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Nick Coleman & Anthony Slamen Human Engineering (Australia) Pty Ltd, Sydney Network Rail, London Across the UK Rail infrastructure a number of alterative approaches to the development of VDU based signalling control systems (VSCS) are being adopted by different companies in order to meet the demands of improved railway safety and performance. The systems incorporate different signaller – system interaction design models; interface functionalities; alarms systems and schematic layout conventions. While Railway Group and Network Rail Company standards largely address the technical and functional requirements to ensure compatibility across the UK network and between its systems, they have historically left important HMI safety critical areas (e.g. alarms, aspects of visual coding) open to designer interpretation. Further, VSCS designers complain that where interface requirements have been specified they can be too restrictive – being prescriptive and based on older technologies – and in some cases, actually promote poor interface design solutions. This paper introduces the work that Human Engineering has undertaken in conjunction with the Network Rail Ergonomics Group in order to ensure that human factors requirements and guidelines are properly incorporated into revised and new Network Rail standards for VSCS design. It outlines the issues and processes involved; the adopted approach; and provides specific examples concerning the development of requirements for signalling schematic maps and alarms systems.
Sandra Karrasch BE (Electrical) Grad Dip Mgt (Technology Mgt) AMIRSE MIEAust Signal Engineer QR The purpose of this paper is to highlight the current engineering graduate programs operating in QR, the advantages and disadvantages of the programs, and discuss what qualities a graduate program should encompass. QR has engineering graduate programs in Signal and Operational Systems, Civil Engineering, Rollingstock Engineering, Telecommunications, and Electrical Engineering. The main advantages of the rotational graduate programs are that participants gain a variety of skills and experience, and acquire a contact base throughout the organisation and externally. The main disadvantages are forced relocation of staff to other locations, loss of communication with other graduates and staff, and if the program is not managed well can fail in its operation and in graduate development. To retain graduates a graduate program should consider mentoring, structured training, professional development, management support and commitment, Key Performance Indicators, a communication platform and information sessions to assist in decision making for rotational areas and experience.
John Aitken Director, Aitken & Partners Consulting Engineers Outsourcing of services is a concept that has the virtues of political correctness and fashion. It is certainly not a new concept but outsourcing has become a popular answer to all manner of corporate ills. Its current significance is perhaps not unrelated to some of the spectacular corporate failures of the 1980s when short term gains were the objective of many an entrepreneur. The current reaction appears to be an emphasis on "core business" activities, with those activities that are not considered essential to the core business being "outsourced". Some would argue that communications are not core business for railways and that they should have been outsourced long ago. Others will argue that connnunications are the very life blood of a modern railwa? -- as integral a part of the operation as the track, locomotives. rolling stock and signals. In this paper we consider the role of communications in railway operations. the impact of historical developments, the impact of developing technology and the impact of legislation on railway communications. There are some areas where outsourcing is a natural and obvious step, some areas where outsourcing would achieve nothing and others where outsourcing has been In place for a long time. The common characteristic is that they provlde cominunications for trains that move on steel wheels on steel tracks.
Raja Azizi Raja Daud B.E (Hons) in Electronic Union Switch & Signal The Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System deployed by KTMB into their double track network covers from Rawang to Seremban inclusive of the branch lines to Port Klang and Sentul in 1996 and now expanding to cover the main line between Rawang to Ipoh. The system supplied is the L10000 ATC II, an intermittent ATP system, manufactured by AT Signal System AB Sweden. The System consists of two key components known as the ATP Wayside and ATP Onboard Systems. The ATP Wayside System functions to provide the track information to the Onboard System. The information is transmitted in form of serial data, called telegrams. These telegrams may contain the following; the maximum permitted line speed, announcement of a speed restriction and distance to the restricted location, the aspect of the currently passed optical signal, the aspect and distance of the targeted optical signal, information to cancel signal control speed, train category and other sundry information. The required information is transmitted to the ATP Onboard System through equipment called transponders installed on the track. ATP Onboard system contains the central processing unit (CPU) and several interfaces receive wayside information from the transponder through an antenna, which is installed underneath the train structure. The CPU evaluates the wayside information, as well as the data keyed on driver's data panel such as train maximum speed, deceleration factor, brake delay time and train length. The results from the evaluation are displayed on the driver's panel i.e. maximum permitted speed, target speed and distance to target (if target speed lower than maximum permitted speed) as driver's guidance. The ATP onboard system will then perform the supervision depending on the evaluated information and intervene by initiating a brake application, either service or emergency brake, if the driver fails to react according to the presented data. This paper is focusing on the new product developed to reflect the technology evolution and also part of the engineering development to improve equipment features besides ensuring continual support to existing customer in replacing obsolete equipment without necessitating major modification. The equipment called an Encoder, forms part of ATP Wayside component used to encode signalling or other control information into ATP telegram that can be transmitted to the ATP Onboard System through a transponder. There are two different styles of encoders both producing the same end result. Their difference in operation and installation will be explained in this paper. They are called the ATSS Encoder Type II and the US&S Microlok II ASES Board.
JOHN AITKEN, AITKEN & PARTNERSMARTIN LEHRBAUM, NORTEL NETWORKSGLYN OWEN, SIEMENS GSM-R, the railway extension of GSM telephony, has been designed specifically to satisfy railway radio communication requirements. In this three-part paper we describe the Advanced features of GSM-R that set it apart as a railway system and demonstrate that it is available technology, ready for use today. We explain how GSM-R has been approved by international standards organisations and has a Notified Body process for type and system approval. Finally, we show that GSM-R is applicable to Australia, providing an effective solution to many of the communication problems of Australian railways. Part 1 outlines the advanced and railway specific features of GSM-R.
Mike Eldridge Connell Wagner In the consulting and contracting industries it is essential nowadays for firms to be quality accredited if they wish to bid for government and increasingly private contracts. A large number of government organisations require their suppliers to have quality systems in place which meet the requirements of AS3901, AS3902 or AS3903. This paper addresses the quality assurance issues relating to design services provided by consultants and contractors.
Dave Keddie Australian National Railways in Australia face several challenges if they are to contribute significantly to economic reform with the transport industry. Labour force reductions, reduced transit times, improved reliability of services and more efficient management systems are some of the means of achieving significant gains. The role of signalling is contributing to these gains if foremost. However, before these gains can be realised, there needs to be a significant change in the commercial approach to signalling.
Aaron FraserUltra-Wideband (UWB) technology is a radio frequency technology that uses a very large bandwidth to transmit and receive small pulses that are used to calculate precise locations. UWB has been proven to provide industry-leading positioning wit
Stefano Bonassa, Giacomo Cernelli, Massimo Orsi, Federico Nardi & Anthony MacDonald Typically, the integration of the Signalling System, Platform Screen Door PSD, Tunnel Ventilation System TVS, Automatic Train Operation ATO, SCADA and other particular equipment, which interact with Signalling in and around the Tunnel, create new requirements to be allocated to innovative signalling systems like ETCS or CBTC.
Steven Boldeman Within the last decade, Systems Engineering has been used with more and more industries, and has been adopted within the rail industry. This paper discusses the reality of practice for systems engineering in Australia, and in particular for the rail industry. Systems engineering is a relatively new field in Australia for rail and the application of the field to the rail industry is developing and improving as time progresses. There have been hard lessons.
Thomas Wagner The aim of this paper is to propose the use of an Integrated System Delivery framework approach for the implementation of complex, multidisciplinary projects. The paper summarises the current spending in the Australian rail market and the industry trends and practices related to the delivery of megaprojects. It looks at traditional design and construction delivery approaches for such projects and investigates their appropriateness compared to the proposed integrated approach. Key changes in approach such as the impacts Covid has had on project teams, common factors that contribute to project failures and the existing use of systems and digital engineering are discussed. The paper provides an overview of the proposed Integrated System Delivery framework for projects and outlines key aspects of the framework that support a new approach to design, construction and implementation phases of complex, multidisciplinary projects.
Subrina Rahman When presented with a set of flawed input data, the best-case scenario a system designer can hope for is that the system will recognize the flaw and stop working; and in worst case it will keep working with the erroneous data and produce an unpredicted outcome. This is true for simple systems being designed by university students to safety critical complex systems like the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system currently being rolled across the greater Sydney’s heavy rail network. Only in the latter case, flawed input data could cost lives.
Trevor Moore Level crossings encompass many hazards including the uncontrolled hazards associated with motor vehicles and pedestrians. This paper examines a variety of hazards impacting on level crossing safety. There are also references to incident reports which are a good source for hazards and their consequences.
Peter McGregor In NSW country areas we have historically used diesel motor generator sets to provide 120V AC power to operate signalling equipment in the field. With new technologies with electronics/inverters and the drive to use COTS (Commercial off the shelf) equipment we are using 240V commercial generator sets as opposed to the customised (e.g., Lister brand) old style generator sets at 120V AC.
Alex McGrath The ‘obsolescence problem’ in signalling is a topic of much discussion and consternation. This paper focuses on the different types of obsolescence and the system elements and forces which drive the ‘problem’, to get a deep understanding of the landscape.
Stephen Lemon As a result of Australia’s colonial history the state railway networks have evolved very differently, and whilst differences in track gauge have been largely resolved, there remain major differences between the signalling and train control systems that continue to present significant challenges for interstate and inter-network train operations.
Simeon Cox The backbone of large cities is their mass transit, supporting the needs of the population and providing a dependable pathway between nerve sites. Over the next 30 years, several Australian capital cities will be approaching ‘Mega City’ levels of population and will need to consider high-capacity metro systems to move their population as they ‘re-open’ following the COVID 19 pandemic. Access to efficient public transport provides greater equity in access to employment and educational opportunities across the population of the city as people return to the office, workplace, and classroom. Since 2006, Siemens Trainguard MT CBTC has been at the centre of high-capacity metro railways operating at GoA2 and GoA4 in cities worldwide.