System and method for real-time detection of trains

A train detection system comprising:

• drones;
• at least two train detection units for each railroad track intersecting a municipality boundary, wherein one of the at least two train detection units indicates entry into a municipality when an object crosses a corresponding municipality boundary and another of the at least two train detection units indicates exit from the municipality when the object crosses a corresponding municipality boundary, each train detection unit including:
• a proximity sensor configured to sense a presence of the object on the railroad track;
• a camera configured to capture an image of a detected object when the object is within a detection zone;
• a processor connected to the proximity sensor, and the camera, the processor configured to:
• classify the detected object in the image;
• deploy a drone to a location of the object when the object is classified as a train;
• and
• transmit an alert when the detected object in the image is classified as other than the train;
• the drone configured to:
• capture an image of the train to determine a train length;
• and
• determine a position on or hover proximate to the train;
• and
• a train detection controller configured to:
• receive at least the train length, speed measurements, and location coordinates from the drone;
• and
• determine estimated time of arrivals for the train at different locations in a municipality.

A train detection unit comprising:

• a proximity sensor configured to sense a presence of an object on a railroad track which intersects a municipality;
• a camera configured to capture an image of a detected object when the object is within a detection zone;
• a radar configured to measure speed when the detected object in the image is classified as a train;
• a processor connected to the proximity sensor, the camera, and the radar, the processor configured to:
• classify the detected object in the image;
• generate a timestamp corresponding to when the train entered the detection zone and when the train exited the detection zone;
• and
• determine a train length from the speed and time delta between entrance timestamp and exit timestamp;
• and
• a communications device connected to the processor, the communications device configured to transmit at least the train length and a train detection unit identification to a train detection controller to determine estimated time of arrivals for the train at different locations.

A method for real-time detection and reporting of trains, the method comprising:

• detecting, by a proximity sensor in a train detection unit, a presence of an object on a railroad track, the railroad track intersecting boundaries of a municipality and the train detection unit deployed outside of the municipality proximate to the railroad track;
• detecting, by another proximity sensor in another train detection unit, a presence of the object on the railroad track, wherein the train detection unit indicates when the train enters the municipality by crossing a corresponding municipality boundary and the another train detection unit indicates when the train exits the municipality by crossing a corresponding municipality boundary;
• determining, by a processor in the train detection unit and a processor in the another train detection unit, whether a detected object is within a defined range of the train detection unit and the another train detection unit, respectively;
• classifying, by the processor in the train detection unit and the processor in the another train detection unit, the detected object as a train or other object;
• transmitting, by the train detection unit and the another train detection unit, an alert when the detected object in the image is classified as other than the train;
• obtaining, by the processor in the train detection unit and the processor in the another train detection unit, train speed and train length when the detected object is a train;
• and
• sending, by the train detection unit and the another train detection unit to a train detection controller, at least the train length and train speed for determination of estimated time of arrivals for the train at different locations in the municipality.