTCS is also made.