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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1997 – Nov – Miller – Granville Area Resignalling – Y Link

Author(s):

Chris Miller GEC Alsthom Australia The introduction of City Rail's widely advertised 1996 Timetable, was dependent on the Granville Area Resignalling Y-Link project being completed on time. The project, with a completed cost of $75M had a target date, set in 1994, of the 1996 October long weekend. The project initially started as a major civil and overhead wiring project which was to be undertaken concurrently with the adjacent Auburn to Westmead major resignalling project. Due to the tight target schedule, it soon became apparent that the scope of works for the resignalling and attendant junction renewal, would have to be severely curtailed. The draft resignalling scope of works was finalised in 1993 with the signalling plan, designed to link in with Auburn-Westmead resignalling project finalised in late 1994. Due to the interrelated work areas, programmes and design issues, the Harris Park Y-Link and the Granville Area Resignalling Project, were effectively combined into a single project managed by the Railway Services Authority (RSA). The management team included personnel from Kinhill Engineers and Sinclair Knight Merz, working from the same project office and coordinating through weekly Team Meetings.

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1986 – March – Wheals – Illawarra Train Describer & Telemetry System

Author(s):

Mike Wheals Manager, Railway Systems GEC Digital In February 1984, GEC Railway Signals received an order from the State Rail Authority of NSW for the re-signalling of the Illawarra line. As part of that contract, GEC Digital provide the Train Describer Computer System, and the Telemetry system. The Train Describer was fully designed in Australia, based on a BR specification, but with many enhancements suggested by the SRA and GEC. The Telemetry is the GEC General Signal Mark 111 system, newly developed in the UK, and customized and manufactured in Australia. The Illawarra line train describer covers the area from south of Waterfall to Port Kembla. This area consists of double track bi-directionally signalled, double track uni-directionally signalled and single sections. There are fringe boxes at Waterfall and the branch line at Unanderra. Port Kembla is a terminus. Provision is made for extension of the control area to include the Unanderra branch as far as Dapto, Moss Vale and Maldon. The train describer is required to track trains throughout the system. Trains may enter the system at the fringe boxes and at any of the various sidings. Trains are identified by a four character code (unique on a daily basis) which is extracted from timetable information or manually entered by the operator. Trains proceeding without a description are identified with a special code of four asterisks. Associated with each running signal is a train descriptior. berth. Train descriptions are stepped from berth to berth in response to field indications received via the telemetry and in accordance with the stepping tables. Signal berth contents, i.e., train descriptions are displayed on the mimic panel and on the VDU area maps. Other information such as signal aspects, lie of points, routes set, track occupancy are also displayed. Selected berths are designated as reporting points (generally platform berths at specified stations). At these points the Train Describer informs the Automatic Train Reporting System of train arrival and departure. Operator VDU's are located in the Main Box at Wollongong and in the Fringe Boxes. Various commands are available to the operators. The set of commands available at the Fringe Boxes is different to that available at the Main Box. Such commands include berth interrogation, cancel train description, interpose train description acknowledgement of alarms etc.

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1993 – April – Norris – Integrating an Axle Counting Function into the VPI Computer Based Interlocking

Author(s):

D. A. Norris B.E. (ELEC) M.I.R.S.E. Manager - Research and Development ABB Signal Pty Ltd. This paper focus on the reasons why, some of the development processes used, and system description for integrating an Axle Counting function into the Vital Processor Interlocking, VPI, system. During 1990 meetings were held between AB6 Signal (formally E6 Signal) and the General Railway Signal company, GRS, to discuss forthcoming tenders in Australia. It was during these talks that the idea of providing an alternative method of train detection for the VPI was discussed. This alternative system was to be axle counters. In late 1990 Queensland Railways released a tender for the signalling of Farleigh to Purono. This section of railway included track sections which required detecting trains by using axle counters. This then became the opportunity to put the idea into practice.

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202211 – Hunter – Cybersecurity in the Railway Industry

Author(s): Hugh Hunter

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202410 – Burns – Designing the Layout

Author(s): Peter Burns

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202410 – Heibel – Back to Basics for CBTC

Author(s): Dr Frank Heibel

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202410 – Kumar – Implementation of High-Capacity Signalling (HCS) in Perth

Author(s): Vipin Kumar

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202410 – Pasquale – Signalling Maintenance Schedule Optimisation

Author(s): Brenella Pasqale

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