Early warning system for shove track protection

A method of providing shove move protection in a multi-track railyard, the method comprising:

• defining, by a train position detector, a detection zone within the multi-track railyard, wherein the train position detector is associated with a railway track and communicatively coupled to a wireless mesh communication network;
• detecting, by the train position detector, a localized position of a train traveling on the railway track during a shove move;
• generating, by the train position detector, a detection signal indicative of the localized position when the train performing the shove move approaches a pre-defined buffer zone;
• and
• communicating, by the train position detector, the detection signal to an onboard alert device communicatively coupled to the wireless mesh communication network and associated with the train performing the shove operation, wherein the train position detector communicates the detection signal to the onboard via the wireless mesh communication network, and wherein the onboard alert device generates an onboard alarm in response to the communicated detection signal.