For anyone who doesn't know anything about Layout Command Control (LCC) here are some resources. It's the biggest thing in the hobby since DCC in terms of automating the rest of your layout. DCC can then be left to send commands to the trains and the LCC nodes can then be used to take inputs and control outputs of anything that you'd like. It is commonly used for block detection using current detectors and signaling. This could be the hardware detection side of your automated control scheme. You can also roll your own LCC nodes from Arduinos as I've seen a presentation about it, but can't find it right now. This is all able to be configured in panel pro in JMRI which would give you a huge leap in tech. Also, JMRI is open source and if you want more advanced control schemes you can develop it and contribute to the codebase.
NMRA LCC Intro: https://www.nmra.org/lcc
PPT Introduction: https://gnwrwy.com/lcc-tech-resources/
PPT Introduction Presented:
Groups.io LCC Discussion Group: https://groups.io/g/layoutcommandcontrol
LCC Product Manufacturers:
RR-CirKits (Everything Needed): http://rr-circuits.com/
Logic Rail Technologies (LRT) (Fast Clock, Light Controller): https://www.logicrailtech.com/index.htm
Train Command Systems (TCS) (CS-105): https://www.tcsdcc.com/
