1997 – Nov – Reed – The First Fifty Years of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers in Australia and New Zealand
Author(s):
Date presented:
Noel F. Reed Hon. FIRSE
Technical Meeting Papers
Technical Meetings are held three times per year.
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202503 – Afshar – CBTC Signalling System & Emerging Technologies; AI, Machine Learning & Crowd Computing for Adaptive Real-Time Train Timetables
By: Parisa Afshar
Date Presented: March 21st, 2025
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202503 – Li – Competency Management in the Australian Railway Signalling Industry
By: Daniel Li
Date Presented: March 21st, 2025
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202503 – Moore – Signal Design Report: What Is It and Why Do We Need It?
By: Trevor Moore
Date Presented: March 21st, 2025
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202503 – Sudholz – Break of Gauge: Competencies in the Australian Signalling Project Environment
By: Thomas Sudholz
Date Presented: March 21st, 2025
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202503 – Turner – Growing Graduates in the Sun: 30 Years of Signalling Graduate Development in Queensland Rail
By: Blake Turner
Date Presented: March 21st, 2025
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202503 – Villegas – The Importance of Operation and Maintenance Concepts in the Delivery and Operation of Rail Networks
By: Selena Villegas
Date Presented: March 21st, 2025
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2004 – July – Modernisation of KTMB’s Signalling & Telecommunication Systems
Date Presented: October 20th, 2024
The total route length of KTMB’s network amounts to approximately 1670 km and is mainly single track except for about 150 km of electrified double track sections around the capital city, Kuala Lumpur, for commuter services.
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1998 – July – Skilton – Tranz Rail’s National Train Control Centre
By: JT Skilton
Date Presented: October 20th, 2024
JT Skilton Signalling systems within Tranz Rail which require control from a remote location can be classified into three types, Centralised Traffic Control (CTC), remote controlled interlockings in Track Warrant (TW) territory and remote controlled interlockings embedded in Double Line Automatic (DLA) signalling. The CTC systems control the movement of trains in both directions over a single line section divided up into block sections and crossing loops. A field unit is installed at each crossing loop for the purpose of communicating with the control centre. TW control requires all trains to hold a warrant for the section of line being traversed. This warrant is issued to the locomotive engineer verbally over the train radio system and checked for correct reception by reading back over the radio system to the control centre. A selected number of crossing loops within TW territory are fully interlocked and equipped with a field unit which allows the Train Control Operator (TCO) to have full control over motor points and signals. Centralised control of interlockings in DLA territory is used where junctions between main and branch lines occur. Central control is used for movements to and from the branch line and, although it can also be used for signalling along the main lines, the interlocking can be switched to automatic for main line movements.
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1998 – July – McDonald – Today’s Interlocking – A World of Applications
By: Wayne McDonald
Date Presented: October 20th, 2024
Wayne McDonald Computer based interlockings today must be adaptable to the vastly different environments found in the many rail networks throughout the world. This paper overviews some of these environments where one such system, WESTRACE, has been installed and it highlights some of the special requirements essential to suit those locations.
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1997 – November – Brock, Ebzery & McMurtrie – Homebush Bay Rail Link – Signalling Design and Management
By: Peter Brock, Frank Ebzery & Bruce McMurtrie
Date Presented: October 20th, 2024
Peter Brock, Frank Ebzery & Bruce McMurtrie The construction of the Year 2000 Olympic facilities and the relocation of the Royal Agricultural Show Grounds Homebush Bay requires the construction of a high capacity transport link. Heavy rail is the only transport system that will supply the required capacity. The new Homebush Bay rail Loop will connect Olympic Park and the new Homebush Bay Showgrounds with the rest of the Sydney metropolitan rail networkTrail loop is nearing completion and will be commissioned on the 22/23 November 1997.
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1988 – Nov – Thornely – Adelaide Signalling Project – A Practical Application of S.S.I.
Author(s):
Date presented:
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.
1998 – Nov – Baird – Victorian Railway Signalling Competency Management
Author(s):
Date presented:
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.
1987 – Nov – Cornish – Aberdeen – Werris Creek CTC – Digital Transmissin System
Author(s):
Date presented:
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.
1996 – March – Illingworth – CATOS Computer Assisted Train Order System – A tool for controlling dark territory
Author(s):
Date presented:
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.
1994 – Aug – Croucher – Zone Released Radio Shunting
Author(s):
Date presented:
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.
1997 – July – Ness & Wagner – The Overseas Work Experience – The Pros, The Cons & The Necessity of Winning International Projects
Author(s):
Date presented:
David Ness Connell Wagner
1998 – March – Deveney – AWARE Communications Call Modes
Author(s):
Date presented:
Tom Deveney Dip. Communications Engineering RMIT FIRSE National Rail Corporation This paper concentrates on train radio for interstate operation as implemented in the National Rail train communications equipment know as AWARE-Australia Wide Augmented Radio Environment. The implementation of this system has demonstrated clearly that the dispirit radio communications standards forms the last break of gauge in respect to the flexible operation of locomotives throughout the country. Following is a review of communications facilities in use for train working and a look at some of the different call type implementations.
2004 – March – McLean – Victorian Regional Fast Rail – A Control and Monitoring Perspective
Author(s):
Date presented:
Stuart McLean Bachelor Electronic Engineering, Hons (RMIT) ALSTOM Australia The Train Control and Monitoring System (TCMS) is the umbrella title given to the new Centralised Train Control (CTC) system and telemetry networks to be installed on the Regional Fast Rail (RFR) Project (Ballarat and Geelong corridors). This paper aims to provide an overview of the TCMS, detailing design decisions and equipment used and presenting a glimpse of the feature set offered by the new CTC system. It concludes by challenging engineers and managers to carefully consider the future specification design of control and monitoring systems.
1997 – March – Duffy – Signalling Changes for Operational Improvements – Dynamic Speed Indicators
Author(s):
Date presented:
Michael Duffy, MIRSE Queensland Rail The initiative for the development of the dynamic speed indicator (DSI) came about as a result of drivers in QR. The idea of the DSI evolved through a number of workshops in QR. The workshops involved representatives of drivers and operational staff statewide, signalling and personnel. The main reasons for the changes in signalling philosophy in QR were: To improve information for drivers as it was found that improving information to drivers is often overlooked in the haste to install signalling. To improve train handling; To ensure the signalling aspects in QR were consistent.