1993 – July – Revell – A Microlok Plus Configuration for the Antiene to
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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
In this paper, we would like to introduce an innovative proposal based on the research conducted by the Hitachi Rail Innovation team to further improve the existing available tablet application, particularly
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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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2010 – July – Taylor and van der Merwe – Protection of Track Maintenance Equipment Final Format
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Barry Taylor and Henk van der Merwe Rio Tinto In the past 10 years, throughput on Rio Tinto's iron ore railways in the Pilbara has more than doubled. To address this rapid increase in traffic, the Integrated Control Signalling System (ICSS) with Automatic Train Protection (ATP) and in-cab signals that was introduced on the Hamersley Iron main line in 1998 now covers all main lines. This provides drivers with information on their route many kilometres ahead, with the confidence that their speed and authority limit will be supervised by ATP. On most railways, movement authority information and protection afforded to rail mounted maintenance equipment falls well below this standard. This wide gap in the level of protection for different types of movements had become unacceptable. Therefore, Rio Tinto has recently upgraded its Train Control System to improve the protection for hi-rail (road/rail) vehicles and track maintenance equipment moving on the main line. While this has not yet achieved an equivalent standard of protection as for main line trains, it is a significant advance from previous practice. This paper examines the various steps involved in the development of this project, improvements that were found necessary along the way, and opportunities for further enhancements to provide a safe working environment for operators of track maintenance and inspection equipment.
1989 – July – Moore – Communications for Signalling Systems
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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.
2009 – April – Bollard, Copperthwaite and Tooth – The Importance of System Intergration and Integrated Logistic Support in of Rail Infrastructure
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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.
2000 – Nov – Walker – Train Control Reporting, Monitoring & Analysis
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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.
2004 – March – Deveney – Regional Fast Rail Project Overview
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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.
2008 – July – Russell – Is Alliance Contracting “Doing More with Less”
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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.
2011 – March – Clendon and Skilton – Axle Counters – The New Zealand Experience
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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.
2001 – March – Page – ERTMS for Australia
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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.
1991 – Aug – Pickering – Risk Management – Introduction of New Technology – A signalling company’s point of view
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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.