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Technical Meeting Papers

Technical Meetings are held three times per year.
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2022 – November – Fraser – Train Positioning in Tunnels using Ultra-Wideband
By: Aaron Fraser
Date Presented: November 2nd, 2022

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


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2022 – November – Bonassa et al – Tunnel Solutions for Modern Transportation Systems – A Holistic Approach
By: Stefano Bonassa, Giacomo Cernelli, Massimo Orsi, Federico Nardi & Anthony MacDonald
Date Presented: October 21st, 2024

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.


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2022 – November – Boldeman – Systems Engineering – Myths and Realities
By: Steven Boldeman
Date Presented: October 21st, 2024

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.


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2022 – April – Wagner – Implementing an integrated system delivery framework to enable successful delivery of complex, multidisciplinary projects
By: Thomas Wagner
Date Presented: October 21st, 2024

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.


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2022 – April – Rahman – Reconnecting with Concepts of Collection, Verification & Maintenance of Accurate Geographic Data for ATP
By: Subrina Rahman
Date Presented: October 21st, 2024

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.  


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2022 – April – Moore – Level Crossings – Controlling the Hazards
By: Trevor Moore
Date Presented: October 21st, 2024

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.


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2022 – April – McGregor – Motor generators, 240V (MEN) and Isolated power supplies for signalling
By: Peter McGregor
Date Presented: October 21st, 2024

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.  


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2022 – April – McGrath – The “Obsolescence Problem” in Signalling
By: Alex McGrath
Date Presented: October 21st, 2024

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.


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2022 – April – Lemon – Can ETCS Level 2 help us reconnect the Australian rail networks and offer an interoperable and harmonised future for our railways?
By: Stephen Lemon
Date Presented: October 21st, 2024

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.


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2022 – April – Cox – Trainguard MT Communications Based Train Control
By: Simeon Cox
Date Presented: October 21st, 2024

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.


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1989 – July – Moore – Communications for Signalling Systems

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

T. G. Moore, P. Eng.,M.I.R.S.E. Development Engineer, Signals Standards CityRail Engineering, State Rail Authority of NSW Ever since signalling safeworking advanced beyond the stage of a man with a red flag walking in front of the train, there has been a need to communicate information about the status of train movements to distant locations. Initially systems used the telegraph network which shared the communications network between signalling requirements and the need to communicate more general information. Subsequent systems such as block instruments and electric train staff used a dedicated circuit to meet their communication requirements. More complex systems involving relay interlockings used multiple dedicated electrical circuits to communicate the information status to relays at the distant location. These systems effectively absorbed a very wide band of the available circuits to transmit a small amount of information with a high level of security and integrity.

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2009 – April – Bollard, Copperthwaite and Tooth – The Importance of System Intergration and Integrated Logistic Support in of Rail Infrastructure

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

Arran Bollard MMgt, Grad Dip MilSc & Tech, BSc Ansaldo STS Australia Pty Ltd Jane Copperthwaite BEng (Hons), CEng, MIET, MIRSE  Ansaldo STS Australia Pty Ltd Amanda Tooth BBus Mgt Ansaldo STS Australia Pty Ltd The rail transportation sector's systems are characterised by increasing complexity of technology and system operations, an extraordinary increase the need for higher capacity, a demand for reduced technical and operations risk and a requirement on system operators to contain and reduce system life cycle costs and effort. All this and a continued expectation for an effective, safe and available In Service Life of at least 20 years (and often more than 30)! The situation often is that systems engineering occurs as non-integrated activities at subsequent layers of organisational involvement, and the (often >30 years) supportability needs of that system or product are quite often not even integrated into the process of systems planning until the design and installation are fixed and / or completed. The effect of this is the emergence of risks that impact negatively on project execution / delivery in terms of time, cost and performance. The mistakes and failures during the project lifecycle can then set the conditions for an increasing cost to such metrics as availability, capacity, supportability, efficiency for around 3-4 times that period whilst it is in service. This paper examines the concepts and importance of the integration of systems engineering and supportability planning throughout the rail transportation system lifecycle.    

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2000 – Nov – Walker – Train Control Reporting, Monitoring & Analysis

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

K I WALKER FIRSE DIRECTOR SIGNALLING TMG INTERNATIONAL A major factor on any rail network is the requirement to run trains on good track with reliable Safeworking signalling and communications systems, thus providing: a safe distance between following trains on the same track. Safeguarding the movement of trains at junctions. Regulation of the passage of trains according to the service density. The above is created at the birth of the signalling system and is all very well when systems are first installed. Unfortunately, and this is a world wide problem, systems start to age, 'become prone to failures, require additional maintenance, and with some equipment loss of reliability, similar to some signal engineers (only joking). If we just step back in time and return to the early 60's in Yorkshire, diesellocomotives were starting to replace steam, and in particular mechanical signalling systems on the North East Coast main line in the UK were being replaced by power signalling and auto half barriers replaced manually operated gate boxes. The rail road operator was conscious of on time running and having signalling failures attended by signalling technicians as soon as possible. For major stations such as York, and on other major routes with similar size interlockings which were manned 24 hours a day seven days a week 365 days a year, failures were attended almost instantaneously by the maintenance technician on duty. However, on most other areas the 'fat controller' had the responsibility of tracking the local signal technician down thus allowing Thomas and his little wagons a safe passage. Thus the old maintainerlfault finder played a key role in keeping Thomas and his friends trundling along.

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2004 – March – Deveney – Regional Fast Rail Project Overview

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

Thomas J Deveney FIRSE Rail Networks Pty Ltd This paper provides background to the Regional Fast Rail project being undertaken by the Department of Infrastructure, Victoria. It provides an outline of the objectives and of the existing rail infrastructure against which the project is being constructed. The background thinking behind the choice of a design and construction contract model for the project will be presented and finally an outline of some of the contract processes relevant to the design phase.

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2008 – July – Russell – Is Alliance Contracting “Doing More with Less”

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

Graham Russell Chief Operating Officer Ansaldo STS Our industry is experiencing unprecedented investment and expansion driven by years of under investment in certain sectors of the Australian Rail industry and more recently the seemingly insatiable appetite for commodities particularly iron ore and coal of China and other expanding economies. The IRSE conference has a theme of Delivering Efficiencies – "Doing more with Less". To examine the contract model of Alliance contracting in the rail environment is entirely appropriate under this theme. This paper examines the movement toward Alliance contracting within the Australian construction industry and provides the observations of the author of the successes and challenges for the rail industry to date and moving forward in an Alliance contracting context. The Rail industry not unlike the general construction industry has an unenviable reputation for contractual disputes, cost overruns and unfortunately for all involved, occasionally litigation (unfortunate for all bar the lawyers). It is not surprising on the back of this reputation and the acute shortage of experienced engineering and project management skills in this country if not globally that the rail industry has embraced Alliance contracting. An alliance contract if well formed in an environment capable of generating and maintaining healthy alliance behaviours can in-fact deliver the best possible risk adjusted Total Out Turn cost (TOC) with an improved focus on scope and time management.

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2011 – March – Clendon and Skilton – Axle Counters – The New Zealand Experience

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

James Clendon BE Hons. (Electrical and Electronic) CPEng, MIPENZ KiwiRail John Skilton BE Hons. (Electrical and Electronic) CPEng, MIPENZ, MIRSE KiwiRail In New Zealand axle counters are now the preferred method of train detection on electrified lines. This paper examines the historical use of axle counters on the New Zealand railway network and looks at some of the reasons why this decision has been made. Axle counters offer a number of advantages over track circuits including the ability to operate over large distances and under environmental conditions that are not suitable for track circuits. This paper also looks at some of the disadvantages of track circuits and the operational and technical mitigations that overcome these disadvantages. Additionally this paper investigates some of the interfaces required to ensure that axle counters are able to provide an operationally robust method of train detection. These interfaces include those with vehicles operating on the railway and those with interlocking equipment and control systems.

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2001 – March – Page – ERTMS for Australia

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

Charles R Page Manager, Marketing & Sales Westinghouse Signals Australia The latest signalling technology about to reach the market is the European Rail Traffic Management System-ERTMS. The European Union (EU) has mandated ERTMS as the system that must be adopted by all European railways for all new high speed lines. Soon it will also be a legal requirement for all new conventional lines throughout Europe. As existing conventional lines are upgraded, they are also expected to migrate to the system. It seems likely that ERTMS will soon dominate the signalling of Europe and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Although it was developed in Europe with the backing of the EU, other railway administrations around the world are also considering ERTMS for their ATP and Cab Signalling needs. Significant interest has been shown in parts of Australia and some trials are being proposed. This paper discusses ERTMS and some specific issues that it raises for Australia.

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1991 – Aug – Pickering – Risk Management – Introduction of New Technology – A signalling company’s point of view

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

Ralph Pickering B.E., M.Eng.Sc, F.I.R.S.E. 
This paper looks at the management of the introduction of new technologyfrom a signalling company's point of view.

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1995 – July – Davis – Open Discussion – Operational Reliability of Signals Equipment

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

Ken Davis  

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2000 – July – McDonald – Restoring the Nullabor – The Application of Vital Telemetry to Self Restoring Points Across the Nullabor

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

Wayne McDonald BE(Elec), FlRSE Manager, Technology & Training Westinghouse Signals Australia This paper is a case study on the use of some of the latest vital telcnietry and communications technology to provide a safe, reliable and appropriate control solution to self restoring switches at over 40 passing loops on some of Australia's harshest railway. The paper describes the need, the equipment and the solution that fulfilled the requirements and contributed to a reduction of total journey travel time.

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