Method for controlling the circulation of vehicles in a network

A method for controlling the circulation of communicating and non-communicating vehicles in a network, the network comprising tracks divided into a set of sections 2, 34, 3, each delimited by two end terminals, beacons and track sensors, the set of track sensors forming a secondary detection system,

• each communicating vehicle being provided with an active on board position detection device, called primary detection device, the primary detection device forming, with the beacons, a primary detection system,
• each non-communicating vehicle being a vehicle with no primary detection device,
• the network being controlled by a control system able to manage the circulation of the communicating vehicles on each section according to a first operating mode, associating a first protection zone with each communicating vehicle, the location of the first protection zone depending on a position of the communicating vehicle defined by the primary detection system, and associating a second protection zone with each non-communicating vehicle, the location of the second protection zone depending on a position of the non-communicating vehicle defined by the secondary detection system,
• the first operating mode managing the movement of the communicating vehicle toward the end terminal of a first section in which a non-communicating vehicle has been detected by implementing a discrimination step, the discrimination step eliminating any protection zone located between the communicating vehicle and one of the end terminals of a free vehicle section toward which the communicating vehicle moves, when a distance between the communicating vehicle and said end terminal is smaller than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the method comprising a step for:
• switching the control system into a second operating mode, when the communicating vehicle enters the first section, the second operating mode inhibiting the implementation of the discrimination step at least in the first section.