Propagation Measurements and Analysis for Train Stations of High-Speed Railway at 930 MHz

Train stations are one of the most common structures along a high-speed railway. They can block the line of sight (LOS), generate multiple reflected and scattered waves, and aggravate the fading behavior; however, these effects have been rarely investigated. This paper presents a group of 930-MHz measurements conducted on train stations of high-speed railways in China. The whole process of a train passing stations has been measured with two typical types of stations. The results indicate that, when the station is far from the transmitter (Tx), the semi-closed station (in which the awnings cover both the platforms and the rails) influences the propagation much more seriously than the open station (in which the awnings only cover the platforms supporting a clear free space over the tracks). When the station is near the Tx, the fact of whether the train keeps the LOS and stays inside the station determines the propagation for both types of stations. All the propagation characteristics, including extra propagation loss, shadow fading, small-scale fading, level crossing rate (LCR), average fade duration (AFD), and fading depth (FD), have been measured and computed for the first time. Specific findings of propagation characteristics in the train station scenario are provided. Afterward, by filling the gap of the train station scenario, a table is made to establish the comprehensive understanding of main scenarios in the high-speed railway. Furthermore, comparisons of the propagation characteristics between the train station scenario and ten standard scenarios are made to emphasize the significance of the modeling exclusively for the train station scenario. Finally, rules of the influence of four conditions are quantitatively revealed. The measured results and quantitative analysis are significant for leading the simulation and design of signaling and train control communications systems toward the reality.