Conectividade em sistemas CBTC: análise comparativa de algoritmos de handover em cenários de tráfego variável

Abstract

The modernization of urban railway transport systems has driven the adoption of signaling technologies based on wireless communication, with Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) standing out as a key solution. CBTC relies on IEEE (Wi-Fi) networks to dynamically manage train operations, where the handover process — responsible for switching connections between access points along the track — plays a critical role in ensuring continuous train-to-ground communication and timely response to operational commands. This work presents a comparative analysis of different handover decision algorithms under varying traffic conditions, through simulations conducted in MATLAB. The study evaluates the Hysteresis, RSSI-Threshold, Moving Average, and Moving Average with Delay models, considering the average communication delay as the main performance metric. Results show that the Moving Average with Delay algorithm achieved greater stability and lower latency, making it the most suitable solution for automated railway environments, while simpler methods exhibited limitations under high load. The findings highlight the importance of selecting the appropriate handover algorithm according to the operational context, contributing to improved efficiency and safety in modern CBTC systems.