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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2011 – March – Morris – Track Maintenance Impacts of Train Detection Systems or Why Ballast Regulators Have Windows

Author(s):

Adam Morris BE(Hons), Dip PM, MIEAust, MAIPM Abigroup Contractors When considering railway signalling, track or structures, it is important to consider that each of these are merely sub-systems of the larger system we call the railway. The configuration of any one system can impact on any other and the often fraught relationship between track and signals is certainly no exception. The various train detection systems all impact in different ways on the track and in particular track maintenance activities. The need to supply signalling support to track maintenance is often overlooked in considering the whole of life costs of train detection systems. There can scarcely be a signal engineer or technician without a horror story of the damage wrought by clumsy, unprepared track crews, especially that dreaded combination of ballast tamper and regulator. But is it all their fault? Perway crews know that this equipment is deliberately put in the worst possible location or cunningly camouflaged just to annoy them. This paper examines the impacts between the various types of train detection systems, including track circuits and axle counters and other ancillary track mounted or near-track equipment on track maintenance practices. It also includes a brief commentary on the case for the need to detect broken rails.

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2013 – Oct – Gifford and McPeake – Split Detection and Emergency Power Operation

Author(s):

John Gifford FIRSE ARTC Hunter Valley Thomas McPeake AMIRSE ORAH Rail ARTC's Hunter Valley Rail Network in NSW is currently transporting 150MTPA of coal to the Newcastle Ports, with projected increases between 200 - 270MTPA over the next 5 years. The Network sees 1560m long coal trains travelling between 60 and 80kph at 8minute headways. How will ARTC undertake maintenance activities and avoid the loss of train paths and consequential train cancellation at around $1MIL loss to the coal industry per event Points and crossovers in particular are the Achilles heel in terms of reliability and difficulty in obtaining maintenance windows due to combined detection for each point end. Incorrect manual operation of powered points due to failure or to allow the movement of track maintenance machinery is a significant risk for ARTC. There has been a major derailment at Whittingham in March 2010 and many instances of damage to point switch blades due to a train or track maintenance vehicle trailing through the points following manual operation. This paper details the reasons why ARTC needed to investigate, develop and deploy Split Point Detection and Emergency Power Operation for crossovers to improve maintainability and reduce the impact of point failures. It covers the development, risks identified and mitigation measures, the design and the operating procedures for this innovative solution to a difficult operational problem.

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1999 – March – Hickey – Railways at War

Author(s):

Michael Hickey B.E., GRAD. DIP, P.M. & I.R., F.I.E. AUST, F.P.W.I. Manager Contract Operations, Rail Services Australia Since early civilisation signalling has been an important and noble profession. Generals, when summoning their troops, used signalling or heralds in various ways to concentrate their forces at the appropriate time or retreat to fight another day.

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2008 – July – Tapsall – Change in Mindset to Promote Better Delivery

Author(s):

Robert Tapsall, Construction Manager Trackstar Alliance, MIRSE With great vision, QR embarked on their first Program Alliance to gain long term support and commitment from the rail industry suppliers in order to ensure delivery of their Capital Works program would be achieved. This paper will briefly describe the Alliance framework, development of Alliance culture and the benefits of the Alliance delivery model which the Trackstar Alliance has successfully implemented to date. In an environment of innovation and creation of best value, Trackstar has been instrumental in bringing about savings to QR in scheme design and implementation of new techniques with a reduced drain on QR's key resources. This paper will describe some of these innovations with a particular focus on signalling and the role signalling engineers can take in delivering better outcomes.

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2006 – March – Barker – Using Independent Railway Safety Investigations to Help Manage Risk

Author(s):

Phillip Barker, MIRO, Dip TSI. Senior Transport Safety Investigator Australian Transport Safety Bureau   A greater understanding of safety related occurrences can assist railway operators and railway managers to prioritise resources to manage risk. Before you can manage a hazard it helps to understand how accidents and incidents are occurring. Implementation of corrective action, policy development and planning comes from a process of risk assessment. Given that occurrences pose a safety and financial risk to railway operators and managers, a program of analysis to look at the range of contributing factors, should form part of any safety management system. This should lead to greater safety and potential gains in efficiency. This paper will briefly outline the general process adopted by the ATSB to analyse occurrences. The status of the National Rail Occurrence Database will also be outlined.

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2007 – July – Weerakody – Innovative Project Delivery Solutions

Author(s):

Don Weerakody MIRSE, MIEAust, MIET Public Transport Authority This paper outlines two signalling projects recently undertaken by the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia (PTA). Each of these projects dealt with unusual circumstances, resulting from acts of vandalism. They both required innovative solutions as the approaches normally employed were unsuitable. The Boom Gate Motor Protection Project is a solution to level crossing failures caused by vandals hanging on the boom arms at level crossings as they are returning to the upright position. This causes the boom motor to trip and the boom remains in the down position. The crossing remains in this state for some time or until a technician arrives and resets the boom motor circuit breaker. This leads to prolonged closure of the level crossing and encourages motorists to drive around the boom gates. This project addresses this problem, and also allows provision of other features such as enhanced monitoring of the level crossing equipment. The Track-Based Transmission System for Signalling Project was implemented due to the theft of aerial line circuitry over a 5.5km section of track between Armadale and Mundijong. Direct replacement of the existing signalling infrastructure was not possible due to damage to the poles and the unavailability of appropriate aerial line cable in a short space of time. The railway reserve for this section also falls under the protection of state and federal environmental protection legislation enacted after the original installation of the signalling equipment. Re-instatement of the existing system using cables would have caused an unacceptable impact to the local ecology due to the trenching required. The Boom Gate Motor Protection is in operation at two level crossings and is being progressively installed at all urban level crossings. The Track-Based Transmission System for Signalling is successfully in operation on the Armadale to Mundijong railway.

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2003 – July – Portela – Enhancing Train Visibility

Author(s):

Lionel Portela B.E (Elec.) Project Engineer TVS, ALSTOM Australia – Transport Enhancing train visibility in Dark Territories in the NSW metropolitan rail network has occurred through a series of control system projects commissioned by the Rail Infrastructure Corporation NSW, State Rail Authority IT & T and ALSTOM Australia. This paper describes the development, installation and commissioning of the various SigView control systems used to enhance train visibility in the Blue Mountains. The paper provides details on each stage of the process, beginning with the initial objective of providing signalling indications in the Dark Territories through to the provision of Train Describer systems some of which are currently in use.

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1998 – Nov – Chadwick – BTR Rail WESTRACE Tools

Author(s):

Marc Chadwick BE, GradDipMgt, MIRSE Manager, Product Development, Westinghouse Signals Australia Industry and its customers are jointly seeking lower costs, faster delivery, higher quality and greater consistency. All this in the face of the ever increasing shortages of skilled personnel in our profession, a problem that is going to get worse before it gets better. This paper presents the tools that have been developed by the BTR Rail Group Conlpanies for use in WESTRACE Interlocking applications to help satisfy these demands.

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2005 – March – Sim – Singapore North – East MRT Line Fully Automated Driverless System

Author(s):

Wee Meng SIM MIES, MIEE, MCIBSE, C Eng Land Transport Authority, Singapore and 1 depot. From the HarbourFront, located on the southern part of Singapore, NEL runs towards the north-east, passing through the Central Business District, corridor of Serangoon Road and to the new towns of Hougang, Sengkang and Punggol. The depot is located at Sengkang and serves as the operating company headquarter, stabling yard and operation control centre for both the mainline and depot. The paper describes the key consideration and engineering requirements for a fully automated driverless system. It gives some insights to the four main core systems, namely, the rolling stock, signaling, communications and integrated supervisory control systems. The successful integration of these four systems is of paramount importance to the successful implementation of a fully automated driverless system. The overview of the four core systems will be discussed. As NEL is a system with a high level of complexity, the project demands a need to adopt a system approach throughout the design, construction, testing and commissioning phases of all the electrical and mechanical systems. The paper will discuss briefly on the approach taken that led to the successful implementation of the project. The NEL system was opened for revenue service since 20Ih June 2003 and has been consistently achieving a system availability of 99.90%.

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2002 – April – Arpaci – ERTMS/ETCS Benefits for the World Railways

Author(s):

Melih Arpaci Diplom Informatik MIRSE Product Group Manager Train Control Systems Siemens Transportation Systems Looking back over the past 40 years of railway history at ATP (automatic train protection)/ATC (automatic train control) systems across Europe, it is easy to appreciate the need for a common harmonised, interoperable train control system. Most countries currently have their own proprietary ATP/ATC system.

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