Resources

2005 – Oct – Lam – Interoperability of ATC Systems, Hong Kong – MTR Experiences

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Date presented: December 27th, 2015

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1992 – July – Keddie – The Commercial Approach to Signalling

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Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Dave Keddie Australian National Railways in Australia face several challenges if they are to contribute significantly to economic reform with the transport industry. Labour force reductions, reduced transit times, improved reliability of services and more efficient management systems are some of the means of achieving significant gains. The role of signalling is contributing to these gains if foremost. However, before these gains can be realised, there needs to be a significant change in the commercial approach to signalling.  

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2003 – March – Tapsall – Application of Next Generation of Communications Based Safeworking Technologies in Australia

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Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Robert Tapsall MlRsE General Manager Information Solutions ALSTOM Australia - Transport For a number of years the development of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) and other communications based systems have been discussed as the future of the signalling industry. So what is the status of the development and when can we expect to see its introduction into Australia? Why should the technology's introduction into Australia be considered? What are the benefits and what are the issues involved in its introduction? The answers lie in understanding the railway users' needs including operators, train controllers, signallers. train drivers, maintainers, railway managers, passengers, freight companies and railway regulators.    

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2015 – October – McGregor and Lemon – ETCS and CBTC Considerations for Sydney

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Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Peter McGregor  BEng (Elect) Grad Dip Sys Eng FIRSE Lead Engineer Signals and Control Systems
 Asset Standards Authority, TfNSW Stephen Lemon MSc,Rail Systems Engineering MIRSE Signalling & Control Systems Manager Sydney Trains, TfNSW Which technology solution Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) or European Train Control System (ETCS) would be best for fitting to the current Sydney suburban rail network? The answer depends on a number of important considerations: the current needs, the existing state of current signalling infrastructure, risk profile of the railway, short term and long term operational requirements, long term asset plans and of course the available budgets? This paper explores some of the key influences and implementation issues for using CBTC or ETCS on the Sydney suburban rail network. Many of the issues are not related to signalling principles or technology but involve a whole new way of running a railway. These technologies are “disruptive” to the current operating railway as the implementation involves nearly every part of the organisation: Operations, planning, drivers, guards, network controllers, rolling stock maintenances, track engineers, signalling and communications engineers and of course the railway customers who use the rail network.

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1990 – Apr – Hingley – Centralisation of Control – Technical Overkill or Business Necessity

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Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Phil Hingley, C.Eng., M.I.E.E., M.I.R.S.E. (GHD - Transmark) This paper desaibes British Rail's current padice in Centralised Control Systems. It outlines the business needs met by the system and the way in wtri British Rail (BR) manages the introduction of new systems including their maintenance. The paper then goes on to compare and contrast two other approaches to the business justification and introduction of new technology. The paper shows how the business requirements shaped the Centralised Control Systems that were proposed.

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1986 – Nov – Gartner – Melbourne Metropolitan Train Control Centre – Stage 1 Completed

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Date presented: December 27th, 2015

P. Gartner MIRSE Rail Engineering Group, Signals & Communication Engineering An important concept of the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop was to overcomebthe turn-around limitations imposed by Flinders Street Station by allowing through train operation. The changes to the track work required to make connections to the four loop tunnels and to improve traffic flow through the Flinders Street Yard were considerable and involved extensive resignalling. To obtain the full benefits from the improved infra-structure resulting from the introduction of the underground loop, the then existing Signalling and Control Systems were updated. A significant  step in this direction was the provision of a new Metropolitan Train Control Centre (METROL). The nucleus of this control centre is a computer-based Train Describer and Remote Control System. Associated systems are a passenger information display system, control and monitoring of electrical and mechanical services in the underground stations and various improved  telecommunication ancilliary equipment. Metro1 has, for the first time, enabled the operating staff to see at a glance the total pattern of train movements within the complex Flinders Street and underground loop area.

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2004 – March – McClary – Re-signalling the Bendigo and La Trobe Line

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Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Stephen McClary BSc (Hons) CEng MIEE MIRSE Head of Engineering Invensys Rail Systems Australia Westinghouse Signals Australia Division The Regional Fast Rail project has given the Signal Engineer the opportunity to provide a major upgrade to the infrastructure of a railway that has seen many years of neglect. A turnkey solution was required for a largely performance based specification, where the customer was clearly aiming to get the maximum benefit from a limited budget. This paper aims to demonstrate the solutions adopted by Westinghouse Signals Australia on both the Bendigo and La Trobe lines. It describes the process undertaken from the initial modelling of the infrastructure to the selection of appropriate technology. The solutions used are largely new to Victoria, however they are well established on the world market. Much use has been made of commercial communications products rather than specialist signalling equivalents. Standard solutions have been adopted where possible to give benefit to the maintainers and Franchisees, allowing future upgrade and expansion when required.

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1997 – Nov – Miller – Granville Area Resignalling – Y Link

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Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Chris Miller GEC Alsthom Australia The introduction of City Rail's widely advertised 1996 Timetable, was dependent on the Granville Area Resignalling Y-Link project being completed on time. The project, with a completed cost of $75M had a target date, set in 1994, of the 1996 October long weekend. The project initially started as a major civil and overhead wiring project which was to be undertaken concurrently with the adjacent Auburn to Westmead major resignalling project. Due to the tight target schedule, it soon became apparent that the scope of works for the resignalling and attendant junction renewal, would have to be severely curtailed. The draft resignalling scope of works was finalised in 1993 with the signalling plan, designed to link in with Auburn-Westmead resignalling project finalised in late 1994. Due to the interrelated work areas, programmes and design issues, the Harris Park Y-Link and the Granville Area Resignalling Project, were effectively combined into a single project managed by the Railway Services Authority (RSA). The management team included personnel from Kinhill Engineers and Sinclair Knight Merz, working from the same project office and coordinating through weekly Team Meetings.

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1986 – March – Wheals – Illawarra Train Describer & Telemetry System

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Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Mike Wheals Manager, Railway Systems GEC Digital In February 1984, GEC Railway Signals received an order from the State Rail Authority of NSW for the re-signalling of the Illawarra line. As part of that contract, GEC Digital provide the Train Describer Computer System, and the Telemetry system. The Train Describer was fully designed in Australia, based on a BR specification, but with many enhancements suggested by the SRA and GEC. The Telemetry is the GEC General Signal Mark 111 system, newly developed in the UK, and customized and manufactured in Australia. The Illawarra line train describer covers the area from south of Waterfall to Port Kembla. This area consists of double track bi-directionally signalled, double track uni-directionally signalled and single sections. There are fringe boxes at Waterfall and the branch line at Unanderra. Port Kembla is a terminus. Provision is made for extension of the control area to include the Unanderra branch as far as Dapto, Moss Vale and Maldon. The train describer is required to track trains throughout the system. Trains may enter the system at the fringe boxes and at any of the various sidings. Trains are identified by a four character code (unique on a daily basis) which is extracted from timetable information or manually entered by the operator. Trains proceeding without a description are identified with a special code of four asterisks. Associated with each running signal is a train descriptior. berth. Train descriptions are stepped from berth to berth in response to field indications received via the telemetry and in accordance with the stepping tables. Signal berth contents, i.e., train descriptions are displayed on the mimic panel and on the VDU area maps. Other information such as signal aspects, lie of points, routes set, track occupancy are also displayed. Selected berths are designated as reporting points (generally platform berths at specified stations). At these points the Train Describer informs the Automatic Train Reporting System of train arrival and departure. Operator VDU's are located in the Main Box at Wollongong and in the Fringe Boxes. Various commands are available to the operators. The set of commands available at the Fringe Boxes is different to that available at the Main Box. Such commands include berth interrogation, cancel train description, interpose train description acknowledgement of alarms etc.

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2010 – March – Long – Managing Rail Operations Risks – A Simpler, More Effective Process

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Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Chris Long MBA, B.Eng, Grad Dip IT QR Despite widespread awareness of risk management techniques, there are frequently difficulties in turning that knowledge into safer railway operations. The risk process often breaks down not at the point of assessing risk values but in actively managing risks.   We are trialling a process based on a comprehensive and reliable block of data directed at showing the safety controls related to each risk. This gives personnel the information they need to properly review the safety risks which they have some responsibility for, the effectiveness of the controls, and how to best direct time and effort. Our experience so far has been promising and we believe that this may lead to better clarity, better allocation of resources, and improved safety.

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