201703 – Czeperko & Mocki – Rail Telecommunications – The Coming of the Digital Age

Railways were conceived as part of the 1st industrial revolution, as steam & water power started to transform the way society at the time manufactured, interacted and consumed. Following this the other industrial revolutions have followed – mass production using electric power, which also included the rapid development of the railways and digital automation. The next revolution often referred to as Big Data, or Internet of Things (IoT), is now well on the way.

Telecommunication to control today’s railways dates back to a pre-digital age, increasingly, becoming less efficient than the modern options. Advancements are now in use around the world that can make maximum use of the space available without compromising safety. Change is coming – whether we are ready for it or not! The arrival of the “information everywhere world” (a world where sensors continually transmit data, ready to be interpreted, analysed and processed) has opened up some new opportunities to make existing technology in the rail network more efficient and reliable using intelligent network solutions.

The Australian Railway network retains a significant aspect of the second industrial revolution. Diesel fleets currently in use are not much different in principle from their predecessors. Until recently token-based signalling systems were in use on main line railways. Relay-based signalling systems are still relevant in Australia. Third revolution interlocking (using digital technology such as programmable logic controllers exist, but are not yet common place.

Each state has their own requirements for infrastructure and rolling stock. This fragments supply and increases costs for bespoke solutions and low production runs, hence the barrier for replacement and upgrade is high.

This paper highlights how Digital Connectivity in Rail can provide detail information for better decision making and empower the travelling passengers before, during and after their travel.

Digital Connectivity will and in some instances already is delivering information to the people who are qualified to make informed decisions. The collection of Big Data will be transformative, allowing the operator to predict and avert equipment failure, hence reducing the prospect of delays across the network. The overall outcome of mapping assets will allow maintenance teams to find and locate equipment much easier than previously possible. Networked infrastructure and analytics has the capacity to make this happen.