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Nick Terry BA, CEng, MIEE, MIRSE Westinghouse Rail Systems Australia Writing and managing specifications is crucial for successful engineering projects. Failures in specifications lead to re-work, frustration, increased costs, delays and disappointed customers. This paper discusses ways to help achieve successful projects through developing specifications with a high level of customer involvement so that projects meet the needs of the business. It also considers how to manage change and maintain flexibility within specifications. The successful commissioning of the Callemondah Third Spur and the associated remodelling at Gladstone, Central Queensland, in April 2008 is used as an example throughout to illustrate the points being made.
I.K. Thornely M.L. Engineering (Adelaide) During 1986, M.L. Engineering in Joint Venture with local company O'Donnell Griffin, were awarded the contract for Australia's first and at the time the world's largest S.S.I. project. The design and supply of the S.S.I. equipment was sub-contracted to Westinghouse Signals Limited of Chippenham. U.K. The cost of our S.S.I. option for this project was almost the same as our price for the conventional signalling option although the provision of additional and new spares increased the total package by approximately $300,000. This additional cost in itself was insignigicant when one realises the savings S.T.A. were able to make in other areas, namely relay rooms and the control centre. With the above in mind, the STA opted for the S.S.I. option for their 100 project.
R. B. Baird, B.E.(Hons), AMIEE, MlRSE Manager, Signals & Communications BAYSIDE TRAINS Competency management systems are not new: most rail organisations have systems in place for ensuring only competent staff carry out design, installation, testing, commissioning & maintenance functions. These include:- Minimum qualifications; Direct supervision and mentoring including workplace assessment; Inservice training; Detailed procedures and instructions; Investigations of incidents and follow up rectification; Independent checking procedures. Recently there has been pressure to document and formalise competency systems as a result of the following externalrequirements:- Government legislation / regulation; Outsourcing (contractual requirement to set common standards); Quality and safety management systems adopted by rail organisations. Most of these require the organisation involved in rail safety functions to demonstrate a competency system is in place and is followed without being specific about the detail.
Garry Josh MIRSE, MAIPM Australian Rail Track Corporation The Australian Rail Track Corporation has embarked on a significant programme of train control consolidation and signal box closures throughout New South Wales. Ultimately two Network Control Centres will control rail traffic over the majority of the New South Wales rail network. Train control consolidation is underway during a time of significant organisational and cultural change as the New South Wales rail system evolves from a government entity to business and customer focussed corporation which can be considered both an advantage and a major hurdle simultaneously. The Train Control Consolidation Project is comprised of a number of minor and major resignalling works to replace mechanical and hybrid interlockings and signalling systems to allow for their remote control from PC based train control systems. Additionally ARTC has a number of complimentary projects within its' various corridor strategies which also need to be considered.
Lawrence Dean (B App Sc, Dip PM.) Project Engineer Westinghouse Signals Australia This paper provides an overview of Westinghouse Signals Australia (WSA) Advanced Train Control (ATC) technology, particularly in the area of train scheduling. In addition to WSA's current train scheduling methods, this paper discusses other methods, their advantages and disadvantages, and their applicability to railway systems. This paper also outlines WSA's background in ATC systems, focussing on the previously installed systems for Hamersley Iron Ore and the Taiwan Railway Administration. This document provides a description of the various components that make up the ATC system, including the Train Scheduler, Train Graph and Automatic Route Setting (ARS). Future enhancements, such as fleet and crew rostering, are also discussed.
lan Worthington FlRSE Alstom Australia Ltd. The paper provides details of the Hillside Trains business and looks forward to the improvements to be provided as part of the commitment to the State Governments vision "to protect passenger's rights and improve service quality on Victoria's trains under a privatised transport system". The paper addresses the performance requirements and reporting including the operational performance and asset condition improvements as they relate to the railway signalling aspect of the business.
R. Cornish Nokia Telecommunications Nokia Telecommunications supplied the digital transmission system on optical fibre between Muswellbrook and Werris Creek. There are two parallel systems; an 8 Mb/s trunk system and a 2 Mb/s branching system. The transmission of the telephone voice and the data information for the CTC is by digital means using Pulse Code Modulation and optical carriers over pairs of glass fibres in the Olex cables.
Mark Illingworth, Westrail CATOS Project Engineer In recent years due to the high costs of automatic and controlled signalling equipment and the restrictions on staff based safeworking systems, many railways around the world have opted for the re-introduction of the Train Order based safeworking system on non-track circuited single lines. This system was used in the early days of railways, and from it evolved the highly developed signalling systems we know today. Longer and less frequent trains, reducing the number of crosses and passes required, as well as the improved communications between the Driver and Train Controller is considered to be sufficient to minimise the safety related concerns that led to the previous abandonment of Train Orders as a suitable safeworking system. Apart from cost, the main benefit identified with Train Orders above low end signalling systems such as the Staff and Ticket system, is the added flexibility and subsequent improvement in the "throughput" of train journeys. 40r example, for a train to travel from Geraldton to Coorow, a distance of about 230krn passing through 12 stations, a minimum of one train order is required. The total time involved in preparing, issuing and receiving the Train Order by the Train Controller and the Driver would rarely exceed one half hour. A similar journey under the Staff and Ticket system would involve 12 changes of staff, requiring the train to stop 12 times, increasing the total train journey time in excess of 120 minutes (based on the prescribed 10 minutes at each stop). The subsequent improvement in productivity is self evident.
Lynden Croucher Signals & Operational System Corporate Services Engineering Division Queensland Rail The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the Zone Released Shunting System (ZKRS) recently installed at Paget and Merinda. This paper details the advantages of the system and includes a discussion of both the hardware implementation and operation of the system.
John Skilton BE Hons. (Electrical and Electronic) FIRSE, MIPENZ, CPEng Generations of signalling engineers have been subjected to accusations that signalling is too expensive. This paper examines some of the techniques applied in New Zealand to provide cost effective signalling and train control systems. Case studies for the use of common SCADA platforms for train control and the use traffic light based level crossing systems in yard areas are provided. The paper concludes with a brief look at some trends in the signalling arena that may impact on the cost of train control systems in the future.
In this paper, we would like to introduce an innovative proposal based on the research conducted by the Hitachi Rail Innovation team to further improve the existing available tablet application, particularly
This Paper investigates the issues regarding use of passive level crossings for livestock movements in the agricultural industry. This unavoidable practice presents a different risk profile to the typical user, with livestock movement being
I started in signalling more than 30 years ago at British Rail, where I learnt how to design interlockings, initially in relay circuits, and then by programming Solid State Interlockings. This work sparked my interest in safety critical syste
The term signalling principles is often referenced with regards to the design of a signalling system. It is also used as part of the title of a person ‘Principles Verifier’ or ‘Principles Tester’. Some rail managers also reference signalling p
This paper offers a detailed FRMCS integrated migration strategy as a preparatory guide for current GSM-R users, particularly Rail Transport Operators (RTOs), as well as for projects in the planning and developmen
The Public Transport Authority of Western Australia (PTA) is currently building a new mobile radio and backhaul transmission communications network across the Perth metropolitan electrified railway network.
Today’s railway fatalities are arguably more likely to occur at level crossings than in the train collisions we tend to focus most attention on controlling. Designing for level crossing safety can be messy and grey, especially when the dependen
The Netherlands is rolling out the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) across the national network. The government created a Programme Directorate to manage the rollout. Cyber security for both ERTMS as well as the transportation syst
To support the acceptance of safety risk for configuration changes to railways, systems engineering recognises both qualitative and quantitative hazard and risk assessment methods. Quantitative analysis can be perceived as objective and quali
Cybersecurity is a hot topic worldwide with regular attacks being performed against multiple domains.