Reliability of an in-vehicle warning system for railway level crossings - a user-oriented analysis

This study analyses the reliability of an in-vehicle warning system developed in Finland during 2008-2010. The system is based on the positioning of trains using GPS, calculation of the states of level crossings on a server and in-vehicle equipment that retrieves information about the states of level crossings from the server. Information about the reliability of the system is very relevant for accurate estimation of the impacts of the system and for estimating the potential for improvements to it. The study starts with a description of the system under analysis, continues by defining the concept of reliability and provides an estimate for the reliability of the system from the user point of view. To achieve this objective, the study defines the relevant concepts and describes a methodology for analysis of the reliability of the system. The main input to the analysis of reliability includes a brief overview of existing concepts related to the reliability of in-vehicle ITS systems and empirical data obtained in a field test carried out in southern Finland. The analysis shows that the expected functionality has been achieved, but the reliability level of the pilot system needs improvement, especially reduction in the share of missed alarms.