REGISTER

GRAEME ACKLAND B. App. Sci (Elec)

SIGNAL INTERLOCKING ENGINEER PUBLIC TRANSPORT CORPORATION - VICTORIA (THE MET)

The Clifton Hill to Epping line was first constructed in December, 1904, and was electrified in stages from 1921 to 1964. The line is about 17km in length, and has very little traffic other than Electric multiple units carrying commuters. When the the re-signalling project was conceived in 1985, the signalling consisted of a section of automatic signalling, dating from 1926; manual Double Line Block from Merri to Keon Park with mechanical operation of points and signals; and Staff and Ticket operation from Keon Park to Epping, with some power operation of points and signals at Lalor. The level crossing protection consisted of four sets of hand gates, three sets of interlocked mechanical gates, and eight sets of boom barriers.

A greatly added impetus for the re-signalling of the Epping line came from the decision by the Victorian Government to establish a train Maintenance Depot at Epping and so release valuable central city land at Jolimont. This added and complemented the project by requiring an increased train service and a major interlocking at Epping.