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Technical Meeting Papers

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2024 – March – Zhu, Lauro & Nardi – Innovative Tablet Solution for Improving Rail Operation
By: Dr Bin Zhu, Gianluigi Lauro & Federico Nardi
Date Presented: March 12th, 2024

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2024 – March – Sudholz – Passively Active – Warning systems for passive & occupation level crossings in agricultural settings
By: Thomas Sudholz
Date Presented: March 12th, 2024

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


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2024 – March – Robinson – Barriers to innovation in signalling design, verification, and validation
By: Neil Robinson
Date Presented: March 12th, 2024

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


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2024 – March – Moore – Signalling Principles – What are they and where do they come from?
By: Trevor Moore
Date Presented: March 12th, 2024

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


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2024 – March – Khan & Kamarulzaman – FRMCS – Integrated Migration Strategy
By: Obaid Khan & Khairulzaman Kamarulzaman
Date Presented: March 12th, 2024

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


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2024 – March – Alvarez – Case Study – FRMCS Migration Path in Perth
By: Rodrigo Alvarez
Date Presented: March 13th, 2024

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. 


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2024 – August – Burns – Human Factors at Level Crossings
By: Peter Burns
Date Presented: August 21st, 2024

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


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2024 – August – Boss – Human aspects of managing cyber security in delivering ERTMS
By: John Boss
Date Presented: August 21st, 2024

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


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2022 – November – Youle – Qualitative analysis – the more efficient approach to managing risks SFAIRP
By: Patrick Youle
Date Presented: November 1st, 2022

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


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2022 – November – Hunter – Cybersecurity in the Railway Industry
By: Hugh Hunter
Date Presented: November 1st, 2022

Cybersecurity is a hot topic worldwide with regular attacks being performed against multiple domains.


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2013 – July – Hjort – Reducing Train Control Costs – The NSW Country Regional Network Experience

Author(s):
Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Graham Hjort BE(Hons), Grad Dip (Rail Sig) 4Tel Pty Ltd Operation and maintenance of the Country Regional Network (CRN) was transferred to John Holland on 15 January 2012, with train control functions shifting to a newly created CRN control centre at Mayfield. The centre was fitted out specifically for train operations with all supporting train control technology. 4Tel was contracted to deliver all train control technology, including: train control systems (train order and Rail Vehicle Detection), telemetry systems, voice and train communication systems, supporting systems for operations and maintenance, and data networks for all system and operational connectivity. All design, procurement, installation, configuration, testing and commissioning was done within a 12 month mobilisation period to enable operations to commence on 15 January 2012. 4Tel provides ongoing support for the CRN control centre systems including the provision of a 24/7 technical support desk working directly with the network control staff. All systems have been configured with system health monitoring and logging, in addition to alarm management provided via 4Site. After 18 months of operation, the benefit of 24/7 onsite maintenance and supporting structure is now being realised. System availability exceeds all targets and industry benchmarks. With callout reductions and improved health monitoring, the costs for support of train control and signalling infrastructure is now being reduced.

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1992 – Nov – Wang – SMRT Training of Staff for the New Railway

Author(s):
Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Yip Seck Wang The idea to build a rail transit system first surfaced In Singapore In the early 70's. A comprehensive study to examine land use and transportation needs in the light of the Government's development policies was launched in 1967 and completed In 1971. This study confirmed that it would be physically impossible and environmentally unacceptable to build all the roads demanded by unchecked growth of private autombiles, thus calling for the need for a rail transit system by 1992. Subsequent to the comprehensive study In 1971, a series of studies followed to funher define national transport needs and to establish system design characteristics.

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2012 – Oct – Burns – RAMS – is that when you have more than one sheep?

Author(s):
Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Peter Burns MBA BAppSci CPEng MIEAust MIRSE PYB Consulting Pty Ltd RAMS analysis and the setting of RAMS requirements (often expressed as single indices) are becoming common features of rail signalling projects. But attempts to outsource RAMS objectives by attaching them as simple deliverables in project contracts often fail. This paper explores some of the reasons why this is so. The paper takes a qualitative look at examples and processes of requirements analysis and requirements setting, particularly at key interfaces important to RAMS. These include: • Interfaces with the rail environment and the world at large;• Interfaces between signalling systems;• Maintenance Policies and strategies; It will be seen that the achievement of RAMS outcomes inherently involves alignment between many parties. Products do not stand alone; they are part of human centred systems. Success depends on openness by organisations and access to good engineering knowledge – these being the oxygen on which RAMS depend.

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2011 – March – Shenton – Video Train Positioning

Author(s):
Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Richard Shenton MIRSE Reliable Data Systems Since commercial railways began around 200 years ago, passing trains have been detected from the trackside. Now we have entered the era of train based positioning. The cost of installing, operating and maintaining track circuits and other infrastructure equipment is driving the introduction of train based alternatives. Whilst GPS is widely used for train positioning on low density lines, it cannot on its own meet the exacting requirements of train control. There is a  need for a new generation of location system which can provide continuous positioning on individual lines with high  integrity and low cost. This paper describes the operation of VTPS (Video Train Positioning System) a cab mounted vision system providing reliable positioning at low cost. The system uses image processing technology to provide the full range of positioning requirements for the operational railway, including odometry, spot location and track discrimination. The paper details the techniques that are employed and how these are used to provide accurate results with high integrity. It describes how the individual functions are combined to provide a complete positioning capability, supporting applications such as train control, platform stopping, standstill detection and train integrity.

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1988 – Nov – Williams – Adelaide Signalling Project – Solid State Interlocking

Author(s):
Date presented: December 27th, 2015

M. Williams Westinghouse Signals Limited Solid State Interlockings (SSI) is a microprocessor based system, designed for use in railway signalling installations to compute and execute the signalling interlocking functions in a safe and reliable manner. The development of SSI was undertaken jointly by British Rail, GEC General Signal Company Limited and Westinghouse Signals Limited in the United Kingdom. British Rai has been responsible for the basic design of hardware and software, safety validation and for overall project management. GEC and Westinghouse Signals have translated the British Rail design concepts into fully engineered production equipment. The objectives of the development were to use microprocessors to reduce the cost of railway signalling installations without changing the way that the operators and drivers view a signalling system.

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1997 – Nov – Jones – TETRA – A System for Transmission Based Signalling

Author(s):
Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Howard Jones Business Manager SIMOCO  

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1992 – July – Davis & Crossley – Driver Assistance Video System

Author(s):
Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Ken Davis, FIRSE, MIEAust, MIEE Director - Connell Wagner Peter Crossley Associate - Connell Wagner This paper describes the application of a Driver Assistance Video System to assist one man operation of trains in a suburban railway system.

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2011 – July – Szacsvay – The Elephant and the Flea – Living with Traction Return

Author(s):
Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Paul Szacsvay BE (Elec) M Admin FIRSE Rail Corporation NSW Traction supply and distribution systems, electromagnetic interference from AC traction supply systems, electrolysis from stray DC traction currents, and interference between in-rail traction currents and track circuits have all been well documented in published literature. Traction current return systems and the issues involved with them have not been so well served. Focussing mainly on practices relevant to Australasian railway systems, this paper gives an overview of the configuration of typical DC and AC traction supply and return systems, the requirements for their safe and reliable operation, and their interaction with track circuits and other infrastructure on and near to the railway. It concludes with a brief discussion of the potential benefits of adopting train detection systems which are not dependent on electrical contact with the running rails. In addition, since a really detailed study of the issues relating to traction return is beyond the scope of a paper of this length, a reading list of useful reference books and articles is provided for those seeking to explore any of the topics in more depth.

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2005 – March – Aitken – From Teletype to Megabyte

Author(s):
Date presented: December 27th, 2015

John Aitken BE AMIRSE Aitken & Partners, Consulting Engineers In October 1877 Bell published construction details of his telephone invention. A NSW Railway engineer, Mr Cracknell built a copy and transmitted words and music by telephone over the telegraph wire from West Maitland to Sydney in December 1877. It was an era of excitement and delight in engineering. Morse code had become a mature technology, voice systems were spreading and soon de Forest's vacuum tube triode was to make amplification possible. Transmission systems were no longer limited in distance and the engineers had visions of linking the continent by telegraph and telephone. The visions were gradually realised, though not without difficulty and dedication. The work practices of those days would not be considered now'. New engineering problems were found, analysed and solved, as communication systems grew in complexity and expanse. Some of the problems were unique to railways and a few were unique to Australia (at that stage). From these beginnings railway communications have embraced analogue carrier telephony, radio, optical fibre and digital camer systems for radio and cable. Mobrle radio has been implemented for train control, security, maintenance and administration. Some of these developments are described and discussed in this paper.

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1991 – Nov – Oldfield – Freight Strategies for Queensland Rail

Author(s):
Date presented: December 27th, 2015

M. Oldfield Manager Planning & Research Freight Group Queensland Railways In July 1991, the old Railways Act was abolished and a new act, the Transport Infrastructure  (Railways) Act of 1991 was endorsed, heralding the beginning of a new commercial Queensland Rail. In order to meet the commercial charter embodied in this Act, the organisation is structured around three fully accountable business units (Freight, Coal and Minerals, Passengers) and three support groups (Corporate Services, Human Resource, Financial). Each business unit has been given control of its own resources and will now be held bottom line accountable. These resources include wagons, locomotives, track sections, terminals, yards and people.

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