Systems and methods for controlling movement speed of a locomotive

A method of controlling speed of a locomotive, the locomotive including a tractive effort mechanism for moving the locomotive along a track, and a braking mechanism for reducing a speed of the locomotive along the track, the method comprising:

• retrieving, via a locomotive controller, one or more track grade maps each indicative of a grade of at least a portion of the track along which the locomotive is travelling;
• retrieving, by the locomotive controller, train makeup data;
• obtaining a maximum distance to a specified stopping point of the locomotive along the track;
• and
• calculating, by the locomotive controller, a speed limit for the locomotive along the track to meet a stopping trajectory to thereby provide dynamic point protection, according to the retrieved track grade map, the retrieved train makeup data, and the obtained maximum distance to the specified stopping point.

A locomotive controller comprising:

• memory configured to store computer-executable instructions;
• and
• a processor in communication with the memory to execute the instructions to:
• retrieve one or more track grade maps each indicative of a grade of at least a portion of a track along which a locomotive is travelling;
• retrieve train makeup data;
• obtain a maximum distance to a specified stopping point of the locomotive along the track;
• and
• calculate a speed limit for the locomotive along the track to meet a stopping trajectory for providing dynamic point protection, according to the retrieved track grade map, the retrieved train makeup data, and the obtained maximum distance to the specified stopping point.