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Richard Roberts

BSc. Hons C.Eng MIET CPENG MIEAust

Metro Trains Melbourne

Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) is established with many suppliers providing systems compliant to international CBTC standards. The key principles are familiar to railway signalling and control engineers. CBTC is operated by several railway authorities across the globe. With such a well-established, widely available system with international standards how much difference can there be? In fact quite a lot, perhaps no great surprise considering the similar variety which has developed in signalling and control in general. This papers sets out to explore the differences and similarities in CBTC solutions:

a) Across system implementation; how it works

b) Across operational implementation; how it is used

c) In comparison to conventional signalling

The contents draws on the authors experience in the design and application of railway signalling and control systems over the last 35 years, which includes Automatic Train Control (ATC) and CBTC systems, and the current work to bring CBTC to Melbourne, and aims to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of CBTC, its application and the implications of the differences. Just because it’s different, is it wrong?