System for determining the forward speed of at least one vehicle

A system for determining the forward speed of at least one vehicle, comprising:

• a plurality of control means, wherein each control means is associated with at least one axle of a bogie of said vehicle;
• a communication means arranged to permit transmission of signals or values between said plurality of control means;
• wherein, at measurement instants that are successive in time, each control means is arranged to generate a corresponding sliding signal indicative of a sliding or no-sliding condition of the respective at least one axle with which it is associated;
• wherein, between said measurement instants, there is at least one sharing instant in which each control means is arranged to transmit, to the other control means, the respective sliding signal, and at least in the condition of no-sliding of the respective axle, the value of a quantity related to the rotation of the respective axle or its own estimated forward speed of the vehicle determined as a function of the value of said quantity related to the rotation of the respective axle;
• wherein a predetermined control means of said plurality of control means is arranged to:
• when all the sliding signals indicate a sliding condition of the respective axles, control first braking means associated with one of said axles, so as to reduce a braking force applied to said axle, in order to bring said axle into a no-sliding condition;
• wherein each control means is arranged to, when it detects a sliding condition of the at least one respective axle with which it is associated, determine its own estimated forward speed of the vehicle based on at least one value of said quantity related to the rotation of the respective axle transmitted by at least one control means whose associated axle is in the no-sliding condition, or determine its own estimated forward speed of the vehicle based on an estimated forward speed of the vehicle transmitted by another control means whose associated axle is in the no-sliding condition.