Economic Benefits of GNSS in Transport Applications

Nina D. Costa, Robert Piers, Martin Hawley, Jörg Fiebelhorn and Jon Styles

Abstract:	The paper considers three case studies from the aviation, maritime and rail domains, with a particular focus on the benefits of taking up SBAS-based GNSS services. The first case examines the introduction of EGNOS-based non-precision terminal approaches with vertical guidance in Africa. It gives a multi-modal view of benefits and considers the quantitative benefits to aviation. It finds that African stakeholders are drawn to EGNOS for the high integrity it can achieve; such that they may gain safety benefits and cost savings in conventional ground based navigation infrastructure. This study has quantified the benefits arising from reduced diversions and delays in bad weather and the avoided costs of replacing conventional navigation aids. The study has also quantified the safety benefits of reduced accidents in economic terms even if these benefits will never be realised in cash returns. The benefit of improved navigation coverage to areas currently lacking in conventional navaids has been recognised, but not quantified. The second case examines the potential for increasing the traffic capacity of the Suez canal by improving the navigation environment. Currently the Suez Canal is covered by 6 radar-stations, which supervise the traffic and are concentrated at the Vessel Traffic Service centre at Ismailia. Communication is limited to VHF-voice communication ship to shore and shore to ship. This radar-based system is operating at its limits and further improvements will demand extremely high investments. However, a Vessel Traffic Management and Information Service including high accuracy EGNOS positioning and providing the display of all navigational info on a high accuracy electronic chart with real-time data communication can be built nowadays on commercial offthe- shelf PC-networks. The investment should be compared to costs for dredging, improvement of radar and the losses due to poor navigation support (e.g. groundings). In addition, such traffic management system will enable a higher throughput. If the capacity can be optimised by only 1%, it would render additional revenues of US$ 12 M p.a. The investment for EGNOS VTMIS would pay back within very few years. The third case examines the potential to improve safety and capacity of rural railway lines by incorporating a satellite based positioning system to provide position reports from the train to the control centre and to other locomotives to support signalling, transfer data and warn of potential risks. This system would be an overlay system to the current incomplete signalling system on low density railway lines, possibly not equipped with block section control. This study focuses on the cost effectiveness of an EGNOS-based solution for developing countries, based on inputs from South Africa. The baseline consists of South Africa’s current track-side infrastructure along low density lines to meet their safety standards. The costs of an EGNOS-based train supervision system will be analysed, including the costs of equipping the trains and control centres, communications costs, etc., as well as any cost savings that can be obtained by eliminating track-side equipment and reduced maintenance costs ( by reducing signal box personnel). In addition, an estimation will be made of the potential increase in capacity on rural lines realised by such an EGNOS-based train control system as a side effect. In each case the sources and mechanisms of benefit are examined together with costs of the required infrastructure, both in the transport network and the vehicle.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 18th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2005) September 13 - 16, 2005 Long Beach Convention Center Long Beach, CA
Pages:	414 - 418
Cite this article:	Costa, Nina D., Piers, Robert, Hawley, Martin, Fiebelhorn, Jörg, Styles, Jon, "Economic Benefits of GNSS in Transport Applications," Proceedings of the 18th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2005), Long Beach, CA, September 2005, pp. 414-418.
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