4 Wheel Drive/SUVs: Railway signals control system.

Question
QUESTION: Dear Carl

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_signal

In cases where specific railway signals are not working on the railway tracks, is it possible for the motorman or train driver getting automatic alarms inside the train ?.

Can a electronic panel and a signal control system be designed within the train cabin to the motorman indicating railway signals strategic locations and signal status (red,green,orange etc) displayed as a map at a distance say 1 or 1/2 km before the train approaches a railway signal ?.

Can i get inputs, views and opinion from your end regarding the pros and cons if such a system is integrated within the train cabin to the motorman ?.

Examples :

The railways signals positioned at strategic locations near the railway tracks can be completely or partially eliminated if such a system is built ?

The motorman will have a better control of train operations ?.

The cost of building and implementing these systems will be not a significant amount ?.

These systems if implemented will better for Long distance trains as compared to short distance Local trains transport or vice versa ?.

Awaiting your reply,

Thanks & Regards,
Prashant S Akerkar

ANSWER: Prashant,

The type of system you are interested in should be easy, and fairly inexpensive to install.  They could operate off of a motion sensor, metal detector loops,  cameras, to name a few.  A computerized camera system would be able to send a picture to the train from each intersection, or station, and could be viewed on a monitor, or even a computer.
I think that you would, still want a barrier of some sort, such as a gate tied in with the system, just to make sure that the motorists know that a train is in the area.

I think that this is a great idea, and one that would promote safety greatly.

Carl

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Carl

Thank you.

Do you feel if The railways signals positioned at strategic locations near the railway tracks can be completely or partially eliminated if such a system is built ?.

Electronic panel and a signal control system will be integrated in the train cabin for operations to the motorman ?.

Awaiting your reply,

Thanks & Regards,
Prashant S Akerkar

Answer
Prashant,

I would say that there still needs to be some type of warning system at the specific intersection, to notify the drivers that there is a train on the tracks, and in the vicinity.  The reason I say this, is that the train cannot be slowed down quickly enough to evade a motorist that may pull in front of the train.  The train notification would be a safety device to confirm that the train engineer/operator of a pending situation, such as a stalled vehicle or animal on the tracks.  With enough advance warning, the engineer could start an emergency slow down or stop before the blocked area or track.  The safety system, could, also notify the engineer of a failure of a safety system at an intersection.

Carl