201811 – Palazzi – Advanced Signalling on Our National Freight Network: Avoiding a Digital Break of Gauge

A number of railways across Australia are now moving to adopt new network control systems in order to maximise the value (capacity, efficiency, safety) of their rail asset. An integrated and coherent approach to these new network control systems has the potential to provide many benefits to all sections of the industry, and to the economy. Conversely, a disjointed approach will have consequences that will last for many years, including higher costs and lower competitiveness for rail transport.

The paper considers:
• The status of the industry today (breadth of managers, operators, signalling and safeworking systems)
• Advanced signalling initiatives underway
• How we can avoid a new break of gauge – a framework for decision making

Specifically, this paper outlines an approach to ensuring a coherent strategy across the national freight network. This strategy has been developed in conjunction with above and below rail businesses, to ensure that it addresses the business objectives for both.

The strategy set out a framework to guide future decisions: an acceptable National Network Control System outcome must be Safe, Effective, Upgradeable, Scalable, Harmonised and Interoperable.

Based on this framework, a number of essential steps have been identified to ensure an acceptable outcome assuming that currently announced initiatives proceed to their conclusion. Key amongst these is the development of an interoperability solution between ATMS and ETCS Level 2; this initiative has now been committed to by Transport for NSW as part of its Digital Systems program, and will be pursued in conjunction with ARTC. A successful outcome from this work will be a significant step to achieve the overall objective – a coherent national strategy for network control systems, which avoids creating a digital break of gauge.