Network Control hierarchy





		*Network Control hierarchy*

		A critical requirement throughout the network, is a fail-safe guidance system and pinpoint accuracy for navigation. The technologies required to address these is already available, I propose that it may be organised through the system at three levels; network wide, neighbourhood wide and GRT specific.


	*National primary network*


	*Neighbourhood network*


	*Vehicle -network*

National primary network

To be under centralised control, this system monitors and co-ordinates all traffic using the network. Its roles will be the strategic control of the wider network, operational planning, and network data processing.

Strategic control is achieved through the maintenance of minimum buffer zones between mother cars as a safety measure. Trains would have spatial parameters, within which, velocity changes are permissible. Thus the vehicle can directly respond to local conditions. If a train violates its spatial bubble, the national primary network is alerted and corrective measures taken.


	Mothercar Rear View

Operational planning involves organising the frequency and provision of service in such a way that it responds to local demand. This function is facilitated as comprehensive data on the current usage and population profile is always available.

Network data processing would co-ordinate the thousands of individual allocated tickets. Data from the transfer vehicle ticket computer relayed to a central processor which determines the availability of seats throughout the system based on the sum of individual booked journeys. This information is relayed back to stations, and transfer vehicles, so that interactive pricing [or auctioning] of preferential seats is effective. This is to help ensure that seat take up rates are maintained at a reasonably high level.


	Transfer VehicleFront View

Neighbourhood network

Neighbourhood networks complement the national and vehicle networks. Neighborhood networks, based at stations, act as a hub for the amalgamation off user credit information, such as parking, trolley, or other ancillary charges. The information is used to maintain control over the local provision of such services, and anticipates the distribution of demand so that services can be appropriately resourced. [E.g. Shopping trolleys may be borrowed more on journeys out of the C.B.D., so unused trolleys will need to be shuttled back from the suburbs].

The population age profile in a neighbourhood, will be important in assessing the requirement for subsidised tickets, and help detect those who may attempt to use more than their share of subsidised journeys.

The neighbourhood network may also have inputs into the planning and control of the overall route within which he neighbourhood lies. As its is essential to strictly regulate connecting trains position in time and space, some backup monitoring to be main central network should yield any discrepancies between local and national traffic surveillance.

Vehicle -network

The vehicle network controls vehicle synchronization and interfacing, within National network parameters,. This is described in the notes on vehicle guidance. The transfer vehicle will house the main information inputs to the network [user information, vehicle population data, and spatial navigation information] that is relayed to the neighbourhood and national networks.

The transfer vehicle also receives processed data from other networks [e.g. estimated journey times of alternative routes due to current seat availability], which is made available through the ticketing computer to passengers, at the time of booking.

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