Keywords: JR West, train approach alarm system, GPS-linked mobile phone, centralized train control system, train information.

When workers are on a railway track for the purpose of maintenance work, surveys or other reasons, JR West stations a lookout to watch for approaching trains and to notify the workers to evacuate the track as necessary to ensure safety. However, if the lookout misreads the train operation diagram or makes other human errors, in the worst-case scenario the workers on the track are exposed to the risk of being hit by an oncoming train. To prevent such dangerous situations, therefore, JR West has developed, implemented and maintained GPS-linked train approach alarm system and put into practical use from 2006.

The worker has two mobile phones. This rule is not only so that one can be used for position measurement and the other for triggering the mobile phone alarm, but also to make sure that one can be used for the intended purpose even if the other fails.

The most important feature of this system is its combination of the latest telecommunications technology and a railway-specific technology for train operation. More specifically, it uses mobile phones linked with GPS (a modern IT - related tool) to determine the position of train lookouts (i.e. workers), and also utilizes information provided by the centralized train control (CTC) system to determine the position of trains (technology that has been used for years in train operation control).

In terms of using this system in practice, the following two advantages can be cited. First, it is relatively easy to use, as the train lookout can automatically detect approaching trains with the GPS-linked mobile phones in any environment that allows GPS position measurement and mobile phone communications. Secondly, the system is made applicable to any part of a railway line simply by installing a server in the operation control center to cross-check the CTC information on the position of trains with that on the position acquired by the GPS-linked mobile phones.

This system contributes greatly to the improvement of safety of workers on the railway because of departure from only human attention. On the other hand, the problem is presence of not available area (For example not using GPS area), the system must improve usability in such areas.Inconvenience don't occur for five years, we proseed with introducing this system to lines that have many running train.

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