Great Britain took an unprecedented step in rail transport by successfully testing a system quantum navigation on a regular service train. The technology, a world first, could change the way these vehicles are located and monitored.
The test was carried out on March 3 on a service of the English railway company Great Northernwhich circulated between London and Welwyn Garden City. The trial marks a fundamental advance in the development of alternatives to conventional GPS and opens the door to more precise and reliable positioning systems.
How quantum navigation works
The system, called the Railway Quantum Inertial Navigation System (RQINS), is used quantum sensors high precision devices capable of recording minimal variations in the movement and rotation of the train.
Unlike traditional satellite-based methods, this technology works autonomouslywithout the need for external signals, which makes it much more effective in tunnels, dense urban environments or areas where GPS may have failures or low coverage.
Network Rail, responsible for the UK’s railway infrastructure, noted that the RQINS system allows the exact location of the train to be known in real time. According to the entity, this technology overcomes the limitations of current methods and offers a more economical and resistant alternative to location systems installed on roads, which are usually expensive and prone to technical failures or interference.
The institutions that are part of the project
The project is led by Great British Railwaysbody in charge of modernizing the system railwaytogether with MoniRail, a company specialized in railway technology.
Also participating are the universities Imperial College London and the University of Sussex, the National Physical Laboratory and the technology companies PA Consulting and QinetiQ. The initiative also has funding from Innovate UK and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, public organizations that promote technological innovation in the country.
During the test, the researchers collected real data on the operation of the quantum system on the national railway network, with the aim of evaluating its performance under operational conditions.
According to Lord Peter Hendy, Minister of State for Transport of the United Kingdom, this technology “continues the legacy of British railway innovation” and is part of the network’s modernization plan, which seeks to make it more reliable, efficient and resistant to failures.
