Online monitoring and safety assessment of heavy-haul distributed power trains: Technical strategies and application practices in China

With the significant increase in tractive tonnage of heavy-haul railway transportation, the deterioration of the dynamic performance of long-marshaled heavy-haul trains during long-term operation has become increasingly prominent. Therefore, the online monitoring and performance evaluation of the operation status and running safety of heavy-haul distributed power (DP) trains under service complex environments become particularly important. This paper systematically reports the online monitoring technologies and safety assessment strategy of heavy-haul DP trains in China. A multi-layered integrated monitoring system for heavy-haul DP trains is developed, which encompasses multi-dimensional parameter monitoring including longitudinal train dynamics, vibration characteristics of locomotives and wagons, wheel-rail contact status, and train pneumatic brake performance. Leveraging distributed sensor networks and 5G dual-mode communication technology, the system achieves multi-sectional data acquisition and rapid synchronous transmission across ultra-long train formations. The engineering application practices on the Shuozhou-Huanghua Railway demonstrates that this technical framework can significantly enhance proactive safety protection capabilities for long heavy-haul trains, providing replicable solutions for efficient operation and maintenance under complicated working conditions. Future studies should focus on optimizing measurement point layouts, dynamic threshold configurations, and cross-system data fusion mechanisms to promote sustainable development of safer heavy-haul railways.