A method and computer program product are provided for monitoring
integrity of a railroad train and determining passage of the train
relative to a plurality of virtual blocks defined by wireless
transmissions along a section of track over which the train travels. The
virtual blocks provide safeguards for the travel of the train relative to
other trains on the section of the track when there is a shared use of
the section of track. In aspects thereof, the method allows collecting
data useful for evaluating conditions that may affect train integrity
from at least one sensing device at a end of train location. The method
further allows collecting data at a head-of-train location, with the data
collected at the head-of-train corresponding to the type of data
collected at the end-of-train location. The data collected at the
end-of-train and at the head-of train location is processed to determine
whether the entire train has cleared a respective one of the virtual
blocks. In the event this determination is unable to reach a clearance
for the respective block, a cautionary status is associated with the
virtual block. The cautionary status for the virtual block is
automatically communicated to an offboard system, which is responsible
for managing shared use of the track by other trains.