201410 – Clendon – ETCS Level 1 in Auckland

In 2008, with the complete resignalling of the Auckland metropolitan rail network for electrification firmly on the cards, the question was asked what should be done about train protection.

This paper will revisit some of the original thinking behind the deployment of the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 1 technology in Auckland including the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) risk study, procurement methodology, and principles of application.

The paper will also give an update on the status of the ETCS rollout in Auckland highlighting the progress to date, pitfalls encountered, and successes covering:
• Obtaining, validating, and integrating track data
• Operational considerations (balise placement, in-fill, release speeds, performance)
• Managing residual risk
• Testing schedule and roll out of trackside system
• Lessons learned