Union Switch & Signal - Complete Rail Signalling and Control Solutions

Union Switch & Signal, Inc., a subsidiary of Ansaldo Signal, is a full-line supplier of signalling and automation systems, equipment and services for all types of railway operations. From switch machines to relays and sophisticated driverless metro systems, Union Switch & Signal is committed to pushing the potential of rail transportation by providing products and systems that deliver safety, reliability and cost efficiency.

COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCHING (CAD) SYSTEMS FOR RAILROADS

For the railroad environment, Union Switch & Signal is a leading developer of Computer Aided Dispatching (CAD) systems, encompassing a broad range of tools that permit mainline railroads to monitor and control their entire network from a single location, or from a number of distributed network control centers.

Union Switch & Signal CAD systems and movement planning software enable dispatchers to automatically coordinate and manage train movements, monitor the operation of the signaling and control system, and access a variety of information and reports regarding train performance, composition, and scheduling.

OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTERS FOR RAIL TRANSIT SUPERVISION

For the transit environment, Union Switch & Signal provides Operations Control Centers (OCC) that supervise and control light, heavy, and commuter rail transit systems. We installed the first supervisory systems nearly 40 years ago, and we continue to provide systems of varying complexity, including driver-less systems with full Automatic Train Operation (ATO).

Our control system platform is industry-specific and optimized for the rail environment. It is not a generalized control system solution. Instead, its design is specifically tailored for transit control applications.

Union Switch & Signal control systems are also highly integrated, combining what were once separate and discrete subsystems into a seamless control system with a common, graphical user interface.

WAYSIDE SIGNALLING AND CONTROL

Union Switch & Signal wayside signalling and control systems are designed to meet rigid, demanding needs for safety, high performance and low maintenance. The foundation for these systems is a spectrum of wayside control components: relays, signals, track circuits, switch machines, microprocessor-based vital interlockings, and data transmission systems.

These components are used in combination to engineer wayside systems that provide the exact level of control a customer desires, from the most basic to the highly automated.

CAB SIGNALLING SYSTEMS

Union Switch & Signal is one of the industry pioneers in cab signalling technology, having developed cab systems for diesel and electric locomotives, self-propelled passenger cars, and both heavy and light transit cars around the globe.

Our microprocessor-based MicroCab cab signalling system allows for programming, event recording, and a wide range of diagnostic capabilities. For transit Automatic Train Control (ATC) applications with heavy traffic and close headways, the MicroCab system is configured to process the many critical variables (e.g. braking profiles, distance-to-go) transmitted by our AF-900 series digital track circuits.

END-OF-TRAIN SYSTEMS

Union Switch & Signal's End-of-Train systems enable operators to initiate the emergency brake application at the rear of a train. Our Digitair Sense-and-Brake Unit (SBU) monitors brake-pipe pressure and the direction and motion of the last car of the train, and continuously transmits this information to the locomotive operator. It also communicates self-diagnostic data on the SBU's battery condition and the integrity of the unit's RF communications link.

Union Switch & Signal also supplies the Communications Interface Unit (CIU), the Communications Display Unit (CDU), Wayside Communications Unit (WCU), as well as the SBU battery charger.