Technical Meeting Papers

Technical Meetings are held three times per year.
Papers are available here for download.
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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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2023 – July – Xu – Using Karnaugh Map in Complex NSW Overlap Design

Author(s):

Zhe Xu (David) An Overlap is a safety buffer beyond the end of a train movement authority to allow the train to come to a safe stop, it serves as a final safeguard for maintaining separation between trains, regardless of whether they are moving in the same or opposing directions 

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2023 – July – King – An integrated model based approach for introducing new signalling systems

Author(s):

Luke King The increasing trend in the complexity of systems poses challenges to project delivery. The use of Systems Engineering (SE) in general, and the use of Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) in particular, provides useful techniques in the successful delivery of ETCS L2 signalling projects.

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2023 – July – McGrath & Tivan – The V/Line Core Data Network Upgrade and the Digital Railway Transformation

Author(s):

Alex McGrath and Karl Tivan Like many long-lived railways, V/Line works with a collection of inherited, evolved and entangled legacy communications equipment. Starting in 2009, the Regional Rail Link (RRL) project cleaned up a substantial section of the TCP/IP network, providing a core and distribution data network architecture for the central area and two corridors – appropriate for the era.

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2023 – July – Moore – Signalling equipment Type Approval for safety and efficiency

Author(s):

Trevor Moore The type approval of signalling equipment has been a common practice for over 50 years. Each railway organisation has been conducting the type approval assessments to demonstrate that the new and modified equipment meets their operating requirements.

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2023 – July – Szacsvay – Dr William Robinson’s enduring contribution to railway safety and productivity

Author(s):

Paul Szacsvay Dr William Robinson (1841 – 1921) named by the Signal Section of the American Railway Association to be ‘the father of automatic block signalling”, is without doubt the most important unknown ‘hero’ of modern day railway signalling. 

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2023 – July – Aitken – Failing Safe: Mindset Matters

Author(s): Jeanette Aitken

Jeanette Aitken Significant value can be gained from making mistakes in a supportive training environment, focusing on feedback and reflection. We look at how different mindsets can shape the response to error and how a fear of failure can impede learning. “Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to error that counts”. Nikki Giovanni  

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2023 – July – Stephens – The IRSE Australasia Graduate Diploma – Where to from here?

Author(s):

Richard Stephens Part of achieving a safe and efficient railway is the competence and capability of those who design, construct, test and maintain the railway control systems. The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers Australasian Section (IRSEA) Graduate Diploma of Railway Signalling is intended to contribute to this.    

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2023 – March – Fraser – Benefits of Integrated Control Systems

Author(s): Aaron Fraser

Aaron Fraser This paper examines the benefits of integrating operational control systems and functions into a single platform, providing a fully integrated user interface to enable operational improvements and a better experience for rail customers.

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2023 – March – Rendell – Innovative Level Crossing Control System

Author(s): Stewart Rendell

Stewart Rendell This paper aims to explore some of the technology options that are available now – considering pros and cons of each, and, looks to challenge the more traditional thinking that still exists when it comes to Type Approval of such solutions.

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2023 – March – Boldeman – Engineering Assurance vs Systems & Safety Assurance – a comparison

Author(s): Steven Boldeman et al

Steven Boldeman & Richard Mifsud This paper reviews and discusses the differences and similarities between these two processes.

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