Author(s):
Date presented: December 27th, 2015
Alex Wardrop B Sc (Hons) UNSW, M Eng Sc (Traffic Engineering) UNSW, FCILT
Principal Engineer, Operations, WorleyParsons
Pascal Süess M Sc ETH
Engineer, Rail Operations and Planning, WorleyParsons
Many railway lines in Australia are used by a broad spectrum of train services including long distance passenger, interurban passenger, suburban passenger, intermodal freight, general freight and bulk freight. Whereas once there was a strict train service hierarchy so that the long distance passenger train had supremacy and freight came last, nowadays all rail traffics aspire to delay-free passage. This is driven by the need for passenger rail to carry more customers and for freight rail to win business in competitive markets, all with the aim of making Australia more economically efficient and more environmentally sound.
The purpose of signalling and track layouts should be to meet a particular rail traffic task from which should flow signalling system performance specifications. Line capacity is dependent upon relative sectional travel times and signal clearance times. This paper examines the differences between freight and passenger train performance, train lengths, braking capability and how these affect signalling clearances and, ultimately, line capacity. It then discusses which infrastructure solutions can suitably address the particular issues of a mixed-use corridor and provide not only more capacity, but also reduced freight train transit times.
Optimising mixed-use rail corridors requires a view of the railway as an integrated system. Upgrading, and therefore the associated funding, should thus flexibly embrace infrastructure, rolling stock and technology.
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