A PROJECT REPORT

on

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SWING BRIDGE TO

PROVIDE EASY ACCESS TO RAILWAY PLATFORMS
Submitted in partial fulfilment for the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
in
Mechanical Engineering
of
J. N. T. University Anantapur, Anantapuramu
by

T. CHAITHANYA 13121A03F3
V.L. SRINIVAS 13121A03G6
M.V. YOGA KARTHIK 13121A03G7

B. MUNI RAJU 14125A0302

K. JAGADISH 14125A0312

K. GOWTHAM 14125A0319

Under the esteemed guidance of

Dr. A.K. DAMODARAM, M.Tech., Ph.D
Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

SREE VIDYANIKETHAN ENGINEERING COLLEGE
(Affiliated to J. N. T. University Anantapur, Anantapuramu)
Sree Sainath Nagar, A.Rangampet, Tirupati – 517102, Andhra Pradesh
(2013-2017)
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

At the outset, we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude and respect to our Guide
Dr. A. K. Damodaram, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering for his
guidance, help and encouragement during the course of this work. His readiness to spare
his valuable time, whenever we approached him for discussions, has infused inspiration
and confidence in us to carry out this work.

We extend our sincere thanks to Dr. K. C. Varaprasad, Head, Department of

Mechanical Engineering for his immense support.

We extend our deep sense of gratitude to Dr. P. C. Krishnamachary, Principal,

Sree Vidyanikethan Engineering College, Tirupathi for his support throughout the
period of our project work.

We profusely thank Indian Railways, who provided an opportunity in

understanding real time situation in Indian Railways.

We thank those who helped directly or indirectly during the course of this work.

iii
 ABSTRACT

Railways is one of the largest carriers of passenger traffic in India. A big issue
while boarding any train of Indian Railways is the lack of proper information regarding
the platform of arrival in advance. This can only be known a few minutes before arrival
of the train and that too at railway station only.

The crowd management during the peak hours is a difficult task for the railway
authorities for trouble free access to the platforms and trains. In case of multiple
platforms, boarding the train at right time would get even worse.

The available solutions are taking the overhead passenger bridge, walking to the
end of the platform, crossing the railway track. The above mentioned cases might be
challenging to the elderly persons, people with disabilities and when the passenger is
carrying heavy luggage.

The present work deals with the study of platforms of Indian railways,
identifying opportunities for facilities re-design for improved crowd management,
passenger movement and comfort. A swing bridge mechanism is designed and
developed using CAD modelling followed by a small scale working model, with a
facility to provide temporary access to the platforms when there is no train available on
the track. Our project aims at helping the railway administration to modify their
facilities for better and easy flow of passengers.

iv
 CONTENTS
CHAPTER NO. TITLE PAGE NO.

CERTIFICATE i

DECLARATION ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iii

ABSTRACT iv

LIST OF FIGURES v

1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Classes of People Affected 3
1.2 Case Study - Tirupati Railway Station 5
1.3 Objective 6
2 LITERATURE REVIEW 7
2.1 Railway Station Design 8

2.1.1 Purpose of a railway station 8

2.1.2 Facilities required at railway station 8

2.1.3 Railway station layout 9

2.2 Moveable Bridges 9

2.2.1 Bascule Bridge 10

2.2.2 Curling Bridge 11

2.2.3 Vertical lift Bridge 11

2.2.4 Retractable Bridge 12

2.2.5 Tilt Bridge 13

2.2.6 Swing Bridge 13

2.3 Constraints of the Design 14

2.4 Suggested solution technique 14

2.4.1 Centre bearing swing bridges 14

2.4.2 Rim bearing swing bridges 16

2.4.3 Advantages 17

2.4.4 Limitations 18
3 DESIGN 19
3.1 Railway station dimensions 19
3.2 Constraints 20
3.3 Computer Aided Design (CAD) software 21
3.4 CAD Modelling 21
3.4.1 Railway Track 22
3.4.2 Bridge base 24
3.4.3 Body Frame 24
3.4.4 End Locking Wedges & Supports 27
3.4.5 Platform 28
3.5 Simulation and Analysis 30
3.5.1 Motion Simulation 30
3.5.2 Time frame analysis 32
3.5.3 Weight Considerations 33
3.6 Actuators 33

4 CONTROL ALGORITH & ANALYSIS 35

4.1 Core Control Algorithm - Analysis 35
4.1.1 Steps involved 36
4.2 Problems encountered Solutions 36

5 FABRICATION 38
5.1 Main Parts of Prototype 38
5.1.1 Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04 38
5.1.2 Acrylic Board 40
5.1.3 Arduino 41
5.1.4 Servo Motors 43
5.2 Circuit Diagram and Explanation 45
5.3 Program Algorithm 46
5.4 Arduino Program 46
5.5 Small scale Prototype 48
6 CONCLUSION 51
REFERENCES 52
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE DESCRIPTION PAGE

NO.

Figure 1.1 Crowd on a foot-over bridge at peak times 2

Figure 1.2 Lady in wheel chair crossing the track at the end of the 3
platform
Figure 1.3 Foot-over bridge 4
Figure 1.4 Elevator in railway stations 4
Figure 1.5 Disabled person trying to use the escalator to move to 4
another platform
Figure 1.6 Passengers crossing track 5
Figure 1.7 Tirupati Railway station 6
Figure 2.1 Brief layout of a typical railway station 9
Figure 2.2 Bascule Bridge 10
Figure 2.3 Curling Bridge 11
Figure 2.4 Vertical lift Bridge 12
Figure 2.5 Retractable Bridge 12
Figure 2.6 Tilt Bridge 13
Figure 2.7 Swing Bridge 14
Figure 2.8 Balance Wheels 15
Figure 2.9 Centre Bearing 16
Figure 2.10 Rim Bearing 17
Figure 3.1 Different railway gauges used all across the world 19
Figure 3.2 Cross sectional view of a typical Indian railway station 20
Figure 3.3 Profile view of Rail used in India 22
Figure 3.4 CAD model of the Rail 23
Figure 3.5 CAD model of the Rail-Track 23
Figure 3.6 CAD model of the bridge base 24
Figure 3.7 CAD model of the Body Frame of the bridge 24
Figure 3.8 CAD model of the Body Frame of the bridge 26

v
Figure 3.9 CAD model of the End wedge with support 27
Figure 3.10 CAD model of the platforms with tracks 28
Figure 3.11 Side view of CAD model of the total assembly 28
Figure 3.12 Top view of CAD model of the total assembly in closed 29
position
Figure 3.13 Top view of CAD model of the total assembly in open 29
position
Figure 3.14 Front view of CAD model of the total assembly in open 29
position
Figure 3.15 Front view of CAD model of the total assembly in closed 30
position showing dimensions
Figure 3.16 Motion simulation of railway station in CAD-open 30
position
Figure 3.17 Motion simulation of swing bridge in CAD - open position 31
Figure 3.18 Motion simulation of swing bridge in CAD 31
Figure 3.19 Motion simulation of swing bridge in CAD - closed 32
position
Figure 3.20 Motor pinion meshing with circular rack 34
Figure 4.1 Top view of the bridge with additional traffic management 37
setup
Figure 5.1 Ultrasonic sensor working 38
Figure 5.2 Ultrasonic sensor circuit schematics 39
Figure 5.3 Ultrasonic sensor diagram 39
Figure 5.4 Ultrasonic sensor equation 40

Figure 5.5 Acrylic board 41

Figure 5.6 Arduino UNO 42
Figure 5.7 Servo Motor 44
Figure 5.8 Timing Diagram 45
Figure 5.9 Circuit Diagram 45
Figure 5.10 Top view of the setup in open position with trains on the 48
tracks
Figure 5.11 Arduino UNO chipset 49

Figure 5.12 UV Sensor 49

Figure 5.13 Swing bridge in closed position when there is no train on 50

the track

vi
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
 1. INTRODUCTION

Indian Railways is a state-owned railway company, responsible for rail transport in

India. It is owned and operated by the ‘Government of India’ through the ‘Ministry of
Railways’. Indian Railways is a great national asset, being a single transport network
connects far flung areas of the country since April 16th, 1853. [1]

It is the fourth largest railway network in the world which runs 19,000 trains,
out of which 12,000 trains carry over 23 million passengers per day connecting about
7216 stations spread across the country. It runs more than 7,000 freight trains per day
carrying about 3 million tonnes of freight every day. It has a network of 66,687
kilometres which is more than one and half times the circumference of the earth. [7]

The biggest challenge faced by Indian Railways today is its inability to meet the
demands of its customers, both freight and passenger. Apart from the quantum of
investment, quality of delivery is also an issue. Cleanliness, punctuality of services,
safety, quality of terminals, capacity of trains, quality of food, security of passengers
and ease of booking tickets are issues that need urgent attention.

Indian Railways is striving to enhance its market share and improve the quality
of service, so as to ensure that rail travel is an experience beyond other modes of travel.
The Railway Budget in India has been increased by 22% in 2017. According to Budget
2017, an investment of 1.3 lakh crores was allotted to modernize and improve
infrastructure of Indian Railways. As many as 500 railway stations are being planned
to be improved by providing lifts and escalators, so that disabled people and senior
citizens can move from one platform to another. [2]

Passenger comfort has been a major challenge to Indian Railways for many
decades. Even today, many people find it difficult and face many problems to access
different platforms and board the train in a railway station.

Although, Indian Railways has been striving to attain punctuality, frequent train
delays have become common in India due to many reasons. The platform number is
announced 15-20 minutes of the train arrival but not much in advance, and in very few

1
cases, the platform number can be changed after announcement due to train traffic or
track problems.
`

Figure 1.1: Crowd on a foot-over bridge at peak times.

A person should immediately move to the platform announced to board their

respective train to reach their destination. For a normal adult with less luggage this may
not be such a problem. But, people with heavy luggage, senior citizens, physically
handicapped persons face a lot of difficulty which moving from one platform to
another. At peak times, crowd management is also a big problem.

The available solutions for a person to move from one platform to another are
as follows:
1. Using the Foot-over bridge
2. Walking to the end of the platform and crossing.
3. Illegally crossing the railway tracks.

In the above mentioned solutions, using the foot-over bridge is the most
common solution used by many classes of people. Few disabled people in wheel-chairs,
have to move to the end of the platform and cross the track. The third solution is illegal,
not suggested and is highly dangerous to cross the track jumping down the platform.

2
1.1 Classes of People Affected:

Different classes of people are affected in different ways. In Indian railway stations foot
over bridges are most commonly employed. Though it seems to be beneficial but has
many disadvantages included within. As railways are used by different classes, ages
and genders, this foot over bridges mainly affects elder people as they need to climb
long stairs to reach to their platform.

The main classes of people affected by the problem identified are:

1. Elder people
2. Persons with disabilities
3. Passengers with heavy luggage

Sometimes, pregnant women are also victims of discomfort in this case. To eliminate
foot over bridges the need to walk all the way to end of track for level crossing. This
consumes time and energy is exhausted.

Figure 1.2: Lady in wheel chair crossing the track at the end of the platform.

Coming to technology aspects incorporated in crossing tracks for passengers in

railway station includes elevators and lifts. Both are specification oriented and cannot
be neglected. It offers a limited carrying weight which difficult in busy railway stations
and junctions.

3
 Figure 1.3: Foot-over Bridge.

Lifts and elevators are more power consuming and need more maintenance. As
earlier mentioned railways are used by different classes of people, villagers may don’t
know to use this or they may have a phobia to use this.

Figure 1.4: Elevator in railway stations.

Figure 1.5: Disabled person trying to use the escalator to move to another platform.

4
 Figure 1.6 shows people crossing platforms simply by moving from track to
track illegally. This method of crossing is very hazardous and may lead to accidental
death.

Figure 1.6: Passengers crossing track

1.2 Case Study - Tirupati Railway Station:

Tirupati East railway station has 6 platforms with three elevators. The station is
currently undergoing modification with the construction of three escalators. There is
another major junction in the outskirts of Tirupati (Renigunta). Tirupati West railway
station and Chandragiri stations (in the outskirts) are also present which have to be
developed. Trains which starts from Tirupati connect all the cities in the country.
Tirupati railway station is recognised to develop as a "World Class" along with
Mumbai, Delhi, and Secunderabad in the first phase in India.

As Tirupati is one of the sacred place for Hindus, many pilgrims visit this place
daily. So government has implemented a lot of schemes to develop Tirupati railway
station in order to facilitate convenience to pilgrims and passengers. Due to large
amount of passengers and pilgrims, these three escalators are hard to get in, need to
wait for clearance and crowded.

5
 Due to this, even maintenance of elevators and lifts became a challenge for
railway department. The other way is either to use Foot-over bridge or level crossing at
the end of platform. The problems associated with this were discussed in above context.

Figure 1.7: Tirupati Railway station

1.3 Objective:

The main objective of the present study is to provide safe and convenient mode for
passengers to reach different platforms. There are many problems being faced by
passengers with the available infrastructure which clearly states the requirement of
alternative solutions.

Present study aims to design a new method to reduce crowd at peak times and
improve passenger comfort which allows people to move from one platform to another.
Present work proposes the concept of platform level retractable “SWING BRIDGE”
mechanism to provide easy access to different platforms. As a first step to a tailor-made
solution, Tirupati Railway station was considered and studied.

A detailed project report on “DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SWING

BRIDGE TO PROVIDE EASY ACCESS TO RAILWAY PLATFORMS” along with
CAD models and a small scale prototype was prepared to demonstrate action of the
mechanism.

6
 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW
 2. LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature review focused on relevant studies published in the last few years, and
included both pre-reviewed (academic and industry journal articles, conference papers)
and ‘grey’ literature (reports published by government bodies, etc.). Transportation-
related databases were searched with the keywords ‘railway station’, ‘accidents’, and
‘layout’. The review concentrated on two subsets of research: research specific to crowd
management in the railway stations and the method to provide safe and convenient
access to the railway platforms.

Rail transportation has a number of favourable characteristics as compared to road

transportation. It is six times more energy-efficient than road and four times more
economical. Now-a-days Indian Railways are facing a lot of problems regarding crowd
control with rapid increase in passenger and goods traffic and also the frequency of
train accidents is increasing very fast. Generally, accidents in railways occurs due to
derailment, fire accidents, collision of trains and accidents at level crossing. Above
three accidents are due to some technical reasons but accidents at the railway stations
occurs due to the lack of facilities to control the flow of commuters. Such as platforms
are too narrow, they lack elevators and escalators for the disabled and also the ignorance
of the passengers. Some of the incidents at railway stations are shown here:

28 September 2002, the stampede occurred at the Lucknow railway station

killing 16 people.
11 February 2013, the stampede occurred as floods of pilgrims entering the
station in Allahabad and about 36 people were left dead among ten millions of
pilgrims flocking to the banks of the Ganges River for the world’s largest
religious gathering (Kumbh Mela festival).
19 August 2013, In Dhamara station, at least 28 people were killed and eight
were injured as a super-fast express train plowed into them.
Report said that about 3,304 people died and 3,349 suffered accident injuries in
2015 while commuting in Mumbai local trains alone. [3]

7
2.1 Railway Station Design:

The design of the railway station differs from country to country depending on the
people and the locomotive they use.

2.1.1 Purpose of a railway station:

A railway station is provided for one or more of the following purposes, the purpose
of the railway station can vary based on the requirement.
To entrain or detrain the passengers.
To load or off load the goods or parcels.
To control the movement of trains.
To enable the locomotives to take fuel, water or coal.
To collect food and water for passengers.
To provide facilities for the stay of the passengers.

2.1.2 Facilities required at railway station:

A railway station is the gate-way through which people find their way into a town or
community. A passenger railway station should provide for facilities corresponding to
anticipated demands. The facilities required at stations consists of the following main
groups:

Passenger requirements: Such as waiting rooms and retiring rooms,

refreshment rooms, enquiry offices, platforms and platform sheds and approach
roads.
Traffic requirements: Such as goods sheds and goods platforms, station
buildings, signal and signal cabins, reception and departure lines.
Loco, Carriage and Wagon requirements: Such as Loco shed, watering or
fuelling facilities, inspection pits, etc.
Staff requirements: Such as rest houses for staff, running rooms for guards and
drivers and staff canteens.

8
2.1.3 Railway station layout: The station acts as an interchange between the systems.
The modern railway stations are an urban gate way making both entrances and
departure. The station consists of four main elements:

Railway track and signalling

Platforms
Ticket sales and retail space
Station fore court

Each has to be clearly defined for safety and ease of operation. Avoiding obstruction in
platform areas by careful design helps with smooth traffic or people to use it there by
reducing crowd. The layout generally used in Indian railways consists of two tracks
running between two platforms and an overhead passenger bridge connecting these two
platforms as shown in the figure 2.1.

Figure 2.1: Brief layout of a typical railway station.

2.2 Moveable Bridges:

Moveable bridge is a bridge that can change position (and even shape in some cases) to
allow for passage of traffic. This type of bridge has a lower cost of building because it
has no high piers and long approaches.
Movable bridges can be designed in many ways. Here are some variants of
movable bridge. [13]

9
2.2.1. Bascule Bridge: A bascule bridge is a movable bridge with a counterweight that
continuously balances a span or leaf throughout its upward swing to provide clearance
to traffic. It may be single or double leafed. [14]

Single leaf – counter weights are elevated above the bridge.

Double leaf – counter weights are located beneath the bridge.

There are three types of bascule bridge designs:

Fixed trunnion or heel trunnion: Rotates around a large axle that raises the
span.
Rolling lift trunnion: Raises the span by rolling on track resembling a rocking
chair base.
Rall type: Combines rolling lift with longitudinal motion on trunnion when
opening.

Fig 2.2. Bascule Bridge

10
2.2.2 Curling Bridge: The curling bridge consists of eight triangular sections hinged
at the walkway level and connected above by two-part links that can be collapsed
towards the deck by hydraulic cylinders. The structure opens using a series of hydraulic
rams integrated into the balustrade. As it curls, each of its eight segments
simultaneously lifts, causing it to roll until the two ends touch and forms a circle. [15]

Fig 2.3. Curling Bridge

2.2.3 Vertical Lift Bridge: A vertical lift bridge is type of movable bridge in which a
span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck. The vertical lift bridge
offers several benefits over other movable bridges such as Bascule Bridge. The
counterweights in a vertical lift are only required to be equal to the weight of the deck,
whereas in Bascule Bridge counterweights must weigh several times as much as the
span being lifted. [16]

It uses a system of counterweights and cables to move an interior lift span

section that remains horizontal as it is raised up and down like an elevator, allowing the
traffic to pass beneath the structure.

11
 Figure 2.4: Vertical lift bridge.

2.2.4 Retractable Bridge: A retractable bridge is a type of movable bridge in which

the deck can be rolled or slid backwards to open a gap while traffic crosses. Due to the
large dedicated area required for this type of bridge this design is not common. A
retractable design may be considered when the maximum horizontal clearance is
required. This type is sometimes referred to as a ‘thrust bridge’. The main advantage of
this include low cost of construction and low operation cost. [17]

Fig 2.5. Retractable bridge

12
2.2.5 Tilt Bridge: A tilt bridge is a type of movable bridge which rotates about fixed
endpoints rather than lifting or bending. The bridge deck which is curved and pivoted
at each end, is rotated at an angle. This is generally used as a pedestrian bridge which
can support low traffic. This particular type of bridge requires large area of span. This
is not suitable if the distance between ends is less. [18]

Fig 2.6. Tilt Bridge

2.2.6 Swing Bridge: A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary
structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre
of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally. Small swing
bridges may be pivoted only at one end, opening as would a gate, but require substantial
underground structure to support the pivot. The typical components of swing bridge
include large centre pier and drum which the deck bears upon some pivot point. The
swing may be operated using hydraulic or mechanical drivers depending on the
requirement and application. There is no vertical constraint in the swing bridge
mechanism. [19]

13
 Fig 2.7. Swing Bridge

2.3 Constraints of the Design:

Height of the bridge when in open condition is restricted due to high voltage
electrical supply lines.
Time required to retract should be very low.
The dedicated area for the structure is less.
Lubrication and maintenance should be minimum.
After looking through all the above constraints the best suitable bridge is Swing Bridge.

2.4 Suggested solution technique

The suggested solution technique for the given problem is “Swing-Bridge”. The swing
bridges can be classified in to two types based on the functionality.

2.4.1 Centre bearing swing bridges: The span weight is balanced on the pivot bearing
which may be mechanical or hydraulic based on the application. To prevent the span
from tipping under unbalanced loads, such as wind, balance wheels are provided that
roll on a large diameter circular track concentric with the pivot bearing. [10]

14
 The design intent is that the centre bearing supports all of the dead load when
span is open, the live load on centre bearing swing bridges is usually supported by
centre and end lift devices which are actuated when the span is returned to closed
position.

The rotation of the span is achieved by means of mechanical or hydraulic

machinery. When mechanical drive is mounted on the downward extending pinion
shafts engage a rack mounted on the pivot base and rotate the span.

Key features:

Centre bearing supports all the dead load.

Rotation is achieved by means of mechanical or hydraulic machinery.
Balance wheels are provided to support structure during rotation.
Usually a rack and pinion operated by a motor mounted on the span is used to
rotate structure.

Fig 2.8. Balance Wheels

15
 Fig 2.9. Centre Bearing

2.4.2 Rim bearing swing bridges: The rim bearing swing bridge is characterised by
the way in which the dead load of the superstructures is supported by tapered rollers
when the span is in the open position. The superstructures of rim bearing swing bridges
are supported by a minimum of two longitudinal spanning members. [10]

The tapered rollers run on a circular track whose diameter is usually about the
same as the transverse spacing of the outer swing span. Tapered rollers are necessary
because the distance travelled by the outer end of a roller is longer than that travelled
by the inner end, for the same angle of bridge rotation.

When the bridge is closed, the rim bearing supports both dead load and live
load. Rim bearings are used for wide heavily-loaded swing bridges. Special load-
equalising framing is provided to transfer the loads from the bridge trusses to the
circular drum girder at a number of points around the circumference of the centre drum
so that it is uniformly loaded along its length. The load is transferred through the drum
girder to a tapered tread plate supported by tapered rollers. Rotation of the span is
achieved by the same means as for the centre-bearing swing bridges.

16
Key features:

Tapered rollers support the dead load.

The load is transferred from thread plate to tapered rollers.
This is mainly used for heavy duty swing bridges where there are large live
loads.
Rotation is achieved by means of rack and pinion operated by motor.

Fig 2.10. Rim Bearing

2.4.3 Advantages:

The mechanism has inherently low friction and thus doesn’t require high levels
of maintenance or lubrication.
Stress on the mechanical components is minimal when bridge is in the closed
position as end bearing mechanism raise and essentially turn the bridge to fixed
structure.
There is no need for counterweights in the design of most swing bridges.
High efficiency as the power required to move the span is less than movable
bridge types.
Provides an even distribution of loads onto the centre pier.
Suitable for pedestrian traffic and very less retracting time.

17
 The durability of this bridge is good.

2.4.4 Limitations

The central pier needs to be constructed in the deepest part.

The bridge cannot be readily upgraded or duplicated to cater for traffic volume
increases as this may halt the daily routine in the railway stations.
When open, the bridge will have to maintain its own weight as a balanced
double cantilever, while closed and in use for pedestrian traffic the live load is
distributed as in a fixed beam, which may require some addition stiffness in
some members whose loading is will be alternately in compression or tension.

18
CHAPTER 3

DESIGN
 3. DESIGN

3.1 Railway station dimensions:

Generally, the size of the railway station depends on the town or city in which it is
situated, the number of trains passing through that point, if any junctions are involved,
if so the number of tracks (3-way, 4-way) totally decides the number of platforms in
the particular railway station. But, Indian Railways has assigned a standard platform,
track dimensions and lengths for majority of railway stations.

Figure 3.1: Different railway gauges used all across the world.

The railway track predominantly used in India is broad gauge in which the rails
are 1676 mm (5 ft 6 in) apart from each other. This is a standard dimension which is
used not only in India but also in many parts of the world. It is the widest gauge in
regular operation in the world. Except for a few hill stations and areas of North and
Eastern India where Metre gauge (1000 mm or 3 ft 27/8 in) and Narrow gauge (762
mm or 2 ft 6 in) are employed. The railway gauge used is also a major consideration in
the design. [6]

The image below shows the cut section view of a typical Indian Railway station
where the distance between two platforms is 9.352 m approximately taken to be 10 m
for simplicity. The track is about 1 m away running parallel to the platform and the
platform is 1.3 m high from the ground level.

19
 Figure 3.2: Cross sectional view of a typical Indian railway station.

The adjacent rails of two tracks and about 4 m apart which hosts the sewage line
and water pipeline which is followed in all the major stations in India. The high voltage
power lines are 5.8 m high which is a standard height all around India.

3.2 Constraints:

The main constraints involved in the present design are the height and width of the
mechanism. As the distance between two successive tracks more specifically the
distance between two train sides when two trains are present on both the tracks form
the major constraints which manipulates the complete design. According to the railway
station dimensions and design approximations we obtain a usable gap of 2.7 m between
both the trains excluding the safety clearance between the swing bridge mechanism and
the trains.

The second constraint involved is the height constraint which involves the high
voltage power lines which run parallel to the tracks at a height of 5.8 m from the track
level. The height is secondary or can be considered as a minor constraint as the height
of 5.8 m provides ample space height-wise to design a robust mechanism.

20
 The tertiary constraint is obviously the length of the bridge which is about the
distance between the two platforms which is 10 m. If the bridge is higher than the
platform, the length might not be a significant constraint.

3.3 Computer Aided Design (CAD) software:

Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computer systems (or workstations) to aid
in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. CAD software is
used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve
communications through documentation, and to create a database for manufacturing.

CAD software for mechanical design uses either vector-based graphics to depict
the objects of traditional drafting, or may also produce raster graphics showing the
overall appearance of designed objects. However, it involves more than just shapes. As
in the manual drafting of technical and engineering drawings, the output of CAD must
convey information, such as materials, processes, dimensions, and tolerances,
according to application-specific conventions. CAD may be used to design curves and
figures in two-dimensional (2D) space or curves, surfaces, and solids in three-
dimensional (3D) space. CAD is an important industrial art extensively used in many
applications, including automotive, shipbuilding, and aerospace industries, industrial
and architectural design, prosthetics, and many more. [5]

For the present study the CAD software chosen is SolidWorks 2014 student
edition. SolidWorks is a solid modelling computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-
aided engineering (CAE) computer program that runs on Microsoft Windows.
SolidWorks is published by Dassault Systems. It is one of the most extensively used
and easiest CAD modelling software in terms of user interface, wide range of graphic
options and its compatibility with other CAD/CAE packages. [4]

3.4 CAD Modelling:

A virtual railway station was modelled in SolidWorks which includes the tracks,
platforms and the mechanism. The CAD model of the mechanism is an assembly of
many parts which are mentioned as following:

21
 1. Railway Track
2. Bridge base
3. Body Frame
4. End locking wedges and support
5. Platform assembly

3.4.1 Railway Track: The track consists of two rails and sleepers. The sleepers
arranged in a linear pattern with centre distances to be approximately 60 cm. The rail
generally used has an approximate ‘I’ cross-section, with every normal rail being 13 m
long weighing 53 kg per metre. The rails are made of special kind of steel called ‘Rail
Steel’ whose microstructure fully consists of ‘Pearlite’.

Figure 3.3: Profile view of Rail used in India. [21]

The above cross section was taken as a base and the rail was modelled in SolidWorks
which is as shown in the figure 3.4 below.

22
 Figure 3.4: CAD model of the Rail.

As the length of each rail is 13 m with each sleeper 600 mm distant from each other
totally 22 sleepers were arranged linearly for a set of a pair of rails. The CAD model of
the railway track is as shown in figure 3.5.

Figure 3.5: CAD model of the Rail-Track.

23
3.4.2 Bridge base: The bridge base holds the complete weight of the mechanism. It is
in contact with the ground. The weights acting on the base are of 2 types:

a) Dead load: The weight of the complete mechanism when it is not in operation.
b) Variable load: It is due to the movement of the passengers on the bridge.

The base is a chunk of cast iron modelled in the form of concentric step circles on which
the centre bearing and the wheels run. The SolidWorks CAD model is as shown in
figure 3.6.

Figure 3.6: CAD model of the bridge base.

3.4.3 Body Frame: It is the main part of the entire mechanism which provides the
facility for the people to cross the tracks and is possibly the movable part in the entire
mechanism.

Figure 3.7: CAD model of the Body Frame of the bridge.

24
It consists of the following parts:

a) Centre Bearing: It is the major weight bearer of the mechanism. It consists of

small tapered cylindrical rollers which form the bearing.

b) Support Wheel rods: These rods acts as side supports which avoid defection
of the bearing. Axial deflection in the bearing can cause severe damage to the
mechanism. At the end of the rods, wheels are attached which rotate on a
circular path, a circular track provided by the bridge base. These support rods
carry the additional load of the mechanism and during fluctuation or uneven
distribution of the load, these rods play a major to avoid deflection.

c) Side Ramp: This avoids discontinuities in the bridge surface such as steps. As
the platform height is lower than the bridge, it is nearly impossible for a disabled
person in a wheel chair to board the bridge. To avoid this situation, a small ramp
is provided which rises slowing and makes it easy for wheel chairs, trolley bags
and railways goods tow trolley to use the bridge.

d) Roof: A roof is provided to the bridge which protects the people from hot
sunshine and rain. But, the main intention to provide a roof to avoid access to
the high voltage power lines. Even the foot over bridge in the railway station is
completely closed from all directions as it is highly dangerous to allow access
for people to the power lines. The high voltage power lines carry current 24*7
at around 25000 Volts which is enough to kill a person within the blink of an
eye. Sometimes, people may carry things such as long pipes which gives a
chance to contact the power lines and this is totally prevented by providing a
top closure to the bridge.

e) Body and Mesh frames: This constitutes the support to form a closure to the
bridge. It consists of a combination of hollow rods of square and circular cross
section. The body all along its height is split into two parts, one being fully
shielded with sheet metal and the top half is provided with a mesh of small rods
21 mm diameter. The mesh provided flow of air through the bridge as it is closed
from all sides, the mesh prevents suffocation of people inside the bridge.

25
 Figure 3.8: CAD model of the Body Frame of the bridge.

The figure 3.7 shows an orthographic view of the swing bridge assembly with base,
wheels, and the body. The total height after complete assembly of the bridge is 4755
mm or 4.7 m which is less than 5.8 m i.e. the height of the power cables, thus falling
into the safety zone. Wheels of 300 mm diameter are used to rotate along with the
bridge.

Hence, the bridge provides a compartment of approximately 2 m wide and 2.85 m high
which makes it quite a sufficient facility for one-way passenger traffic.

26
3.4.4 End Locking Wedges & Supports: As we can see the bridge acts as a long
cantilever hanging on both sides, which makes it deflected upon prolonged use which
further affect the operation of the bridge as the height of bridge and platform may
collide upon deflection.

To avoid this problem retractable ‘End Wedges’ are provided on both sides
which lock the mechanism on both sides and converts a cantilever into a simply
supported beam. This greatly reduces the damage of deflection on the bridge and
increases the capacity limit i.e. maximum load and the life of the mechanism.

Figure 3.9: CAD model of the End wedge with support.

The End wedge assembly comprises of the following components:

a) End Wedge: It is the central part of the locking mechanism which enables the
bridge to convert from a long hanging cantilever to a simply supported beam. It
enables the bridge to handle more load without any damage. It is actuated by a
push rod which holds it tight which the bridge is in operation.

b) Wedge Supports: These are the supports which enable the wedge action. It
consists of top and bottom supports. The top support is attached to the movable

27
 bridge and the bottom support is attached to the fixed platform which forms the
locking mechanism.

c) End Wedge advancing rod: This is a retractable actuating mechanism which

performs the locking and the holding functions. It is operated by a retractable
rack and pinion mechanism. When the bridge is closed the push rods lock the
wedge and makes the bridge ready for operation and before moving the bridge
after operation, the push rod retracts backward.

3.4.5 Platform: It is an approximation of general platform and taken to be 5 metres

wide and 200 metres in length, assuming a normal railway station. The CAD model
shown in figure 3.9 shows the assembly of two platforms and two tracks forming a
virtual railway station.

Figure 3.10: CAD model of the platforms with tracks.

Figure 3.11: Side view of CAD model of the total assembly.

28
 Figure 3.12: Top view of CAD model of the total assembly in closed position.

Figure 3.13: Top view of CAD model of the total assembly in open position.

Figure 3.14: Front view of CAD model of the total assembly in open position.

29
Figure 3.15: Front view of CAD model of the total assembly in closed position showing dimensions.

3.5 Simulation and Analysis:

The virtual railway station with two platforms, two tracks and 3 swing bridges are
arranged with a gap of 50 m each.

3.5.1 Motion Simulation: In SolidWorks 2014, the motion study was conducted and
the final motion output was simulated, which shows the opening and closing of the
mechanism.

Figure 3.16: Motion simulation of railway station in CAD-open position.

30
 In the figure 3.10, the image of motion simulation of the Railway station is
shown where all the three bridges are in open position. All the bridges operate at the
same time and same speed.

Figure 3.17: Motion simulation of swing bridge in CAD - open position.

Figure 3.18: Motion simulation of swing bridge in CAD.

31
 Figure 3.19: Motion simulation of swing bridge in CAD - closed position.

The figures 3.17, 3.18 and 3.19 show the motion simulation, how the bridge closes and
opens. After the bridge is closed, the end wedges lock down the bridge and make it
ready for operation.

3.5.2 Time frame analysis: The time duration for transition of the bridge from open
position to closed position and vice versa is just a matter of few seconds. When there
comes a prior intimation of the train, generally the platform is announced.

When there are no trains on both the tracks, the bridge is ready to go. If there is
any train on either of the tracks, this swing bridge is not supposed to work. The bridge
generally in open position closes in about 15 seconds. The bridge rotates at the speed
of 2 rotations per minute which is quite a very good speed to rotate the bridge without
any damage to the components of the bridge. To unlock or lock the wedges, it takes
around 5 seconds. Thus, the bridge will be in operation in a duration of 20 seconds.

Operation Time duration (seconds)

Closing the bridge from open position 15
Locking the end wedges 5
Total 20

The bridge activates within a time frame of 20 seconds which is really fast and
hence allows the people to go through it.

32
3.5.3 Weight Considerations:

The main design considerations taken into account are:

People can use the bridge when it is in closed position only.

The bridge rotates when there is no person on the bridge. The weight born while
rotating is the dead weight of mechanism itself. This makes it easy for the
motors to rotate the bridge with less torque.
The usable width of the bridge is approximately 2 metres (2.02 m), which is
quite a significant constraint of the entire design and greatly dominates the
population flow through the bridge. But, the length of 2 metres in one-way
passenger traffic is an appreciable facility to clear the crowd at peak times.
Population Discharge: The number of people entering per second is assumed
to be 2 people per second (considering passenger comfort), but at peak times,
this may increase to 4 people per second i.e. two times the normal rate of
population discharge.
As the length of the bridge is 10 metres per second, at least 35-40 people will
be walking on the bridge per second. At peak times, this may rise to 50-60
people per second.
Considering, an average person on the higher end to be 80 -100 kg with variable
additional luggage. This makes a total variable load of 2.8 to 3.4 tonnes and at
peak times to be 3.8 to 5 tonnes. This is the variable load which acts in addition
to the dead load of the mechanism.
Dead load of the mechanism is approximated to be 15-18 tonnes, considering
plain carbon steel bridge.

3.6 Actuators:

An actuator is a component of a machine that is responsible for moving or controlling

a mechanism or system. In this scenario, actuators involved are electric motors. Two
sets to actuators are present in the swing bridge mechanism.

a) Bridge rotation: The first major actuator is a motor attached to the movable
part of the bridge and work on a rack and pinion mechanism. In this case, the
rack is circular in shape and an internally toothed gear or spline. The rack is

33
 fixed concentric to the bridge base and the motor along with pinion is connected
to bridge body. As the motor starts, the pinion meshes with the circular rack and
pushes itself i.e. motor itself attached to the bridge body rotates along with it.
The size of the teeth is kept low and number of teeth are increased for optimal
torque requirement.

Figure 3.20: Motor pinion meshing with circular rack.

b) Bridge locking: The secondary actuator starts when the bridge gets closed. A
motor attached to the bridge body. The rack is connected symmetrically to push
rods or advancing rods which push the wedges and hold it firmly. Here, the rack
is movable and as the motor rotates, the end wedges lock the bridge and hence
makes the bridge ready for operation.

Comparing the facility provided by the swing bridge, slight increase in power input to
the motors involved in the mechanism, it gives an edge over the facilities available
currently which makes an attracting choice for future prospectus.

34
 CHAPTER 4

CONTROL ALGORITHM &

ANALYSIS
 4. CONTROL ALGORITHM & ANALYSIS

The control algorithm explains how the bridge; the total mechanism operates. The
control algorithm is used to study and analyse the operation of the bridge and further
improve the design to achieve optimal working parameters.

4.1 Core Control Algorithm – Analysis:

It involves the steps how to operate the whole mechanism. Generally, the bridge is in
closed position until or unless a train is approaching.

The exact time for the train to reach the railway station is calculated with the
help of information available in the control room of a particular railway station.
This arrival time helps to determine, when to disengage the bridge. As stated
before, it takes 20 seconds for the mechanism to engage or disengage.

To disengage the bridge, it should be emptied, i.e. no person should enter the
bridge. For this reason, gates or valves are employed on the platform which
makes it easy to stop or allow people to go. The bridge could facilitate one-way
flow of traffic without any blockage problem, but a two-way flow of traffic may
encounter many problems as the width is constrained to 2 metres.

There is more than one bridge between the platforms, among which one acts as
‘IN’ and the other acts as ‘OUT’, i.e. every bridge has a IN gate and an OUT
gate. When there comes an announcement that a train is approaching the
platform in 4 or 5 minutes, the ‘IN gate’ gets closed. When the ‘IN gate’ is
closed no more people can enter the bridge. It hardly takes 15-20 seconds for a
person to cross the bridge (assuming 20 seconds on the higher end). The people
who have already entered the bridge will clear the bridge in less than 30 seconds.

Now, the bridge is ready to disengage. Firstly, the locking mechanism is

disengaged by retracting the push rods and the wedge, which takes around 5 -
10 seconds (on the higher end) and makes the bridge ready to rotate.

35
 The bridge is rotated by activating the bridge motor, thus rotating the bridge at
2 rpm and takes 15-20 seconds (on the higher end). Now, the bridge comes to
the open positions allowing trains to pass by.

4.1.1 Steps involved: The steps involved in the working algorithm of the bridge are
summarized in the form of a few steps.

1. Calculate the arrival time and determine when to open the bridge.
2. Close the ‘IN-gates’ to stop flow of people into the bridge.
3. Disengage the locking wedge mechanism.
4. Rotate the swing bridge.

4.2 Problems encountered – Solutions:

1. Water pipe-lines: In most of the railway stations, a pipe line runs between two
tracks which is used to fill water for all purposes into the train. The height of
the water pipes is around 2 metres which forms an obstacle to the mechanism.
It is suggested to make modification to the pipes lines in which the pipes lines
are curved and bent downwards near the bridge and again raised to its normal
position after the bridge.
This may increase the pumping power to some extent. But, compared to
the passenger comfort, it is worth it. Although, there are many accessories in
major railway station such as elevators, escalators for people to climb the foot-
over bridge.

2. Traffic management: To disengage the bridge and rotate it to open position.

The bridge, first should be cleared from the crowd. After the ‘IN gates’ are
closed, few people may get disconnected from their friends or family members
and may want to come back. They can move to other platform and wait until,
the bridge closes again. Many people may not be comfortable to follow the
above mentioned solution.

For this reason, there are two sets of gates employed at the IN gate, one
is the primary gate of the mechanism, attached to the bridge and the other is the

36
 secondary gate attached to the platform. Once, the secondary gate is closed,
there will be a relaxation before the closing of the IN gate. This gives people,
ample time to decide, whether they want to cross the bridge or stay in the same
platform. To intimate people, when the bridge is about to close is provided by a
traffic signalling system which is similar to the one used in traffic management
on roads. This provides proper time gap for the people to decide whether they
want to cross the platform or not. A small passage or a pipeline is also provided
which reduces the crowd at the IN gates.

Figure 4.1: Top view of the bridge with additional traffic management setup.

In this way, different problems can be handled with proper solution procedures thus
availing the benefits of this idea of platform level bridge mechanism.

37
 CHAPTER 5

FABRICATION
 5. FABRICATION

5.1 Main Parts of Prototype

1. Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04

2. Acrylic board
3. Arduino
4. Servo motors

5.1.1 Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04:

Working: It emits an ultrasound at 40 000 Hz which travels through the air and if there
is an object or obstacle on its path It will bounce back to the module. Considering the
travel time and the speed of the sound you can calculate the distance.

Fig 5.1. Ultrasonic sensor working

The HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Module has 4 pins, Ground, VCC, Trig and Echo. The
Ground and the VCC pins of the module needs to be connected to the Ground and the
5 volts pins on the Arduino Board respectively and the trig and echo pins to any Digital
I/O pin on the Arduino Board.

38
 Fig 5.2. Ultrasonic sensor circuit schematics

In order to generate the ultrasound you need to set the Trig on a High State for
10 µs. That will send out an 8 cycle sonic burst which will travel at the speed sound
and it will be received in the Echo pin. The Echo pin will output the time in
microseconds the sound wave travelled.

Fig 5.3. Ultrasonic sensor diagram

For example, if the object is 10 cm away from the sensor, and the speed of the sound is
340 m/s or 0.034 cm/µs the sound wave will need to travel about 294 u seconds. But
what you will get from the Echo pin will be double that number because the sound wave
needs to travel forward and bounce backward. So in order to get the distance in cm we
need to multiply the received travel time value from the echo pin by 0.034 and divide
it by 2.

39
 Fig 5.4 Ultrasonic sensor equation

5.1.2 Acrylic Board:

Acrylic is a plastic manufactured using one or more derivatives of acrylic acid.

Polymethyl Methacrylate acrylic, or PMMA, is one of the more widely used forms of
acrylic due to its exceptional weather ability, strength, clarity and versatility. There are
a variety of acrylic polymer grades available for extrusion and injection molding
manufacturing processes. Transparent, translucent opaque and coloured polymers are
available with varying levels of heat resistance, light transmissions, impact strength,
flow rates and release capabilities.
PMMA acrylic sheet exhibits glass-like qualities – clarity, brilliance,
transparency, translucence – at half the weight with up to 10 times the impact resistance.
It can be tinted or colored, mirrored or made opaque. A number of coatings can be
applied to a sheet or finished part for performance enhancing characteristics such as
scratch resistance, anti-fogging, glare reduction and solar reflectivity. Because it's
thermoplastic and softens under extremely high temperatures, acrylic can be formed to
virtually any shape. Incredibly durable, acrylic is a suitable solution for over a broad
temperature range, and has superior weathering properties compared to other plastics.

Physical Benefits of Acrylic:

Formable - With a little heat, it's easy to shape and mold.

Durable - Impact resistance that stands the test of time.
Weather resist - Stands up to the elements longer than other plastics.
Non-Yellowing A 10-year, limited warranty that guarantees no yellowing.

40
 Fig 5.5 Acrylic board

5.1.3 Arduino:

Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and

software. Arduino boards are able to read inputs - light on a sensor, a finger on a button,
or a Twitter message - and turn it into an output - activating a motor, turning on an
LED, publishing something online. You can tell your board what to do by sending a set
of instructions to the microcontroller on the board. To do so you use the Arduino
programming language (based on Wiring), and the Arduino Software (IDE), based on
Processing. Over the years Arduino has been the brain of thousands of projects, from
everyday objects to complex scientific instruments. A worldwide community of makers
- students, hobbyists, artists, programmers, and professionals - has gathered around this
open-source platform, their contributions have added up to an incredible amount of
accessible knowledge that can be of great help to novices and experts alike.

Arduino was born at the Ivrea Interaction Design Institute as an easy tool for
fast prototyping, aimed at students without a background in electronics and
programming. As soon as it reached a wider community, the Arduino board started
changing to adapt to new needs and challenges, differentiating its offer from simple 8-
bit boards to products for IoT applications, wearable, 3D printing, and embedded
environments. All Arduino boards are completely open-source, empowering users to
build them independently and eventually adapt them to their particular needs. The
software, too, is open-source, and it is growing through the contributions of users

41
worldwide. Thanks to its simple and accessible user experience, Arduino has been used
in thousands of different projects and applications.

The Arduino software is easy-to-use for beginners, yet flexible enough for
advanced users. It runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Teachers and students use it to
build low cost scientific instruments, to prove chemistry and physics principles, or to
get started with programming and robotics. Designers and architects build interactive
prototypes, musicians and artists use it for installations and to experiment with new
musical instruments. Makers, of course, use it to build many of the projects exhibited
at the Maker Faire, for example. Arduino is a key tool to learn new things. Anyone -
children, hobbyists, artists, programmers - can start tinkering just following the step by
step instructions of a kit, or sharing ideas online with other members of the Arduino
community.

Fig 5.6 Arduino UNO

There are many other microcontrollers and microcontroller platforms available

for physical computing. Parallax Basic Stamp, Netmedia's BX-24, Phidgets, MIT's
Handyboard, and many others offer similar functionality. All of these tools take the
messy details of microcontroller programming and wrap it up in an easy-to-use
package. Arduino also simplifies the process of working with microcontrollers, but it
offers some advantage for teachers, students, and interested amateurs over other
systems:

42
Inexpensive - Arduino boards are relatively inexpensive compared to other
microcontroller platforms. The least expensive version of the Arduino module can be
assembled by hand, and even the pre-assembled Arduino modules cost less than $50.

Cross-platform - The Arduino Software (IDE) runs on Windows, Macintosh OSX, and
Linux operating systems. Most microcontroller systems are limited to Windows.

Simple, clear programming environment - The Arduino Software (IDE) is easy-to-

use for beginners, yet flexible enough for advanced users to take advantage of as well.
For teachers, it's conveniently based on the Processing programming environment, so
students learning to program in that environment will be familiar with how the Arduino
IDE works.

Open source and extensible software - The Arduino software is published as open
source tools, available for extension by experienced programmers. The language can
be expanded through C++ libraries, and people wanting to understand the technical
details can make the leap from Arduino to the AVR C programming language on which
it's based. Similarly, you can add AVR-C code directly into your Arduino programs if
you want to.

Open source and extensible hardware - The plans of the Arduino boards are
published under a Creative Commons license, so experienced circuit designers can
make their own version of the module, extending it and improving it. Even relatively
inexperienced users can build the breadboard version of the module in order to
understand how it works and save money.

5.1.4 Servo Motors:

Servos have integrated gears and a shaft that can be precisely controlled.
Standard servos allow the shaft to be positioned at various angles, usually between 0
and 180 degrees. Continuous rotation servos allow the rotation of the shaft to be set to
various speeds. The Servo library supports up to 12 motors on most Arduino boards
and 48 on the Arduino Mega. On boards other than the Mega, use of the library disables
analogWrite () (PWM) functionality on pins 9 and 10, whether or not there is a Servo

43
on those pins. On the Mega, up to 12 servos can be used without interfering with PWM
functionality; use of 12 to 23 motors will disable PWM on pins 11 and 12.
Servo motors have three wires: power, ground, and signal. The power wire is typically
red, and should be connected to the 5V pin on the Arduino board. The ground wire is
typically black or brown and should be connected to a ground pin on the Arduino board.
The signal pin is typically yellow, orange or white and should be connected to a digital
pin on the Arduino board. Note that servos draw considerable power, so if you need to
drive more than one or two, you'll probably need to power them from a separate supply

Fig 5.7 Servo Motor

(i.e. not the +5V pin on your Arduino). Be sure to connect the grounds of the Arduino
and external power supply together.

Timing Diagram:
The module works on the natural phenomenon of ECHO of sound. A pulse is sent for
about 10 s to trigger the module. After which the module automatically sends 8 cycles
of 40 KHz ultrasound signal and checks its echo. The signal after striking with an
obstacle returns back and is captured by the receiver. Thus the distance of the obstacle
from the sensor is simply calculated by the formula given as
Distance= (time x speed)/2.
Here we have divided the product of speed and time by 2 because the time is the total
time it took to reach the obstacle and return back. Thus the time to reach obstacle is just
half the total time taken.

44
 Fig 5.8 Timing Diagram

5.2 Circuit Diagram and Explanation:

Fig 5.9 Circuit Diagram

In circuit connections Ultrasonic sensor module’s “trigger” and “echo” pins are
directly connected to pin 18(A4) and 19(A5) of Arduino. A 16x2 LCD is connected
with Arduino in 4-bit mode. Control pin RS, RW and En are directly connected to
Arduino pin 2, GND and 3. And data pin D4-D7 is connected to 4, 5, 6 and 7 of Arduino.
First of all we need to trigger the ultrasonic sensor module to transmit signal by using
Arduino and then wait for receive ECHO. Arduino reads the time between triggering
and received ECHO. We know that speed of sound is around 340m/s. so we can
calculate distance by using given formula:

Distance= (travel time/2) * speed of sound

Where speed of sound around 340m per second.

A 16x2 LCD is used for displaying distance.

45
5.3 Program Algorithm:

Step 1: Start the program.

Step 2: Define library functions.
Step 3: Define input and output for trigger and echo pins.
Step 4: Specify distances for right and left sensors accordingly.
Step 5: Specify rotation in degrees for servomotor with necessary delay time in micro
seconds.
Step 6: calculated duration by the sensor need to be converted to distance in centimetres.
Step 7: Distance = (duration/2)/29.1
Step 8: Calculated distance values controls the movement of servomotor.
Step 9: End program.

5.4 Arduino Program:

#include <Servo.h>
#define trigPin1 2
#define echoPin1 3
#define trigPin2 4
#define echoPin2 5
long duration, distance, RightSensor,LeftSensor;
Servo myservo;
void setup()
{
Serial.begin (9600);
myservo.attach(9);
pinMode(trigPin1, OUTPUT);
pinMode(echoPin1, INPUT);
pinMode(trigPin2, OUTPUT);
pinMode(echoPin2, INPUT);
}
void loop()
{
SonarSensor(trigPin1, echoPin1);
LeftSensor = distance;
SonarSensor(trigPin2, echoPin2);

46
RightSensor = distance;
Serial.print(RightSensor);
Serial.print(" ");
Serial.println(LeftSensor);

if (RightSensor > 25 && RightSensor < 39 )

{
delay(130);
myservo.write(90);
}

if (LeftSensor < 6 && LeftSensor !=0)

{
myservo.write(0);
}

if (LeftSensor > 25 && LeftSensor < 39 )

{
delay(130);
myservo.write(90);
}
if (RightSensor < 6 && RightSensor !=0)
{
myservo.write(0);
}
}

void SonarSensor(int trigPin,int echoPin)

{
digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
delayMicroseconds(2);
digitalWrite(trigPin, HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(10);
digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
duration = pulseIn(echoPin, HIGH);
distance = (duration/2) / 29.1;
}

47
5.5 Small scale prototype:

The entire mechanism was fabricated in the form of a small scale prototype to
demonstrate how the model works. A small scale prototype is used to study the effects
of the swing bridge by improving, modifying the mechanism, analysing the time frame
effects etc.

Figure 5.10: Top view of the setup in open position with trains on the tracks.

The parts were fabricated from acrylic sheets and glued together. An ‘Arduino
chipset’ was attached to the platform which controls the entire setup and UV sensors
were arranged on both sides and the end of platform. A code was written in ‘Arduino
1.81’ software and was injected into the chipset. The chipset is provided with power
from a rechargeable battery.

48
Figure 5.11: Arduino UNO chipset.

Figure 5.12: UV Sensor.

49
 Figure 5.13: Swing bridge in closed position when there is no train on the track.

When the train approaches the station, it passes through the UV sensors. As the
sensors detect the motion of the object, it sends a signal into the chipset from where the
power is supplied to the servo motor to rotate the bridge. When the train leaves the
station, the UV sensors on both sides detect the motion and again activates the servo
motor which rotates the bridge 90 degrees back to the closed position, so that people
can use the bridge to cross different platforms.

50
CHAPTER 6

CONCLUSION
 6. CONCLUSION

Railways being the largest industry and the prime leader in carrying passenger traffic
in India. Tremendous development took place since the advent of Indian Railways in
1853. The facilities availed by passengers and standards in trains have been raised to
high levels by employing world class infrastructure since then. Different classes of cars
in a train provide different facilities in a train at respective prices.

Crowd management in the railway station is one of the biggest challenge to

design the station layout, which was studied in detail. The use of foot-over bridge and
crossing the platform at the end are common methods for passengers to access different
platforms in a railway station. In the present study, the different problems were
identified which affect different classes of people while moving from platform to
another.

A “Retractable Swing-Bridge” mechanism was designed using ‘SolidWorks

2014’ CAD modelling software and a small scale prototype was built using UV sensors,
servo motor and programmed Arduino UNO chipsets that demonstrates the core
objective of the project.

In the Railway budget, a lot of investment is being made to raise the levels of
passenger comfort and traffic management in the railway station. The present study
reveals the possibility of suitable modifications to Indian Railway stations, to improve
the crowd management at peak times and to increase comfort for all classes of people
who are old, disabled and with heavier luggage. This concept provides a perfect solution
for major problems of using the foot-over bridge by different people. The present idea
can be further developed to optimize the facilities and comfort of the passengers. The
idea of employing a platform level retractable bridge has a lot of future prospectus of
Indian Railways.

51
 REFERENCES

[1] Indian Railways Statistical Publications 2015-16: Statistical Summary.

Ministry of Railway. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
[2] Indian Railway Standard Specification For Flat Bottom Railway Rails, Serial
No. T-12-96, Research Designs And Standards Organisation, Lucknow-11.
[3] Indian Railways Statistical Publications 2014-15: The Network" (PDF).
Ministry of Railway. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
[4] Wikipedia: SolidWorks (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SolidWorks)
[5] Wikipedia: Computer-Aided-Design
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_design)
[6] Wikipedia: Track gauge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_gauge)
[7] Wikipedia: Indian Railways (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Railways)
[8] Indian Railways design details ( http://www.railway-technical.com/design-
details.shtml)
[9] Movable Bridges ( http://www.movablebridges.org.uk/)
[10] GHD | Volume 2: Bascule and Swing Span Bridges - Movable Span Bridge
Study - Project, 22/16519 | 143
[11] Indian Railways: Lifeline of the nation – White paper, February, Ministry of
Railways.
[12] Movable bridges (https://structurae.net/structures/bridges-and-
viaducts/movable-bridges)
[13] Wikipedia: Movable bridges
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moveable_bridge)
[14] Wikipedia: Bascule bridge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bascule_bridge)
[15] Wikipedia: Rolling bridge
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Bridge)
[16] Wikipedia: Vertical lift bridge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical-
lift_bridge)
[17] Wikipedia: Retractable bridge
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retractable_bridge)
[18] Wikipedia: Tilt bridge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt_bridge)
[19] Wikipedia: Swing bridge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_bridge)

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[20] [IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: Electric Traction II
(http://www.irfca.org/faq/fa qelec2.html)
[21] Manual For Standards And Specifications For Railway Stations, Ministry of
Railways, June 2009

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