Enhancing Railway Track Data Measurements and Collection System with Blockchain Technology- Use of Inter Blockchain Communications

The public demand for railway safety continues to be a major concern for the railway operators, the public, and the government. The Federal Railway Administration has invested in the development of various equipment for rail data collection. The automated data collection equipment has been very successful, but in this era of cyber breaches, the receiving, sharing, and access to data are of paramount importance. Blockchain technology, although in its infancy will create an immutable record for the data, storage, and reporting if incorporated into the current automated data equipment. The main objective of this proposal is to develop a framework whereby blockchains will be used as lines of cyber defense and in storing and sharing railway track data and information. The number of blockchain platforms and decentralized applications are increasing rapidly in the last few years. Most of the existing blockchain networks are operating in a standalone environment isolated from each other. This creates scalability issues and in most cases connectivity nightmares, therefore limiting the application of the technology. This will be achieved through the following sub-objectives: This approach will apply to both passengers, freight, and metro systems. This Blockchain model can further be connected to various railway information systems hence providing additional defense methods against hackers. The blockchain will provide some “sort of supply chain” so only authorized personnel can approve and share the information in real-time. The successful implementation of this project can be extended to other autonomous vehicle data collection systems. The project at this level will be based on a private blockchain.

    Language

    • English

    Project

    • Status: Active
    • Sponsor Organizations:

      Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

      University Transportation Centers Program
      Department of Transportation
      Washington, DC  United States  20590
    • Managing Organizations:

      Howard University

      2400 6th Street, NW
      Washington, DC  United States  20059
    • Performing Organizations:

      University of Maryland, College Park

      Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
      College Park, MD  United States  20742
    • Start Date: 20230901
    • Expected Completion Date: 0
    • Actual Completion Date: 0
    • USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

    Subject/Index Terms

    Filing Info

    • Accession Number: 01931107
    • Record Type: Research project
    • Source Agency: Research and Education in Promoting Safety (REPS) University Transportation Center
    • Files: UTC, RIP
    • Created Date: Sep 17 2024 5:36PM