Train Control Upgrade for the Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit System at West Virginia University

摘要

The Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit (MPRT) system is an automated people mover system that provides non-stop origin-to-destination service among the separate campuses of West Virginia University and the Morgantown Central Business District. The system opened in 1975 and was the first large scale Automated Guideway Transit system in the United States. The MPRT is a vital piece of the University; without it, students would be unable to take classes on the adjoining campuses. The Morgantown system meets most of the classifications of a PRT: it is automated; it responds on customer demand; and it provides direct origin-to-destination service. However, the Morgantown vehicles can accommodate up to 20 passengers, which the industry considers to be too large to be Personal Rapid Transit. Nevertheless, the Morgantown system is the only transit system in the U.S. that has achieved the operating characteristics of a PRT system. After nearly 37 years of operation, the Morgantown system is due for an upgrade. On the existing system, communication with the train is achieved with inductive loops, or cables, that are embedded in the concrete running surface. Over the years, these loops have begun to deteriorate, which has adversely affected the reliability of the system. An investment in an upgraded train control system was recommended to sustain operations in the long term. Replacing the existing communication loops was determined to be infeasible due to the cost and the impact on operations. The University has elected to implement radio-based train control, or CBTC, while still maintaining the operating characteristics of the existing system. A radio-based communication system eliminates reliance on inductive loops, thereby improving the availability of the system while also lowering the maintenance costs. This paper describes the Morgantown PRT system, the benefits of upgrading the MPRT with a CBTC system, and the challenges that the train control contractor is likely to face.