# Real-Time Control System for Model Railway Based on SIMIS W Interlocking System
## 5 Discussion  
The developed signalling system met the defined real-time performance criteria essential for safety-critical railway operations. Achieving the targeted response time underscores the system's effectiveness and validates its suitability as an instructional tool. It demonstrates the importance of rapid data processing in real-time railway signalling systems, aligning with the primary objective of providing students with a practical understanding of interlocking system dynamics in a simulated environment. The PLCs and ILTIS-N control systems exhibited stable and reliable performance during testing. The effective data exchange between these components was facilitated by the REST API server's arbitration algorithm, which prevented the communication channel from becoming overwhelmed. This configuration reflects best practices in real-world systems where fault-free communication is crucial to ensuring operational reliability. Deploying similar communication protocols in railway systems would likely enhance data integrity and operational stability. A combined approach employing both PC-based applications and PLCs offers educational advantages over systems that exclusively use PLCs [6] or rely on the Open-DCC protocol [7]. This integration enables a comprehensive instructional scope, allowing students to gain hands-on experience with various interlocking systems while directly engaging with SIMATIC PLC programming. The model railway thus serves as a multifaceted educational tool, with applications extending to broader PLC-oriented studies beyond the field of railway signalling. Improving system stability by replacing the current track circuit occupancy sensors remains a priority. Upgrading these sensors would address identified reliability issues and further align the model with industry standards, providing a more accurate reflection of operational signalling systems. This solution is unique and innovative for developing simulation tools for the educational process in railway signalling technology. Currently, the railway signalling systems fault state simulations are not included in the model. The goal was to produce a realistic yet comprehensible representation of real-world systems that would be useful as a beginning training aid. Fault state simulations could be integrated into future versions to improve the model's realism and teaching potential. Students would be better prepared for industry challenges by being exposed to such circumstances, which would provide them with valuable insights into troubleshooting and responding to non-standard operational conditions. The product of our research became a simulation model of railway interlocking systems. The model has a demonstration of the complexity of railway signalling systems and shows the importance of real-time data processing. The model railway has potential as a training ground for novice dispatchers in addition to its instructional uses. This model introduces trainees to operational procedures and signaling systems, allowing them to obtain hands-on experience in a controlled setting. It additionally offers an opportunity to simulate reactions to abnormal or faulty scenarios, which is essential for being prepared for the actual world. Conceptualization, D.M. and J.H. ; Data curation, L.H. ; Formal analysis, P.N. ; Funding acquisition, J.H. ; Investigation, L.H. ; Methodology, D.M. ; Project administration, P.N. ; Resources, P.N. ; Software, D.M. ; Supervision, P.N. ; Validation, L.H. ; Visualization, D.M. ; Writing--original draft, D.M. ; Writing--review and editing, J.H. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. This research was funded by the project APVV SK-IL-RD-23-0002. Not applicable.