2015 – October – McGregor and Lemon – ETCS and CBTC Considerations for Sydney

Peter McGregor  BEng (Elect) Grad Dip Sys Eng FIRSE Lead Engineer Signals and Control Systems
 Asset Standards Authority, TfNSW Stephen Lemon MSc,Rail Systems Engineering MIRSE Signalling & Control Systems Manager Sydney Trains, TfNSW Which technology solution Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) or European Train Control System (ETCS) would be best for fitting to the current Sydney suburban rail network? The answer depends on a number of important considerations: the current needs, the existing state of current signalling infrastructure, risk profile of the railway, short term and long term operational requirements, long term asset plans and of course the available budgets? This paper explores some of the key influences and implementation issues for using CBTC or ETCS on the Sydney suburban rail network. Many of the issues are not related to signalling principles or technology but involve a whole new way of running a railway. These technologies are “disruptive” to the current operating railway as the implementation involves nearly every part of the organisation: Operations, planning, drivers, guards, network controllers, rolling stock maintenances, track engineers, signalling and communications engineers and of course the railway customers who use the rail network.