200707 – Webb – Optical Fibre for Freight Railways: Or How A Radio Communications Engineer Saw the Light

Telecommunications companies have been using Optical Fibre for many years. So why did it take
those of us in the Railway community in Western Australia so long to see the light? As often happens
in Engineering, it takes time before a good idea can become a good Engineering solution.

This paper describes how optical fibre became an integral part of Rio Tinto’s Pilbara Iron Railway
Operations.