ISSUE 11 | DECEMBER 2020 WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU

A fully integrated Smart Public Information ECOsystem - SEE PAGE 26

SYSTRA's approach on Mark Campbell takes Improving safety culture Grand Paris Express over the reins at ARTC on megaprojects PAGE 34 PAGE 52 PAGE 92

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11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne VIC 3205 T: 03 9690 8766 Connor Pearce www.primecreativemedia.com.au Editor - Rail Express

Publisher Christine Clancy Valuing an essential service E: [email protected]

Chief Operating Officer TEPPING INTO THE ROLE OF around their cities underwent one of the Zelda Tupicoff editor of Rail Express in January, the most abrupt and profound changes. Amid E: [email protected] Soncoming COVID-19 pandemic was yet this upheaval, however, the two threads of to make an impact. Instead, the first week a focus on safety and a commitment to the General Manager (Sydney) in the role was taken up with a response essential nature of freight and passenger Terry Wogan to another crisis. In the Blue Mountains, services that had come out earlier in the E: [email protected] west of Sydney, crews were working around year returned. the clock to restore services to a critical The freight rail sector instituted new Group Managing Editor (Northern) Syed Shah section of the nation’s rail network, after the protocols to ensure that rail could continue E: [email protected] bushfires of the 2019-2020 summer. to move essential products and supplies Here was an early taste of the largely unencumbered around Australia. Editor commitment the rail industry had to While this had a human impact on what Connor Pearce ensuring that people and goods could move can already be a lonely role, without these E: [email protected] safely, even in the face of unprecedented measures it is unclear how supermarket conditions. Crews would continue this work shelves would have remained stocked and Business Development Manager throughout the coming months, with the essential exports could have made it to port. Oliver Probert T: +61 435 946 869 line returning to full capacity in May after In cities, the dual commitment to safety E: [email protected] 150,000 man hours were put in to get and continuity of service also continued. services back up and running. While office workers emptied out of the Client Success Manager A month later, the Rail Express team woke CBDs, essential workers still needed to Janine Clements to news of an incident near Wallan having travel, and cities largely maintained their E: [email protected] occurred the night before. News quickly passenger rail schedules to enable those filtered out that an XPT train travelling from who did need to travel to do so safely. Design Production Manager Sydney to Melbourne had derailed, and It is a testament to the rail industry that Michelle Weston tragically, two crew members were killed in throughout such a year the sector has been E: [email protected] the accident. able to survive and, in some cases, thrive, The collective response from the industry, as a recognised essential service. Major Art Director construction projects have been able to Blake Storey to identify the root cause and ensure that continue and, where possible, get ahead E: [email protected] such an incident would never occur again, is evidence of the safety focus of the industry of deadlines during the COVID-19 period, Design as a whole. With investigations being setting up cities and regions well for a Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty conducted by the Australian Transport Safety return to public transport. Bureau (ATSB), the Office of the National With rail a proven solution for safe, Subscriptions Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR), and Work efficient mobility for people and freight [email protected] Safe, there will undoubtedly be lessons to be within and between urban centres, the learnt, however with work continuing along experience of 2020 should serve as a case www.RailExpress.com.au the line there will be a clear mandate to put study for years to come of the essential in place any physical upgrades. value of rail. The Publisher reserves the right to alter or omit any article or advertisement submitted and Then, in late March, COVID-19 hit the rail requires indemnity from the advertisers and sector. Shutdowns of non-essential services contributors against damages or liabilities that and limits on travel meant that the way may arise from material published. © Copyright – No part of this publication may that Australians and New Zealanders moved [email protected] be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the Publisher.

3 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS AusRAIL 2020

Going off-road

Policy settings undermining the shift from road to rail mean communities miss out on the benefits of freight rail, writesCaroline Wilkie, CEO of the Australasian Railway Association.

For too long now, the rise of B-doubles being among the best in the world. However, containerised freight has on our highways has been seen as an It is the home of the world’s first fully struggled to flourish in the same way. unfortunate but necessary part of meeting autonomous heavy haul operation, driving Inland Rail will deliver a significant boost the nation’s growing freight task. new efficiency in the mining industry. to capacity and efficiency, circumventing But the reality is that the sight of Rail in the Pilbara not only delivers the traditional challenges in moving freight more trucks on the road is due in large best solution for the massive operations it between Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. part to policy settings that make the serves but saves billions in reduced costs to It will also improve east-west safer, more sustainable alternative of rail the environment and from accidents. connections, with the Parkes intermodal less competitive. The payload capacity of one automated facility to provide a critical link between the When the ARA released its Value of Rail train in the Pilbara is the equivalent to Inland Rail and connections to WA. 2020 report in November, it confirmed the 631 B-Double trucks, an alternative that The 1,700km rail line will be rail freight sector was critical to meeting the is difficult to contemplate in the great transformative for the freight sector and the nation’s needs but noted the challenges it expanses of the WA outback. many businesses that rely upon it. faces outside of the resources sector. The benefits of efficient, reliable rail to But Inland Rail alone cannot be the whole In the Pilbara region of WA, the resources move these huge quantities across our vast solution to ensure we get more freight on to sector’s rail freight operations are known for country is clear. rail to support the nation’s growth.

Container incentive schemes such as those in Fremantle, WA, have seen a shift towards rail freight.

4 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS Moving more freight via rail from key ports reduces urban transport congestion, with measurable benefits. CREDIT: RAILGALLERY.COM.AU CREDIT:

Limited infrastructure in the cities on It is an essential step after rail’s modal the east coast of Australia are part of the share in NSW stagnated, while permits problem, but favourable pricing models that were issued to high productivity vehicles give road freight the edge are to blame too. to access the Sydney metropolitan road And it is coming at a significant cost to network, including WestConnex. the community. Given a single short haul port train While there is a place for both road and carries the equivalent payload of 41 rail as part of a growing and efficient rail B-double trucks, a level playing field would network, an over-reliance on road could help alleviate congestion on Sydney’s have an impact many of us simply would busy roads and provide better long-term not be comfortable accepting. outcomes for the sector as a whole. Rail freight generates 16 times less The need to move more freight on rail is carbon pollution than road freight per not a nice ideal, but an urgent and pressing tonne kilometre travelled, making it the issue that Australia must take action clear choice to support the nation’s work to on now. reduce emissions. As the Value of Rail 2020 found, rail Road accident costs are 20 times higher freight is expected to grow 41 per cent by than rail for every tonne kilometre moved. 2030 to meet growing demand. That’s the Overall, for every one per cent of the equivalent of almost 895,000 B-doubles. national freight task that moves to rail, The rail industry will need the right there are $72 million in benefits to society policy settings behind it to make this each year. a reality. These are compelling arguments to Australia needs to best of both road and support the case for moving more freight rail to meet the growth that is to come. on rail and is why we need a level playing It needs rail to be used to its fullest field for all. extent to reduce emissions, save lives, The ARA recently joined forces with other and support the efficient operation of the freight and logistics industry associations to network as whole. call for the NSW government to introduce We need to give rail a fair chance to a container rail incentive scheme for meet the growth in demand, or we risk the importers and exporters to help the state emergence of new B-double superhighways meet its freight modal share targets. across the country. The proposal draws from a model that Value of Rail 2020 was released in has had success in WA, where freight mode November 2020 and is available at share was above 20 per cent. ara.net.au.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 5 Contents Issue 11 - December 2020 INNOVATION AUTOMATION 56 Lor am provides peace for those along the railway 3 From the Editor 59 Harr ybilt’s history solving today’s challenges PRODUCTIVITY 4 Ge t policy right to maximise value of rail: ARA 60 T aylor Rail’s recent successes 8 News up front 63 Inn ovative sleepers from Link AP on NZ network

INFORMATION SYSTEMS SIGNALLING & COMMUNICATIONS

26 TMS building the customer information ecosystem 66 An end-to-end solution from Thales 30 Intelligible announcements in a heritage context 68 R CS Australia signalling the rail last mile 70 Fr equentis deploying secure communications MAJOR PROJECTS & ENGINEERING 73 Th e next generation of rail signallers at Omada 76 Nokia providing the pathway to 5G 32 Martin us’s local leadership enabling growth 34 SYSTRA grappling with the complexities of the RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Grand Paris Express 38 Local knowledge meets digital engineering: DCWC 78 Melv elle’s ingenuity building tomorrow’s rail tools 81 A soundproof solution developed by STRAILastic ROLLINGSTOCK & OPERATIONS 84 Loc al R&D in Speno’s Australian rail grinders 87 The innovation opportunity in the rail pipeline 40 Bomb ardier continuing to deliver through 2020 42 A lifecycle lens on rollingstock and infrastructure STANDARDS & REGULATION 46 Alstom’s hydrogen-powered trains 48 K eolis Downer to operate Adelaide rail network 89 Suppliers to move ahead on Project i-TRACE 50 In finitive making the most of existing data PLANT, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

BELOW RAIL & TRACK INFRASTRUCTURE 91 Monitor Lifts reaching new heights 52 Mark Campbell arrives at ARTC SAFETY & ASSURANCE

92  Projects an opportunity to enhance safety

ISSUE 11 | DECEMBER 2020 WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU 94 A message from RISSB

COVER STORY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

The latest on tm stagetec A fully integrated Smart systems’ integrated 96 RTAA continues to engage and inspire Public Information ECOsystem information ecosystem. Why COVID normal is here to stay: ALC - SEE PAGE 26 97 See page 26. FOR THE FULL RENTAL OR PURCHASE

SYSTRA's approach on Mark Campbell takes Improving safety culture CONTRACTS DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT US: Grand Paris Express over the reins at ARTC on megaprojects PAGE 34 PAGE 52 PAGE 92

SUPPORTED BY: RYAN BLACK 98 Inland Rail, Metronet, CRL, and more BRYAN BLACK EMAIL: [email protected] EMAIL: [email protected] mancorail.com.au PHONE: +61 401 748 873 PHONE: + 64 21 960069 mancorail.co.nz INNOVATION AUTOMATION PRODUCTIVITY

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Contracts awarded for Inland Rail stages

Work can now begin on the Narrabri to

North Star leg of Inland Rail. ARTC Image credit:

The Trans4m Rail joint venture has been Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said New South Wales.” announced as the successful contractor for the that the project would enable more freight to The two sections have been combined construction of Inland Rail between Narrabri be handled by rail. together due to their similarities, reducing and North Star. “The upgrade of another 171km of track time and cost. The $693 million contract covers phase is another important piece in the puzzle to “The benefits of combining the two 600+ one of the Narrabri to North Star leg, which delivering better and quicker freight access Inland Rail projects into the same service includes upgrading 171km of existing track. to our primary producers in regional Australia, provider package is that both sections are Martinus has grown to Employees A contract for phase two, including 15km of helping them get their product to markets in enhancement projects in existing rail corridors, track upgrade and 2.3km of new track, will be Australia and overseas with more ease.” rather than new construction,” said Maylin. awarded separately. Coulton said that this region was already “By nature, they are similar types of work become one of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister seeing greater investment. and this approach will lead to cost effective for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional “This project is about more than just steel and efficient project delivery.” leading rail infrastructure Development Michael McCormack said the tracks – we’re already seeing opportunities for Work on the two sections with a combined project would be built by local businesses. industry to invest in the region through the length of 358km largely involves upgrading construction companies in “Inland Rail is going to change the freight Northern NSW Inland Port at Narrabri and the the current rail line to enable double task in Australia and in doing so will create Moree Special Activation Precinct – leveraging stacked freight trains to run on the future opportunity in regional Australia with the advantages of Inland Rail to provide route. Specific works will include increasing Australia and New Zealand. unprecedented investment and job creation,” long-term employment and scope for future vertical clearances around bridges and new 1000+ he said. growth.” crossing loops. “This nationally significant infrastructure The 37km section of new track from Illabo Projects Completed is being built by the skills and expertise of PRELIMINARY DESIGN CONTRACT to Stockinbingal is still in the reference With an experienced civil, track, overhead Australian businesses – businesses that invest AWARDED FOR SOUTHERN NSW design stage. locally, drive regional employment and give SECTIONS OF INLAND RAIL The two sections have been identified as wiring and signalling team, Martinus back to communities along this 1,700km The contract to carry out reference design needing to progress by the NSW government, corridor of commerce.” and accompanying primary approvals which handles planning approvals. can deliver complete rail infrastructure Trans4m rail is a joint venture between John documentation on two sections of the Inland “The Albury to Illabo section has been Holland and SEE Civil. Lendlease and another Rail project has been awarded. classified State Significant Infrastructure by solutions supported by an extensive range joint venture RailFirst made up of Downer EDI WSP Australia will carry out the work on the the NSW Government, and is currently in the and Seymour White had also been shortlisted Albury to Illabo and Stockinbingal to Parkes process of an Environmental Impact Statement of specialised plant and equipment. for the contract. sections, said project director Melvyn Maylin. approvals pathway,” said Maylin. Local member for Parkes Mark Coulton said “A range of investigations will be delivered “As for the Stockinbingal to Parkes project, Australia, New Zealand the winning tenderer would invest locally. under the new contract, including ecological the environmental assessment will be through and Chile “Trans4m Rail has made a commitment to and geotechnical surveying, as well as scrutiny four Review of Environmental Factors (REFs).” employ local people, engage local businesses of impacts to cultural heritage, noise, air The tenders for the first packages of Office Locations and suppliers and work with communities quality and utilities,” he said. construction work will follow reference design in North West NSW to ensure the benefits of “This is an important step in progressing and planning approvals. This is expected in Inland Rail are felt throughout the community.” these two enhancement projects in southern late 2021.

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Budget grows rail projects, jobs pipeline

and is being reviewed by the National Faster be significant as new projects bring more jobs Rail Agency. and sustainable infrastructure that will deliver $150m has been allocated for grade community benefits for years to come.” separating road interfaces with Inland Rail, Australian Logistics Council managing along with a number of intermodal hubs, director Kirk Coningham sounded a note of including at Ettamogah, near Albury, and caution, highlighting that the $110bn figure the Northern NSW Inland Port at Narrabri. depends significant on future decisions. Commuter carparks in Sydney also received “It is highly encouraging the government additional funding. identifies the importance of investing in In Western Australia, federal funding of infrastructure to ensure the efficient and $102.3m has been allocated for the High productive operation of the Australian Capacity Signalling element of the Metronet economy,” said Coningham. project. Infrastructure Australia has added “However, while the headline measure the project to its Infrastructure Priority sounds impressive, it should be remembered List as a Priority Project, signalling its that a 10-year period is six years longer than national significance. the forward estimates contained in the Budget The funding for WA also includes the first – or two Australian parliamentary terms.” investigation into faster rail in the state, Also contained within the budget figures with $4m for an investigation of the Perth to was an equity injection of an undisclosed Bunbury corridor. figure into the Australian Rail Track WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the Corporation (ARTC).

Regional rail projects in Victoria scored funding would grow the amount of work in funding in this year’s federal budget. the state. BENEFITS FOR BUSINESSES “This will extend the pipeline of work Many businesses in the rail sector will be able and will continue to help the State economy to take advantage of other messages contained In the 2020-2021 budget unveiled by through and past COVID-19.” in the budget. Businesses looking to take on federal Treasurer Josh Frydenburg, the total new staff can benefit from a hiring credit and infrastructure pipeline for the next 10 years QUEENSLAND MISSES RAIL FUNDING subsidies for apprentices and trainees. grew to $110 billion, with a $14bn increase Besides $50m in funding for the Beams Road Wilkie said the funding for apprenticeships this year. overpass, the $1.3bn allocated to Queensland would benefit the rail sector as projects enter As part of a $7.5bn spend on infrastructure, will be spent on roads. No funds will be spent the construction and maintenance phase, new federal funding alongside state on rail in South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, especially if those apprenticeships included contributions has been committed for further and the Northern Territory. digital skills for the future of rail. regional rail upgrades in Victoria, high capacity Administrator of Queensland-based rail Chief operating officer of Martinus Rail signalling in Western Australia, and planning group Rail Back on Track Robert Dow listed Ryan Baden said the company welcomed the for faster rail between Sydney and 11 rail projects needing funding in the state, measures as coming at the right time for rail. Newcastle. including improvements to the Sunshine Coast “The wage subsidy program for apprentices Deputy Prime Minister and Minister line and Ipswich rail extensions. and trainees will go hand-in-hand with a for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional “This is simply not sustainable,” said Dow. number of projects coming on-line and also go Development Michael McCormack said that “We need a proper balance between rail a long way to help address the growing skills local businesses would benefit. and roads.” shortage within the rail industry,” said Baden. “We will draw on local businesses to Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport “It’s an exciting time for the rail industry, stimulate local economies through these and Regional Development Catherine King we are seeing first-hand younger generations projects,” he said. said that funding must follow through on the coming onboard and it’s important to invest in In Victoria, rail projects received the bulk announcement. their skills and their future by teaching them of the funding allocated to that state, with “It is essential that these latest funding everything we know and love about rail.” funding for new projects including stage three promises are delivered now, not years To encourage businesses to invest in plant, of the Shepparton Line upgrade and stage down the line.” companies can immediately expense the cost two of the Warrnambool line upgrade. Further of capital equipment installed before July 2022. planning for the Western Rail Plan, improving INDUSTRY RESPONSE Baden said that for self-performing contractors passenger rail services from northern Victoria, CEO of the Australasian Railway Association such as Martinus, this would enable them to and a business case for improving connectivity (ARA) Caroline Wilkie said the funding provided purchase new machinery. to the Port of Melbourne also scored funding. now would lead to benefits in the future. “The expansion of the instant asset write In NSW, rail projects to receive funding “We are pleased to see rail projects across off scheme, is a huge benefit for companies included $15 million for planning for Sydney the country funded or fast tracked in this like Martinus who are continuing to invest to Newcastle Faster Rail. A faster rail business year’s budget,” she said. in our self-performing plant and equipment,” case has already been completed for the line “The flow on benefits of rail investment will said Baden.

10 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS AUSTRALASIAN RAILWAY ASSOCIATION

Siemens Mobility implements Project i-TRACE

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Stephen Baker Head Product Innovation & Through Life Support Siemens Mobility

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Albanese launches Labor’s Rail Manufacturing Plan

A National Rail Manufacturing Plan would be formed to ensure that federal money spent on rail projects in Australia leads to local manufacturing of rollingstock if Labor was elected federally. Opposition leader Anthony Albanese used his budget reply speech to announce the plan, which could identify and optimise the opportunities to build freight and passenger trains in Australia. Included in the plan are measures such as the establishment of an Office of National Rail industry Coordination (ONRIC) to audit the adequacy, capacity, and condition of passenger trains and develop priority plans. Labor would also reinstate the Rail Supplier Advocate to help small to medium sized enterprises find national and export opportunities and create a RAILGALLERY.COM.AU CREDIT: Rail Industry Innovation Council to spur more Labor has set out its plan to build local research & development. more trains and trams locally. Labor estimates that the plan would create up to 659 full-time jobs, and boost Australia’s GDP by up to $5 billion. “We are supportive of the renewed in south east Melbourne supports a wider Australasian Railway Association (ARA) CEO manufacturing focus as a driver of jobs and manufacturing ecosystem. Caroline Wilkie said a coordinated approach to skills, and the investments in rail infrastructure. “In Dandenong we employ over 200 rail manufacturing would help local industry Bombardier looks forward to any inclusion manufacturing workers and support a vibrant and governments. of train and tram rollingstock manufacturing, rail supply chain in south east Melbourne. This “Rail manufacturers currently have to services, maintenance, engineering and supply chain supports our carriage building, navigate a very fragmented market to address signalling being included in the industry welding and fit out for our trams and trains. different approaches between state and and manufacturing discussion in the This is important, our local content on the territories,” Wilkie said. months ahead.” VLocity trains is 69 per cent and around 55 per “This severely limits the industry’s Local manufacturers of rollingstock reacted cent for our E-Class trams. Not only this but in ability to gain the scale it needs to create positively to the Labor plan. Todd Garvey, Victoria alone we have a significant servicing efficiencies and foster more innovation in the head of sales Australia and New Zealand and maintenance business operating out of Australian market. at Bombardier Transportation said that West Melbourne, Geelong and Ballarat East.” “Policies that support a strong Australian rail coordination would ensure that Australia’s rail Wilkie said that a focus on innovation now manufacturing sector will ultimately lead to manufacturing industry continues to thrive. would set up Australia’s rail manufacturing better deals for governments and create more “Bombardier was encouraged by the focus industry for the future. jobs in the process.” on our industry in the budget reply speech “Investment in R&D and innovation leads to In the 2020 federal budget, $1.5bn was by the Opposition Leader on October 8. In a better infrastructure network for Australians allocated to the Modern Manufacturing particular, the establishment of the ONRIC and improved efficiencies for industry,” she said. Initiative which will target six national priority within the Department of Industry and the “Government and industry must work areas: resources technology and critical commitment to ‘manufacturing trains here’ together to advance rail technology and minerals processing, food and beverage, in Australia.” innovation adoption, based on clear policy medical products, recycling and clean energy, Garvey noted that Bombardier’s factory settings that provide the certainty needed for defence, and space. in Dandenong builds trains and trams not long term investment.” Wilkie said that rail had a role to play in only for Victoria, but other states including Garvey said that in Bombardier’s case, local local manufacturing. South Australia. manufacturing was building a skills base for “We have significant capability in the rail The ARA has been pushing for consistency quality Australian manufacturing. manufacturing sector, and we must ensure across state governments in rollingstock “Bombardier is committed to building rail we have the right policy settings to support and signalling tenders to better leverage cars in Australia. Not only are we committed to greater technology and innovation adoption existing local capabilities. this industry but also to the next generation. in the rail industry.” Around Australia, the rollingstock We have apprentices at Dandenong and a Bombardier Transportation President manufacturing and repair industry generates commitment to diversity. Our on-site welding Australia and New Zealand, Wendy McMillan, $2.4bn and employs over 4,000 people, school is testament to this fact and we will not said the company was looking at what rail half outside metropolitan areas. Garvey stop making trains and trams to the highest manufacturing could be included in the fund. highlighted that Bombardier’s presence quality Australian standards.”

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 13 News New South Wales

Rail projects receive billions in 2020-21 NSW budget

expected to offer more space and comfort for passengers than buses or trackless trams. It will attract investment and generate urban renewal along the route,” said City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Councillor Bob Dwyer. David Borger, executive director of Western Sydney Business Chamber questioned whether the promised savings of trackless trams would eventuate. “Trackless trams are an interesting technology but still experimental. Our advice is that the work needed to reinforce the road to carry what are very heavy tram-like buses is just as intensive as light rail.” Dwyer said it would be essential that future stages provided a seamless link for the area’s growing population with the under construction first stage. “Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 is just the first piece of the City’s planned transport Stage One of the Parramatta Light network and requires compatible subsequent Rail received funding in the budget, however stage two is still up in the air. stages to truly reach its potential.” A Transport for NSW spokesperson said that various modes were considered by In the budget handed down on November maintenance facility in Dubbo. the agency. 17, the NSW government confirmed it would Fast rail will also receive funding, with “Transport for NSW continues to spend $28 billion on Sydney Metro over the $31m, $258m over the next four years, investigate emerging transport technologies next four years, across all three legs, City and allocated to investment in a fast rail network. such as trackless trams for potential use Southwest, West, and Western Sydney Airport. Constance said that continued investment as part of an integrated transport network. The funding will enable works to continue in the transport network would enable the BRT is already a key part of the transport on City and Southwest and preparatory work NSW economy to weather future shocks. network and is working well to serve to start on Sydney Metro West. Early works “Throughout this pandemic, critical the transport needs of customers on the for the Western Sydney Airport line are construction and maintenance work across Northern Beaches.” expected to begin before the end of 2020. NSW roads and transport networks has Borger said that future stages would “By 2024, Sydney will have 31 metro kept more than 130,000 people directly benefit from light rail. railway stations and a 66 kilometres and indirectly employed by Transport for “B-Line buses would be a b-grade standalone metro railway system, NSW,” he said. solution for Parramatta Light Rail Stage revolutionising the way our city travels,” said “The investment in these projects will 2,” he said. Minister for Transport Andrew Constance. continue to deliver jobs and create the “Light rail works best when it is a “The Sydney Metro West project alone will transport network of the future.” network of routes. Our fear is that changing help double rail capacity between Greater to tramless trams or B-Line buses would Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, transforming DOUBTS CAST OVER STAGE TWO OF undermine the NSW government’s Sydney for generations to come.” PARRAMATTA LIGHT RAIL investment in Stage 1 and force commuters Parramatta light rail will receive over half Stage two of the Parramatta Light Rail to change between transport modes.” a billion dollars in the 2020-21 year as major project, which would add a line from The Transport for NSW spokesperson construction continues along the line. Parramatta to Sydney Olympic Park, did said a wide range of factors were involved Over $1.1bn and $4bn over the forward not receive any funding in the budget, when selecting a transport mode within a estimates has been put towards More despite a finalised business case awaiting a broader network. Trains, More Services, which will increase government decision. “These include transport need, city- frequency on the Illawarra, Airport, and Constance recently suggested the project shaping benefits, and improvements to South Coast lines. may involve trackless trams or bus rapid productivity as a result of a decrease in In the regions, $43 million has been transit, however local government and congestion. They also include the suitability committed to the Regional Rail Fleet business groups have backed rail as the of a particular mode and how it can be program, which will involve the purchase of transport mode of choice. incorporated into communities, existing new rollingstock and the construction of a “Light Rail is proven technology and is or emerging.”

14 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS Leading providers of quality rail signalling services across Australia.

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Frankston line extension business case recommends against electrification

The business case covered proposals to extend the electrified network.

The preliminary business case for the option would also provide additional rail the Commonwealth on our combined extension of the Frankston Line to services for the communities of Somerville infrastructure commitments.” Baxter on the Mornington Peninsula has and Hastings, who would miss out on the The Committee for Greater Frankston, been released. benefits of electrification to Baxter. a grouping of local businesses and the The business case assesses a number The federal government, which Frankston city council, criticised the of options for improving public transport contributed $3 million to the business case, business case as “Orwellian”. usage in Frankston and the wider peninsula, is pushing for the electrification of the “It’s time for the state government to while increasing social and commercial Frankston Line to Baxter and has committed start properly planning to construct this activity in Frankston. $225m to the project. The business case vital public transport project,” said CEO The option of creating passing loops estimates the total cost of electrification to Ginevra Hosking. on the Stony Point line and new stations Baxter to be between $1.3 to $1.5bn. Public transport connectivity to at Tyabb and Bittern is indicated as “Delivering a metro rail line extension Frankston is listed as a priority initiative the preferred option. The possibility of south of Frankston will help open up by Infrastructure Australia, with electrification to Baxter or Langwarrin, while the whole of the Mornington Peninsula, initiatives for improvement including having higher a higher cost benefit ratio, meaning locals can get to work and get optimising the existing bus network, would cost more and have greater impacts, home sooner and safer,” said Federal increasing bus frequency and coverage, the business case sets out. Minister for Population, Cities and Urban or funding upgrades to rail services Currently, Melbourne’s electrified Infrastructure Alan Tudge. and infrastructure. network terminates at Frankston, with The Victorian government has not The Victorian government spokesperson diesel-hauled services continuing to confirmed a preference for any of the said that the state government was already Stony Point. The report notes that the options outlined in the preliminary making significant investments. infrequency of services on the Stony business case. “The Victorian government is already Point line means that car use in the “The Commonwealth has indicated that spending $3bn on projects along the area is high and public transport use is their preferred next stage is a detailed Frankston Line that pave the way for an concentrated at Frankston Station, causing business case, but has not yet provided extension to Baxter – removing 18 level constraints on parking in the vicinity of the funding or approached Victoria to crossings, building 12 new stations and the station. undertake that work,” said a Victorian creating new stabling for 24 trains at An upgrade of the rail line without government spokesperson. Kananook that is a pre-requisite for any electrification under the Stony Point Uplift “We’ll continue to work closely with extension of the line.”

16 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS Two level crossing removals fast tracked for Melbourne’s south-east

Construction will begin next year on two level Two hundred trains pass through the A number of new stations have had their crossing removals in Glen Huntly. crossings each day, causing the boom gates to designs revealed, with Bell and Preston The level crossings at Neerim and Glen be down for half the morning peak. stations being upgraded with colourful designs Huntly roads will be gone by 2023 and the In addition to the level crossing removals, that reference the local communities. project completed by 2024, a year ahead the new Glen Huntly station will be part of a For North Williamstown station, a priority of schedule. new precinct. was maintaining the village feel of the local The crossings will be replaced by This renovation will increase connectivity area. Improvements to lighting, landscaping lowering the Frankston Line into a trench, and improving community safety, said and crossings, will improve local connectivity and constructing new road bridges for Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure and safety. both crossings. Jacinta Allan. The new Glenroy Station, which is part of Removing these level crossings will only “Our level crossing removal project isn’t just the level crossing removal at Glenroy Road, two benefit the 20,000 vehicles that travel through getting rid of those dangerous and congested sides of the rail line will be reconnected for the two level crossings a day, but also improve boom gates – we’re delivering new train the first time in 100 years. journeys for tram passengers on route 67, stations, more open space and new pedestrian “We’ve removed half of the 75 level which crosses the rail line at Glen Huntly and cycling infrastructure.” crossings we promised, well ahead of schedule Road. The crossing at Glen Huntly Road is one The two crossings in Glen Huntly are the – and with works continuing in line with strict of Melbourne’s last tram squares, a manually last to go on the Frankston Line, and when safety protocol during the pandemic, we’re not operated crossing used by trains and trams, complete, the 18 crossings between Flinders wasting a minute getting the rest gone for which slows trains down significantly. Street and Moorabbin will be gone. good,” said Allan. News Victoria

MBRP drops standardisation of two lines

The Victorian government has released the old rail was re-used, and signalling works at gauge network. revised business case for the Murray Basin Rail Ararat Junction and Maryborough Yard. Further “Those farmers on the Manangatang and Project and dropped the project’s initial goal of works include passing loops, instituting Sea Lake sites really missed out, because their standardising the region’s freight network. electronic train ordering, resleepering, and grain could only flow south by rail to Geelong With stage one complete and stage 2 improvements to sidings. or Melbourne, or by truck into southern NSW partially delivered, the Murrayville and Yelta Minister for Ports and Freight Melissa Horne homes – where the bids weren’t as strong,” lines were standardised and the Maryborough said the project would improve export figures. said Donnelly. to Ararat line reopened as standard gauge. The “These works will boost our freight Victorian Farmers Federation grains group Sea Lake and Manangatang lines remained network’s capacity and efficiency to get more president Ashley Fraser said that the proposed broad gauge, and the revised business case Victorian products exported. We just need the works would create two separate networks. proposes to continue this split. Commonwealth to come to the table.” “A commitment was made to build the MBRP Victorian Minister for Transport five years ago, including the standardisation of Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said that the REVISED MBRP FALLS SHORT OF FREIGHT the Sea Lake and Manangatang lines,” he said. Victorian government was disappointed that NEEDS: INDUSTRY “Under this revised plan these lines will not funding for the project was not included in the Rail freight businesses, farmers, grain haulers, be converted to standard gauge resulting in 2020 federal budget, and was the only project and rail experts are renewing their call for the farmers and businesses along the broad-gauge on the state government’s wishlist of projects project to be delivered. Sea Lake and Manangatang lines effectively to not receive funding. The Freight on Rail Group (FORG), chaired by being cut off from the standard gauge Inland “This project is too important to play politics Dean Dalla Valle, said that with the Victorian Rail network. with – we want the Commonwealth to come government committing $48.8m in funding, the John Hearsch, Rail Futures Institute forward with their support so we can get more Commonwealth needed to contribute funding. president, said the proposed scope of works freight on trains.” “This commitment from the Victorian would not be able to handle the projected To complete the project, the Victorian government is welcome – as a nation we need increase in freight volumes. government will commit $48.8 million and are to get this rail freight network humming again. “It’s probably sufficient for the short term seeking a federal contribution of $195.2m. Given we could see another bumper crop next but, as I see it, I don’t think it properly takes Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack year, industry encourages the Commonwealth account of what needs to happen in a bumper said that the federal government had already to also commit extra funding to help get the grain harvest which is what we’re about to contributed $240m to the project and that network back on track,” said Dalla Valle. experience. The outcome of that will be pretty project errors were the responsibility of the Getting the project back on track would straightforward; we’ll have a lot more trucks Victorian government. improve the productivity of the Victorian on the road than we really should have.” “It is important to remember that the rail network, and with forecast bumper grain Hearsch also highlighted that if the Victorian Labor government was responsible harvests, the need for investment is critical. works proposed in the revised business for delivering this project and actively chose to “Due to well-documented problems with rail case go ahead, while there will be marginal lay 100-year-old steel as part of its ‘upgrade‘,” infrastructure in the basin, I’ve heard almost improvements, the plans locks in inefficiencies, he said. 70 per cent of export grain this season will be such as standard gauge trains on the Mildura “I look forward to hearing the views of transported by truck to Victorian ports – this line from Yelta and Murrayville having to industry and communities on the proposal is an extremely poor outcome for society; and travel further to get to the port of Geelong and document released yesterday by the certainly not good for regional councils already or Melbourne via the Maryborough to Ararat Victorian government.” struggling to repair and maintain large road connection, rather than directly via Ballarat. The report notes that the time and cost of networks,” said Dalla Valle. Other potential projects that depended upon delivering the project to its original scope has Others are critiquing the revised scope. the full completion of the original MBRP are now increased and there is greater potential GrainCorp rail commercial and contracts also looking to miss out in the revised plan. for conflict with passenger services in the manager Alex Donnelly said that while the In Ouyen, a local community group has been standardisation of the Gheringhap to Ballarat works would return the network to a viable working to set up an intermodal terminal section and the Ballarat corridor. state, more needed to be done. and is furious that the revised scope will not The Rail Freight Alliance (RFA), a grouping “The proposed improvements are all quite include a standard gauge connection. of councils pushing for more freight to be sensible and are all going to be beneficial to “The MBRP was to be a ‘once in a generation’ handled by rail, said that the revised business the rail network in the long term. They are not project and we are hoping governments will case amounted to fixing problems caused by going to provide the capacity and costs we’d sort through the current MBRP quagmire the initial works. like to see, but they are certainly improvements very soon, to ensure it gets completed as “What it appears Minister Allan has from the current heavily degraded state of the originally planned,” said Ouyen Inc president announced today is repairs to the shoddy and MBRP affected network,” said Donnelly. Scott Anderson. substandard work that has hampered this Increasing volumes of grain from North Having two separate gauges in Victoria project from the inception.” West Victoria have had to be hauled by road. would also place increased cost pressures Works to be immediately completed under In 2019, when NSW and Queensland were in on businesses, said Donnelly, and could lead the revised business case include re-railing drought, the grain grown in Victoria could not to the broad-gauge network becoming a 88km on the Ararat to Maryborough line, where be moved via rail on the interstate standard stranded asset.

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Inquiry hears of improper contractor payments and lax safety oversight at V/Line and Metro Trains Melbourne

Hearings as part of an inquiry into the handling gambling system and why Pinder had written of Victorian public transport contracts have a note to Haritos telling him to provide a false heard that individuals within rail operators V/ reason for the payment of that money. Line and MTM failed to uphold ethical best Pinder replied, “Rightly or wrongly I was practices when it came to contracts and hiring. panicked and I thought that the fact that I was

The current inquiry, Operation Esperance, is in a gambling syndicate with somebody that RAILGALLERY.COM.AU CREDIT: the second time in three years that V/Line has was a supplier to V/Line whilst not necessarily Payments from a cleaning contractor to been the subject of an Independent Broad- illegal was inappropriate.” Metro Trains Melbourne and V/Line staff Based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) IBAC also heard that Transclean staff were have been the target of an IBAC investigation. investigation, with Operation Lansdowne in in life threatening situations. In one incident, 2017 investigating the awarding of training a cleaned went underneath a Metro Trains O’Flaherty also issued a statement. O’Flaherty contracts by the regional operator. train coupling without appropriate protection said that Metro would not tolerate behaviour Operation Lansdowne found evidence of when the train’s pantograph was connected described in the hearings. nepotism and improper procurement, and in to the overhead wiring, creating the risk “Metro has zero tolerance for any behaviours hearings held since Monday this week, former of electrocution. or actions that compromise our commitment CEO of V/Line James Pinder was heard offering The incident occurred while Transclean was to safety and integrity across our organisation,” a job to his friend and Metro Trains Melbourne attempting to secure the stations cleaning said O’Flaherty. fleet manager Peter Bollas to manage facility contract with Metro Trains Melbourne. In an “I take the evidence presented at the contracts, including all cleaning. intercepted phone conversation between IBAC Operation Esperance public hearings While Bollas did not ultimately take the job, Pinder and Bollas, Bollas is heard discussing very seriously.” Pinder acknowledged that the conversation ways to underplay the incident as the fault O’Flaherty announced that the operator is he was having with Bollas was duplicitous, of Transclean. appointing an independent auditor to review considering that V/Line was responding to the procurement and probity processes. O’Flaherty findings of Operation Lansdowne at the time. V/LINE, METRO TRAINS TAKE ACTION noted that the operator is in the tender process “I accept now and I accept then it was FOLLOWING INQUIRY: REAFFIRM NEED FOR for selecting a new cleaning contractor and inappropriate,” said Pinder. INTEGRITY that Transclean would no longer provide Pinder has been the focus of the inquiry’s The V/Line board has taken action to underline services for Metro Trains Melbourne. first three days, which has alleged that Pinder the unacceptable nature of the evidence Bell reiterated that the alleged behaviour received a loan of $320,000 from cleaning heard at the Independent Broad-Based Anti- had no place within V/Line. contractor Transclean managing director Corruption Commission (IBAC) inquiry. “The alleged conduct of both Mr Pinder and George Haritos after awarding a V/Line In a statement from the V/Line chair Transclean is not acceptable to V/Line under cleaning contract. The inquiry has also heard Gabrielle Bell, the regional operator announced any circumstances,” said Bell. that Pinder and Peter Bollas received monthly it had terminated the employment of former “All V/Line employees and contractors cash payments from Haritos of $8,000 to CEO James Pinder, who has been the subject are expected to uphold the highest levels $10,000 each. of the first days of the IBAC hearings as part of of integrity and the Board of Directors is Pinder has said that the payments were part Operation Esperance. committed to ensuring this happens at of a gambling syndicate that involved himself, “Following the public hearings of the all times.” Haritos and Bollas. Bollas has said that he Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Pinder has been replaced since August by was never involved in a gambling syndicate Commission (IBAC) as part of Operation acting CEO Gary Liddle. Bell said Liddle would with Pinder. Esperance, the V/Line Board of Directors has continue until further notice. Under questioning from counsel assisting terminated the employment of James Pinder “V/Line has fully cooperated with the IBAC Paul Lawrie, Pinder said that the funds that from his position as CEO, effective today,” investigation and will continue to do so,” went through the syndicate were sometimes said Bell. said Bell. used by Haritos when Transclean was having V/line will also no longer work with the In a statement, a spokesperson for the cashflow issues and that Pinder couldn’t be cleaning company at the centre of the hearings. Australasian Railway Assocation said, “the sure whether the funds that he received were “The V/Line Board has also provided notice rail industry has stringent processes in from Transclean or Haritos personally. The of termination of the contract with cleaning place to ensure procurement is grounded in funds were always in round amounts and supplier Transclean Facilities Pty Ltd. V/Line principles that support a stronger, socially delivered discretely. will work to support the front-line cleaning responsible industry for all of us. While this IBAC Commissioner Robert Redlich staff who may be affected by this decision,” is a very unusual case, it is important we questioned why there needed to be secrecy said Bell. look to the outcomes of this process and around the distribution of funds from the Metro Trains Melbourne CEO Raymond learn from them.”

20 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS Contractor announced for Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 construction Delivering John Holland has been nominated as the preferred contractor to deliver stage three of the Gold Coast Light Rail. The $709 million joint local, state, and federally funded project, will extend the light rail line to Burleigh Heads from its current terminus integrated in Broadbeach. John Holland prevailed as the successful contractor over two competing joint ventures, one of CPB Contractors and Seymour Whyte Constructions and another between Fulton Hogan and UGL. solutions Stage three is expected to be completed in 2023 and adds eight stations and 6.7km of dual track to the network. Five addition light rail vehicles are planned to be procured for the extended line. The Gold Coast light rail line has successfully increased public transport DCWC is one of Australia’s leading usage along the corridor, and was heavily patronised during the 2018 providers of independent end-to-end Commonwealth Games. Bailey said extending the line further south would improve on these figures. project services. We have a national “We’ve seen more than 50 million trips taken on light rail since it first footprint, 50+ years’ experience, total opened, which shows just how hungry Gold Coasters and visitors to the independence and design driven thinking. city are for better public transport.” Construction will come at a time when Queensland is looking to DCWC’s Infrastructure team is experienced in both get people into job, particularly in areas such as the Gold Coast where consulting and construction with expertise across rail, tourism-reliant businesses have seen less demand due to COVID-19. road, water treatment, dams and marine sectors. “Because Queenslanders have managed the health response of COVID-19, it means the Palaszczuk Government has been able to get on Our operational experience ensures we are responsive with the job of creating jobs and continuing the state’s plan for economic and proactive from concept through to delivery. recovery,” said Bailey. Through a holistic approach, we will provide valuable “For businesses and people on the Gold Coast that means building that all-important light rail connection between the city’s north and centre advice and assurance to ensure each project reaches towards the south.” its full potential. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the project would Our value lies in our senior personnel’s skills and support more local jobs. experience and our team’s ability to consider each “Light rail on the Gold Coast is already a key local employer, supporting project as a whole. about 800 operational jobs, and the extension to Burleigh is expected to support more than 760 construction jobs.” Infrastructure services includes: Keolis Downer will continue to operate the extended line. ƒƒEstimating and cost planning ƒƒForensic claim analysis Construction can now begin on the next stage of the Gold Coast light rail. ƒƒRisk management and Contact: value engineering 03 8662 1111 ƒƒIndependent certification [email protected] ƒƒDue diligence reporting dcwc.com.au CREDIT: RAILGALLERY.COM.AU CREDIT: News Queensland

Queensland Labor promises $1bn pipeline of local train manufacturing

Work will include replacing carriages on regional trains.

The Queensland Labor government has career paths for our young people in trades with an order for 20 new six-car trains promised it will create a $1 billion rail like boilermaking, fitter machining and needed to support more frequent services manufacturing pipeline in Maryborough. as electricians.” once Cross River Rail opens in 2025,” he said. Labor would purchase 20 new trains Australasian Railway Association “The initial order could be followed with at a cost of $600 million to be built in (ARA) CEO Caroline Wilkie said the an option to build up to 45 additional six- Maryborough. This is in addition to the investment highlighted Australia’s local car trains in Maryborough, to meet future $300m, 10-year pipeline of maintenance manufacturing capabilities. demand on the Citytrain network.” work of the existing Queensland Rail fleet “This commitment would transform the In addition to trains built in Queensland and the $85m invested in refurbishing the face of Queensland manufacturing and for the Queensland network, Perth’s B-Series New Generation Rollingstock to make the shows once and for all that trains can and trains were manufactured in Maryborough. trains compliant with the Disability Act. should be built here in Australia,” said Wilkie. Queensland’s latest train fleet, the New Queensland Premier Annastacia “We are pleased this commitment has Generation Rollingstock, were manufactured Palaszczuk also announced $1m for a recognised Australia’s extensive expertise in overseas, however whilst compliant with the business case for the replacement of the field and the need to invest to this scale specification under which they were ordered, regional carriages, which is expected to lead in the local industry.” had to be retrofitted to meet Australian to $150m in works. Queensland Transport and Main Roads accessibility requirements “This $1bn train building program Minister Mark Bailey said the tender “This investment in rail manufacturing heralds a new and ambitious chapter for process would require the trains to be built would ensure the trains operating on manufacturing, not just for Maryborough, in Maryborough. the state’s newest passenger rail line are but for Queensland,” said Palaszczuk. “Train manufacturers will be invited to bid absolutely fit for purpose and made for “This long-term future pipeline of work in a procurement process to build the next Australian conditions by the people that means there will be rewarding long-term fleet of passenger trains in Maryborough, know them best,” said Wilkie.

22 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS News Western Australia

Four kilometres of track laid on Forrestfield- Airport Link

Work is rapidly progressing on the more than 100 local workers. running on this line in late 2021.” preparation of the Forrestfield-Airport Link WA Premier Mark McGowan said the Martinus CEO and managing director to run trains by late 2021. project, which connects the existing Treaven Martinus said that with this project Tracklaying works have already put in rail network at Bayswater with the under their belt, Martinus will be looking to place four kilometres of track through eastern foothills via Perth’s airport, has scale up for further projects. the twin tunnels. already provided many opportunities for “Currently, we have very skilled and The future stations for the line are also local businesses. experienced track and overhead wiring coming into shape, with the high eaves over “The Forrestfield Airport Link construction teams in WA but our vision has always Airport Central Station recently installed. employs hundreds of local workers and been to expand the team to encompass Connecting the station atrium to the provides opportunities for local businesses civil and signalling capabilities,” platform is the longest uninterrupted and subcontractors,” he said. said Martinus. escalator in the southern hemisphere, WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said “There are many projects coming with stretches to 35 metres long and that with major breakthroughs so far, it online and we are excited about what 15 metres high. will not be long until commuters are using that means for us, the opportunities it To date, 5.7km of skeleton track has the new line. provides for our teams, local businesses, been put down, and 3.9km of track “We’ve reached several milestones this and subcontractors.” completed for the 8.5km line. year with the completion of tunnelling and Federal local member Ken Wyatt, said Australian contractor Martinus Rail will the start of track laying,” she said. the community will benefit. use over 2,400 tonnes of Australian-made “The stations are almost completed “This is about making our area steel in the project, where it has employed and it is exciting to think trains will be more liveable.”

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WA budget includes $1.7bn for rail projects

The Western Australia government will of the COVID-19 pandemic, while ensuring stopping there. invest $1.7 billion in Metronet projects in we’re delivering and building major projects “Even more projects are in the pipeline, this financial year. for tomorrow.” ensuring we’re delivering and building the Projects to be funded this year include The funding in this year’s budget ensures infrastructure needed for tomorrow.” the Forrestfield-Airport Link project, that current projects can continue and which is expected to be completed in late procurement can take the next step forward SIGNALLING TRAINING FACILITY OPENING 2021, the first $275.3 million for locally in the 2020-2021 financial year. Contracts The Metronet Trade Training Centre at North made rollingstock and the assembly and are expected to be signed and work to Metropolitan TAFE’s Midland campus is manufacturing facility in Bellevue, and begin shortly on the Byford Rail Extension, now complete. A focus of getting the site up $195m for the Thornlie-Cockburn link. New Midland Station, and level crossing and running is addressing the lack of rail In addition, level crossings, new removals on the Inner Armadale Line. Final signalling engineers. stations and carparks, and the extension negotiations for the construction contract Those with a WA electrical licence will of existing rail lines are included in the for the Morley-Ellenbrook line are expected be able to undertake a Certificate IV in 2020-2021 budget. to be completed soon. Electrical Rail Signalling at the campus from WA Premier Mark McGowan said the total WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said Semester 2, 2021. investment over the forward estimates skills and training would be part of the A pilot group of employees from rail would support the WA economy out of the major construction investment. companies including Rio Tinto will be COVID-19 pandemic. “These projects won’t just change the the first to commence the Certificate IV “To keep our local economy strong, the way we travel, they will also have a huge in Electrical Rail Signalling beginning in state Budget delivers a record $27 billion role in supporting local jobs and training Semester 1, 2021. The campus aims to in infrastructure investment over the next opportunities, with more than 10,000 jobs prepare the workforce for WA’s pipeline of four years, including construction and expected to be supported as part of these rail infrastructure. manufacturing work for Metronet and major METRONET investments,” she said. “We want to make sure Western roads across WA,” he said. “This year’s investment will allow Australians have the skills they need to “We’ve worked hard to establish a major for continued delivery of the Thornlie- capitalise on this huge investment and pipeline of work to support local jobs and Cockburn Link, Yanchep Rail Extension ensure there is a pipeline of workers help guide Western Australia’s economy out and Forrestfield-Airport Link, but we’re not available to fill these roles,” said Saffioti.

The budget includes the first $275.3m for new rollingstock. CREDIT: ALSTOM CREDIT:

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The next generation of digital information systems The digitalisation of the rail sector has increased safety, functionality and efficiency across networks, and information systems are no exception. Now, tm stagetec systems is taking the next step in the integration of audio and visual passenger information systems with the Smart pi ecosystem.

A lot has changed over the past decade in Sydney network were not yet complete, with For passengers, significant shifts in how rail. In 2010, Sydney Trains was carrying less the South West Rail Link to Leppington about they would interact with rail services were than 300 million trips a year, in 2019 that to begin in 2010 and Sydney Metro was still deployed in the 2010s. In NSW, the Opal had increased by about a third, with over 400 known as the on-again, off-again North West card system would be introduced in 2012, million journeys. Major extensions to the Rail Link. with rollout completed across the rail

26 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS network by 2014. In 2009, an internal proof of concept operational side, we collaborated together While not as visible, but arguably just as was developed, leading the organisation to find what service we needed, what the significant, in 2011, Sydney Trains began to be able to show that digital technology end user expected, and then TMS provided the shift to a digital public address system. was much more effective than the previous the technology and developed a product,” Charles Chan, currently audio and visual analogue system. Subsequently, a tender was said Chan. services manager at Sydney Trains, joined developed to deliver the technology and one While TMS provided technical know- what was then RailCorp just prior to the of the successful companies was Sydney- how, there were also clear requirements beginning of the digital announcement based audio technology systems integrator that Sydney Trains had set at the outset. program, and encountered a very different tm stagetec systems (TMS). The network had to be based on an open type of technology. “Gradually, we worked with TMS to develop standard, so that the operator was not tied to “At that stage, at every station we had an new technology, new architecture,” said Chan. any one supplier, and in addition, unlike the analogue PA system however they were not The expertise of TMS was essential for the previous system that was localised to each linked up to anything, so if anything goes delivery of the digital PA system, highlighted station, the entire network had to be able to wrong, you need to go to the station to fix the Chan. With expertise in specialised be managed remotely. system and we didn’t know what happened. audio systems for large and networked “It’s not possible for us to go to every Sydney Trains started to think about how we institutions, the company was the perfect station to check everyday so we want the can do better, how can we improve the quality fit for the complexity of delivering audio system to know, even down to a speaker level, of sound announcements for our customers. announcements to the Sydney Trains network. whether it is working or not,” said Chan. So, we started to look at digital technology.” “Because we are more on the service Within these parameters, the installation of

The digital nature of the Smart pi ecosystem enables changes to be made without rewiring the entire network.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 27 Information Systems

digital audio systems enabled much greater customers of Sydney Trains but even the have worked together to continually improve flexibility, and this would be essential for the environment around them.” the customer experience for those travelling many network upgrades that were to come. With increasing urbanisation around train on Sydney’s rail network. Today, said Chan, Chan cited the example of Central Station, stations, the needs of the railway and the other agencies within the NSW Transport where due to changes to the station layout, surrounding communities are increasingly cluster are turning to Sydney Trains to see announcements had to be altered. coming up against one another, with Sydney how they can meet the high standards of “With the previous analogue system, we Trains having to fulfil legislative requirements speech intelligibility and evolving needs on would have to re-run all the cabling, buy all for both. the Sydney and NSW Trains network. the equipment again, but now we don’t need “In the past, with the analogue system you “More than once TMS produced a product to, we just tell the system. It’s very flexible can’t control the volume, you only have a flat and then, I will map that product to see and dynamic to meet our business and volume for a whole platform but nowadays, how we can translate that to a customer operational needs now.” for a digital system we can,” said Chan. experience,” said Chan. “Sometimes we share In addition, as TMS general manager Mark “According to the Disability Discrimination the results from the survey report of what Lownds points out, by going digital, many Act, we need to provide an announcement our customers think about us, and ask them other functions that would have previously to the last train and to do that in the past ‘What can you do?’ Then, they’ll come up been impossible are easy to implement. we needed to blast out the sound across with a product to match that. During the past “Say there’s a station that has people living the whole platform which annoyed the nine years, we have worked well together in close by, the central management system neighbours. Now we don’t have to because terms of providing a high quality of audio can implement time of day scheduling. We at night, we have a special zone called ‘the system for our customers. We are a leader in actually turn announcements off completely night zone’ where only at night, we only make transport cluster for audio systems.” in some areas later in the evening and at an announcement to that particular area and night when there’s no truck noise and traffic, we are using the digital technology as well to A MODULAR APPROACH TO DIGITAL we turn the system down a little bit and it’s minimise the sound required.” AUDIO AND VISUAL INFORMATION completely centralised and managed from To meet these requirements and other With almost a decade of working with the operational team, not just to help the operational needs, Sydney Trains and TMS Sydney Trains under their belt, TMS are now

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Colour 1 Colour 3 Black (#000000) Red (#d81f28) C = 75 M = 68 Y = 67 K = 90 C = 9 M = 100 Y = 98 K = 2 R = 0 G = 0 B = 0 R = 216 G = 31 B = 40 PMS Black U at 100% PMS 1795 U

Colour 2 White (#ffffff) C = 0 M = 0 Y = 0 K = 0 R = 255 G = 255 B = 255 PMS Black U at 0% looking at how the next wave of innovation The system is built on rugged can go further than the current digital, components, such as the Network networked system. Amplifier Module. This thinking has led to the Smart pi ecosystem. Working with manufacturer Smart Pi, TMS have developed a modular, networked passenger information system that can be easily customised to the demands of railway operators. While this might seem like a significant shift from the bespoke systems of the past, the Smart pi ecosystem is built upon many of the same principles that have gone into the development of Sydney Trains’ digital information system. The first principle was that the system had to be built on an open architecture, said Lownds. “We hired a software development company called DeusO,who were involved in building the standards for audio and video communications protocol Open Control “You’ve got the customer asking, Architecture (OCA). With OCA we’re not just ‘How can we improve the actual using it externally, we’re using the same traffic is reduced.” making of the announcements?’ Sometimes protocol internally, even in the same device The other side of this principle is ensuring it’s manually typed, sometimes it’s pre- when we need to hand over information that if a system does fail, there’s a backup, recorded and sometimes it’s live, and we internally. It’s a big decision and investment this can be achieved through in-built need to make sure that there’s a common to do it this way but it meant that we can redundancy, said Lownds. experience. We built an audio logger system be completely open, completely standard “If you’ve got a small system, say you so if they need to go back and look at it compliant and pretty fast to market,” just want a clock, you can just run that off the system is set up to subscribe to all of said Lownds. one server, no problems, but if you wanted these audio channels, log it, and save the An advantage of using the OCA, said TMS a redundant clock, we have the option to metadata of when it was, where it was and to managing director Treva Head, was that it cluster the database and then run two servers transcribe it.” enabled the second principle that the Smart and automatically fail over between the The modular nature of the Smart pi pi ecosystem is built upon; scalability. two. The units in the field don’t even know ecosystem also means that other systems “Why we decided to use OCA is because it’s when something changes, they just connect, can be added into the overall network, even scalable and it’s transport agnostic, so you they don’t care if they’re on the primary or beyond traditional audio and video services. could use it over TCP/IP or USB or WiFi or secondary one, they just connect.” One function of the Smart pi Eye digital whatever you want to use it with. So, we’ve information board is wayfinding functions made sure that we can scale from very small INTEGRATED CUSTOMER INFORMATION integrated with physical station infrastructure to very big.” SYSTEMS such as escalators. The final principle in developing the Building on the experience of rolling “If you’re busy at three o’clock in the system was reliability. With their experience out digital announcements across the afternoon because people are going to the delivering audio technology for rail networks, Sydney Trains network, TMS are using this train station to get home you might have two Monitor Industries Style Guide TMS knew that conditions are not always experience to enable connections between escalators going down and one going up, and ideal, therefore aimed to limit the load that various components of the audio and in the morning, it might be the opposite. If the technology would place on the network. video technology that customers use when you’ve got digital signage, Smart pi Eye can This has been confirmed in the in-house travelling across the network. integrate with the escalator and flip what’s testing process. One example is the integration of help being displayed,” said Lownds. “Because we’re trying to test, prove and or information points with the digital With the basis in open architecture, repair problems,” said Lownds, “the test server announcement systems. scalability, and reliability, there is the here is actually a Microsoft Surface connected “We can have multiple buttons and the potential for further uses to be integrated via WiFi as we wanted to prove it will work second button could be for information,” said with the Smart pi ecosystem, based on the even in a simple environment.” Lownds. “It knows where you are so it can talk needs of the individual transport operators. monitor LiFTS RR14 EVO Rail-Road Boom-Lift Head added that the effectiveness to our voice announcement system and tell “It’s a nice feeling when the customer Designed from the ground up specifically for rail applications. of using a small device highlighted the you when the next train is coming and where comes to you and says, ‘I’d like to be able system’s reliability. it’s stopping, automatically.” to do this,’ and you’ve already done it or it’s “We want to make sure the code is Being an integrated system also enables really easily done because we put so much monitor_industries_logo.eps• Proven in Australia since 2011 • National support Oz & NZ monitor_industries_logo.jpg • Unique self-levelling turret • Euro 5 engine options for tunnels efficient as well. We’re importing all the data announcements that are made live to be fed work into how all the components are going monitor_lifts_logo.eps and distributing it but we only send updates back into the control centre, allowing for to talk to each other from the ground up,” monitor_lifts_logo.jpg• 14 mt working height / 400 kg MRC • Hybrid Lithium Battery option when we need to send updates, so network review and standardisation, said Head. said Head. monitor_hire_logo.eps• Tri-gauge capability • 9, 11 & 19 mt models coming soon! monitor_hire_logo.jpg • 4WD with option of 4WS • Option of pantographs

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 29 CorporateBrisbane Font I Tamworth I Sydney I Melbourne I NZ. 1800 025 024 monitor.net.au

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Corporate Colour Swatch

Colour 1 Colour 3 Black (#000000) Red (#d81f28) C = 75 M = 68 Y = 67 K = 90 C = 9 M = 100 Y = 98 K = 2 R = 0 G = 0 B = 0 R = 216 G = 31 B = 40 PMS Black U at 100% PMS 1795 U

Colour 2 White (#ffffff) C = 0 M = 0 Y = 0 K = 0 R = 255 G = 255 B = 255 PMS Black U at 0% Information Systems

Making it better A collaborative approach has been taken to solve challenging passenger information installations.

Information systems across a train network stations, there’s a lot of brake dust and dirt and requirements under legislation including the can be exposed to some harsh and unforgiving while Sydney Trains do a great job cleaning NSW Disability Inclusion Act 2014 and the environments. While your average amplifier or of everything, that created another one of the federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992. In speaker wouldn’t be able to last long outside requirements, they need to high pressure hose addition, the audio system forms part of the of a airconditioned studio, tm stagetec systems down our equipment, without damaging it.” evacuation system so must meet high safety (TMS) supplies the audio technology equipment However, for Lownds, some of the trickiest standards. in use on the NSW railway networks that must tests of installing sound equipment is not Meet these requirements, without creating withstand anything from a near 50°C day in so much the station environment but the a cacophony in the station would be tricky. Broken Hill to below freezing temperatures in acoustics. On top of that, both Museum and St James Goulburn. “I think Museum and St James are the are heritage-listed stations, meaning that any Not only does the technology have to harshest acoustic environments because they change to the aesthetics of the stations would withstand extreme temperatures, but also the are just concrete tunnels,” said Lownds. need to be approved by heritage architects. realities of a dense, urban rail network. Mark Two years ago, Sydney Trains began the With these competing requirements, a Lownds, general manager of TMS, noted that process of updating the audio public address project to improve the speakers on both there are many requirements that are applied system in Museum and St James stations. underground stations required the input and to audio equipment on the Sydney Trains A newer audio system would improve the approval of a variety of stakeholders. Luckily, network. quality of the announcements and importantly TMS and Sydney Trains had the experience “On the Sydney City Circle underground bring Sydney Trains into compliance with its of working on a similarly contested station upgrade at Waverton that was finalised in 2019. As Charles Chan, audio and visual services manager at Sydney Trains explained, due to local resistance to announcements from the station a number of voices had to be heard in the sensitive project. “The project involved the legal and customer services group, and environmental group. The residents formed an advisory group, employed their own lawyer, acoustic engineer, and civil engineer. TMS collaborated with Sydney Trains to resolve the issue. Based on that experience, we developed the solution for St James and Museum, but this time we’re not dealing with a noise pollution issue but a heritage issue.” Through communication between TMS and Sydney Trains a number of solutions that would meet the requirements for announcements without impacting the heritage value of the station were proposed. “Initially we started with a system where we said we’d put a speaker along the platform wall however this did not meet the requirements of the heritage architects,” said Chan. “We tried putting a few large speakers along the wall, then, we tried putting the speaker on top of the lighting arm. Finally, we got to a solution where we hid the speaker inside the arm and asked, ‘What do you think?’ and the heritage architect said ‘Yeah, it’s a good idea.’” The idea for the design is that the speakers would be structured in an array and mounted The speakers are attached to the underside of the lighting arm. into the underside of the existing light fittings that extend out from the station wall. Luckily,

30 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS this solution seemed to fit the requirements of were slightly different in Museum and St James, then we go back a couple of times, for these all those who had a say in the project, but not necessitating a module that could fit in both. sites because it was really complicated, during without presenting some challenges. “All up the solution employs more than 100 the day, to make sure that all the other systems “We can only design the custom-made line arrays across the two stations,” said Lownds. we have in place are working correctly.” speaker housing to fit inside the existing arm “What we did is design a solution that would Inbuilt into the system are smart details to – the existing light fittings,” said Chan. “On the fit in both, manufactured in bulk which brings ensure that the announcements play out in the one hand, you need to provide a good acoustic the price down substantially, and then also most understandable manner. performance but on the other hand you’re for maintenance makes it a lot easier because “We have an ambient noise sensing at limited by the speaker size you can use, the you’ve got one spares pool instead of two.” these stations, so if there’s a lot more people location you can use. As it’s a fixed location, it’s Not only did this design satisfy the heritage there, it will turn itself up. If a train comes in really hard to design a system to meet all the requirements, but the sound requirements as when there’s an announcement playing, the requirements.” well, said Lownds. announcement will turn up as it’s making noise, To ensure that the design would meet the “With the technology that we’ve used, we’re and as the train leaves, it’ll turn back down.” requirements for speech intelligibility TMS putting sound only where the passengers are. To make sure that these systems were produced a 3D audio model of the station. We’re not exciting this whole, empty room working properly, final testing was carried out “We worked with an acoustic consultant as anymore, which means there’s none of that big during the day while trains were running in late well, an electroacoustic engineer, to do the reverb sound and the speech intelligibility is October. Reflecting on the process the week designs, and did a presentation to Sydney Trains massively higher than the old system.” after, Lownds noted that this was one time to say, ‘If we could pull this off would this be Key to ensuring this project was successful where modern technology could almost make acceptable?’” said Lownds. was the collaborative approach taken by TMS the stations feel just as they were when they With the design idea agreed upon, TMS and Sydney Trains. opened in the 1920s. began working on the custom design of the “We talk a lot between TMS and Sydney “The heritage architect had asked, in the unique speakers. However, while the speaker Trains and at different levels as well,” said meeting, ‘Are you saying you won’t really see was unique, the system that it plugged into Lownds. “Charles and I talk a lot to make sure anything?’ ‘You won’t see anything,’ we replied, would be the same as the rest of the Sydney we’re meeting requirements and then we’ve got and straight away he said it’ll actually make it Trains network, simplifying future maintenance. our project management team here, that works better, closer to how it used to be.” “It was a custom manufactured speaker for with the Sydney Trains project team; they’re the To hear the difference that the TMS solution the station but just using the same electronics one who are actually executing. We also have a made at St James, scan the code below to watch a that we use in every station but with a different dedicated support team here that talks with the before and after recording. configuration. The network amplifier module operations team at Sydney Trains.” that we’ve used is the same as every other Leading into commissioning, the system was station,” said Lownds. installed during a shut-down period to be ready As part of the design process, drawings for final testing. While all the modelling had had to be found of the existing light fittings shown that the system would deliver so far, had to be found. With none forthcoming, full there was still a crucial last check. size physical prototypes were built to test the “At heart, we are an audio company,” said fitting of the speakers within the light arms. In Lownds. “We need to make sure that it sounds addition, while they appeared similar, the arms good, so the final part is to tweak it by ear, and

The hard surfaces and heritage requirements of Museum and St James made for a challenging project.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 31 Major Projects & Engineering

The value of staying local As Martinus has experienced tremendous growth, a constant remains its local ownership and investment.

contractor Gamuda, however both parties presented many opportunities. ultimately decided to not go down this path. “Our delegated level of authority is quite “We mutually agreed that Gamuda would substantial compared to our competitors. As not formally become part of the business,” we’re relatively the new kids on the block so said Martinus. “However, we continue to we always have to keep pushing ourselves to explore opportunities as Joint Venture do things differently.” partners for targeted major projects.” Martinus changed their tactic A LOCAL UNDERSTANDING and wanted to ensure the company The fact that Martinus is an Australian-owned remained in Australian hands in order company not only influences the way that the to deliver on current projects and the company operates internally, but also how projected rail pipeline. it engages with the rest of the rail industry. “It became very apparent to us that it was With the team spread around Australia, as prudent to maintain the current ownership well as a presence in New Zealand and Chile, structure in order for us to continue to the company is closely attuned to what is deliver projects under our self-performing happening in each of the markets it operates delivery model.” in and is committed to maintaining an From the onset, Martinus embedded a ongoing local presence. unique company culture and management “The fact that we’re Australian owned in structure which were key drivers to bringing the Australian railway construction market the company to where it is today. means that we’re here, we’re local, and we “The leadership team and I are very understand the ebbs and flows of the market. passionate about our company culture,” We can make very clear strategic decisions for said Martinus. “It has been our success the long term because we know where the James Brunsdon (right) at the throughout this period of amazing growth, market is going. Five years ago, we started Gladstone Engineering Alliance Supply and in order to maintain our culture, it’s strategically investing in our people and Chain Expo in Queensland. essential that we hire the right people who it’s paying dividends now. From there, we fit the growth mentality and we do this expanded investment strategy towards plant In September 2020, market research by empowering them, providing autonomy, and systems to ensure we had everything in firm IBISWorld released its Railway Track authority accountability to deliver.” place to support projects which were coming Construction in Australia – Market Research Five years ago, senior leaders in the to the market,” said Martinus. Report. Forecasting healthy growth for the company sat down and defined what “It’s a booming infrastructure construction sector due to federal, state and territory it meant to work at Martinus. High market at the moment, so we’ve definitely government stimulus, the report listed the expectations alongside flexibility was positioned ourselves and grown to meet top seven players in the market. All bar the blueprint. the demand.” one are foreign-owned entities. The only Today, Martinus has a 91 per cent referral On each of the projects that Martinus is exception? Martinus Rail. rate for new hires, and James Brunsdon, involved with, it brings in national experts For Treaven Martinus, CEO and managing recruitment and resources manager said to work alongside teams sourced from local director of the privately held and rail- this is partly what has helped the company communities. On the Carmichael Rail Network dedicated company, inclusion on the list was through a period of significant growth. project in Central Queensland, Brundson is a milestone for the young company. “The Martinus mentality is; we employ connecting with local communities to ensure Over the past 15 years, Martinus has subject matter experts and empower them the project has a lasting impact. grown from a product supply business by giving them the space and autonomy “Today, we are continuing our recruitment to a full-service rail contractor and is to drive, implement and deliver. Within drive here in Rockhampton, we were in currently delivering major projects such 18 months, we’ve managed to expand the Townsville last week, and Gladstone the as the Carmichael Rail Network and team to more than 600 direct employees. week before. Not only have we had interest the tracklaying and overhead wiring Significant company growth brings with it on the recruitment-front – we’ve also had component of the Forrestfield-Airport many challenges - particularly when it comes many sub-contractors and suppliers from Link. Throughout this time, and as the to keeping our unique selling point and the Rockhampton greater Queensland regions company has rapidly expanded, ownership way that the company works.” wanting to get involved in the project.” has remained Australian. As Martinus outlines, the company had to Already Brunsdon is seeing the impact In 2019, the company explored a joint use the challenges in front of them to stay that Martinus’ presence is having on the ownership structure with Malaysian ahead and with that mindset the challenges local community.

32 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS change where there are more opportunities Martinus has invested in machinery for mid-tier Australian owned contractors to be a self-performing contractor. to deliver these projects. A great example of that is Inland Rail have announced their procurement strategy and the next two major construction packages the rail corridor track package is suitable for a mid-tier rail contractor as well as the civil works program of packages.” “It takes the leadership of the delivery authorities to know that instead of just contracting the risk out to a contractor they’ve got to take ownership in the delivery of the project. We have some amazing Australian owned contractors who are capable and willing to collaborate with other mid-tier companies to deliver significant projects across Australia.” For less dispersed projects that require a global tier-one contractor to be involved, Other local businesses from the on recruitment and from the onset we had a Martinus outlines that this does not preclude supermarket to general stores and cafes plan in place and saw it out, hence why we local involvement. have been reinvigorated through the roots haven’t seen or experienced a skills shortage “We continue to lobby every rail delivery that Martinus has put down. across the business,” said Martinus. “For years, authority to ensure two things; either that “By engaging with the local community we have invested in recruitment, training the package and risk profile is suitable and tapping into the existing skills we are and upskilling our staff and now we have the for Australian owned contractors, or they contributing to the local economy and we have skills, expertise from Australia and don’t need stipulate that a local company must be in the seen first-hand how much excitement this has to recruit from overseas.” top box as one of the principle contractors in already generated in the local communities,” the joint venture or the consortium. That way said Brunsdon. LOCAL JOBS, LOCAL PROFITS it increases the skill base, the knowledge, and So far, 70 per cent of the spending for the As governments around Australia look to the capability of the Australian companies.” project has been in the local economy. Just infrastructure as a way to stimulate the Having recently joined the Australian under 10 per cent of the project workforce are country’s economy out of the COVID-19 Owned Contractors grouping, Martinus is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. induced recession, Martinus highlights clear that if governments wish to ensure “We’ve made sure that we’ve embraced the that the ongoing benefits will be felt if benefits are felt in the long term, local local community and are tapping into the local projects are delivered by a network of locally companies must be involved. offering in terms of workforce and supply,” owned businesses. “If mid-tier, Australian-owned contractors said Brunsdon. “Traditionally the project value and the risk can deliver these works then we will continue Being Australian-owned has also led to profile has been getting bigger, particularly to invest in our team, our systems, the investments in Australian manufacturing. the billion-dollar projects that have been local market, which creates sustainability Martinus’ recent $40 million investment in coming to market. Now we are seeing a for the industry.” plant and equipment has included the purchase of two continuous track lifters that are being manufactured in Brisbane. The ongoing commitment to the local market has also seen the establishment of workshop facilities in Rocklea, a suburb of Brisbane, along with employing apprentices to work at that site. This will enable Martinus to overhaul machinery from one project to next, ensuring skills, investment, and knowledge remain in Australia. The company’s success has been expanding in-house capabilities, providing pathways for training, apprenticeships and working with universities to provide work experience. They have hired people from adjacent industries including hospitality and tourism, then Work on the Carmichael Rail provide the right support and training to Network will provide benefits to ensure the person succeeds. local suppliers and communities. “Our response to growth had a large focus

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 33 Major Projects & Engineering

SYSTRA has provided advice on design as well as delivery of the complex megaproject Creativity through competition In delivering the mega project that is the Grand Paris Express, the project delivery authority had to look for new approaches to contract management. It turned to SYSTRA for the solution.

The rail system that gave the world the term lines 16, 17, and 18 will better link the outer “Paris has an underground structure “Metro” is currently undergoing one of the suburbs with the city’s network. The project similar to a block of Swiss cheese,” said Alan largest expansions since its birth. also involves extending line 14, which slices Trestour, SYSTRA ANZ’s executive general The Grand Paris Express project will through the city’s heart, enabling a direct manager (advisory). “It’s a very complex increase the length of the Paris Metro by connection to Orly Airport. environment with a lot of caverns and 200km, with four new lines and connections Beyond the impressive scale of the protected historical and archaeological to the three international airports that project, Grand Paris Express is setting a gold sites. This leads to having to dig deeper to serve the Paris region. As part of the project, standard for future metro rail projects. The preserve these areas and ensure the safety there are 68 new stations, representing new lines will be fully automated at level 4 of the surroundings. With this, complexities an increase of almost 20 per cent across (GoA4), requiring no supervision on-board are inherent, in terms of both the depths of the network. the automated rollingstock. Services will stations and construction methods.” Currently, the Ile de France region, which also run more frequently, with average two- Following commencement of the encompasses Paris and its main suburbs, is to three-minute headways and a train every tunnelling and civil works in 2016, in served by three separate rail networks. In 90 seconds during the peaks. 2017 a major curve ball was thrown as the urban core is the iconic Paris Metro, with Engineering and consulting group the International Olympic Committee 14 lines - two fully automatic and others SYSTRA has been advising the dedicated announced that Paris would host the in progression towards automation - the delivery authority “Société du Grand Paris” 2024 Summer Olympics. The new lines 215km network carries 5.6 million trips since project initiation in 2010. Today, of the Grand Paris Express would now every day across 384 stations. SYSTRA is involved in the procurement and shuttle millions of spectators between the Crisscrossing the city and connecting delivery management of four major design key venues as well as providing airport the suburbs to the centre is the Regional and build packages, as well as integrated connections to Roissy CDG and Le Bourget Express Network (RER). The hybrid urban delivery of the program lineside systems airports in the north, and Orly in the south. and commuter rail system consists of five and oversight of one of the main heavy A review of required project changes lines and 257 stations. Finally, the Transilien maintenance facilities. included the addition of supplementary network is a web of eight commuter lines Stage one of project extends the interchanges and modifications to the depot operated by SNCF that terminate at major existing line 14 to a new interchange hub facilities. This led to a cost increase and Parisian stations. north of Paris. The construction of this tripling of staff numbers across Société du Grand Paris Express will further unite section must contend with both a dense Grand Paris, together with necessitating and bond these networks. Forming a ring urban environment and a multitude of a new approach to contract management, around the city centre will be line 15, while underground obstacles. facilitated by SYSTRA.

34 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS AN INTEGRATED PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH Like most mega-projects, delivery of the Grand Paris Express is broken into multiple packages. Prior to the Olympic impetus, package procurement had followed the traditional model in France, whereby detailed design was produced by the client team prior to the project going to tender, with contractors only brought in to complete the last 20 per cent of the design and deliver the construction. “Traditionally, the French model involved a lot of client side work to de-risk the project and develop a very firm design, resulting in minimal delivery contractor risk and rigid construction with limited contractor input and influence,” said Jean-Pierre Bergoend, operations director, SYSTRA ANZ. While this model worked across the first project stages, based on the findings of the review, there was a clear opportunity for improvement across later stages with greater involvement from industry in early design. In its role as client-side integration and delivery partner, SYSTRA supported Société du Grand Paris in evaluation and development of new contracting strategies and arrangements. It was predicted that earlier industry engagement through competitive dialogue would de-risk project delivery, explained Bergoend. “On projects like Grand Paris, the construction methodology and the constructor’s input more generally can mitigate a significant proportion of the delivery risk. There is considerable benefit to bringing contractors in earlier so they can influence the overall design approach and methodology.” Through a process and approach similar to early contractor involvement schemes employed within Australia, the competitive dialogue process on Grand Paris is designed to engender positive competitive behaviours between potential construction partners, building a collaborative team environment with the client and ultimately benefiting all project participants in the end. “If you onboard contractors early then there’s generally a better outcome due to driving innovation throughout design and delivery,” said Trestour. “What you end up with, is joint buy-in and ownership across decision-making, it’s not just a client led decision-making process.” The key to making such a process work is robust project definition and outcome- Paris’s complicated geology has based requirements from as early as the created challenges for the project. preliminary study and feasibility phase.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 35 Major Projects & Engineering

process will provide a far higher level of “It’s a very complex environment with a program assurance, with clear interfaces, a clearer risk allocation and management lot of caverns and protected historical and strategy, and tighter schedule and cost archaeological sites. This leads to having planning. Ultimately, this will likely see this iconic project meet time and cost to dig deeper to preserve these areas and goals despite its inherently complex and challenging environment. ensure the safety of the surroundings.” “You set yourself up to reap the benefits of more robust delivery and cost schedules,” said Trestour. “You’re delivering mega Alan Trestour, SYSTRA ANZ’s executive general manager (advisory) projects and ensuring some key sections are ready and open for the Olympic Games; that’s what’s at stake here.” “The client needs to be well supported brought up that influence and improve the to make informed judgements early in the early design stages, said Trestour. SYSTRA’S FOOTPRINT IN AUSTRALIA project,” said Trestour. “The more proactive “It’s about identifying what parameters In Australia, SYSTRA provides technical you are in early engagement, the more or design decisions we can adjust early, and advisory services across a variety chance you’ve got to refine precisely how reaping significant benefits in terms of of rail disciplines, alongside project and you want the end-system to perform and reducing the risk profile during construction change management expertise. Project identify the outcome-based requirements and improving output certainties across our successes are wide ranging, with recent specification.” programs.” examples including certification for Sydney According to Bergoend, due to SYSTRA’s To manage this interaction in a successful Metro North West, influencing new digital experience across project lifecycles, manner, a combination of technical technologies across the Sydney network, from tender through to design, build and knowledge and commercial and contract and supporting the Sydney and Newcastle operations, the company was well placed to management expertise is required. light rail implementations. The company advise Société du Grand Paris on managing “The fine balancing act is understanding is currently an integral part of business the competitive dialogue process. the design and delivery risks early, and readiness for the major changes across “SYSTRA would facilitate discussions knowing when and how the risks should Brisbane’s network over the next few years. between industry and the end client. influence the commercial and contracting “We have a systems-based approach, Managing this conversation required people model,” said Trestour. “The opposite of this which means we understand the not only from a project management is when you have an independent project imperatives of having a product that’s fit or transaction advisory background, but management or commercial organisation for purpose from day one and morphs into technical people who have developed disconnected from the design and a high-performing asset across its lifecycle,” similar designs and fully understand the engineering knowhow. This means you are said Bergoend. likely problems. We combine all these likely to miss the cause, scale or impact of This approach encompasses not only rail capabilities in leading the dialogue.” a shift and be unable to develop a coherent assets themselves, but their integration with During the competitive dialogue process, and well-timed response.” the surrounding urban environment. Rather one that Bergoend describes as “highly From the outputs of this approach so far, than thinking in terms of just fulfilling the iterative”, technical challenges can be it is expected that the competitive dialogue individual contract, SYSTRA is focused on the long-term impacts of decisions made, and how choices in the early stages allow for project enhancements in the years after the first train runs. This culture based on interrogating the long-term benefits of the project, built into SYSTRA’s DNA as the child of two rail operator/maintainers, is at the heart of the business, whether maximising the imperatives of journey time and patronage at an early stage, engineering solutions that optimise system operation, or managing project risks across delivery. “It’s about the legacy left behind and how we can continue to add value over time,” said Trestour. To find out more about this iconic project

New rollingstock has been and challenges of Grand Paris Express, listen designed for the future lines. to Nicolas Massart’s keynote presentation at AusRAIL on December 2 at 4.15pm (AEDT).

36 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS Blending into this ancient Roman wall in Germany Low height - unobstructed views: On the Merivale Bridge in Brisbane, Australia Major Projects & Engineering

Getting digital engineering right With the economy depending upon the current infrastructure pipeline to lift the country out of recession, it is imperative that projects are underpinned by human expertise.

When it comes to risk management and detail and you can’t link up the quantities to “Taking shortcuts and trying to get historic quantity surveying, grey hair is an asset, says one another.” data from a range of infrastructure projects Peter Gill, managing director – Infrastructure In cases where digital engineering is done and put it into a database for a digital at Donald Cant Watts Corke (DCWC). right, the results can be astounding. However, engineering model for costing a new project “You’ll never get rid of that human factor, these are built off the back of solid work in is dangerous if you don’t invest the correct the grey hair around the table,” said Gill. the production of the models. Gill notes that time into each project,” said Gill. “We need those people in the room to work done on the digital model of the Sydney “It takes time, cost, and effort, and requires give certainty.” Opera House could be the benchmark for enabling the engineers to do the job properly. To Gill, this need for wisdom and projects in Australia. Even then, you’ll only get 70 per cent of the experience is only made more prevalent by “The Sydney Opera House has invested in information you require for the model. You the adoption of digital engineering models their BIM and they have the perfect digital still need that human factor, subject matter and their increasing popularity as tools for engineering model, from 2.5m below sea experts, to come and make the difference.” estimating costs in the early stages of major level to 40m above sea level. They’ve got a At the end of the day, a digital model is infrastructure projects. Under pressure to truly 6D, digital engineering BIM model which only as good as the data that is fed into it, prepare projects to be put to market or links individual three-dimensional project said Gill. provide a cost figure, digital engineering data to time scheduling, cost, and the project “If it’s rubbish in, it’s rubbish out. If you models are being used that are missing lifecycle. That’s the kind of investment that don’t put in the time and effort and the detail important information, leading to potholes in you need to put into each project, and if you into that model, then the confidence and the the delivery stages. don’t invest time and effort, then there’s assurance of the outcomes or the certainty of “My current opinion is that there going to be a huge amount of data missing.” the outcomes is not going to be as good.” isn’t enough being invested into digital Notwithstanding the Opera House’s own engineering or building information complexities, for infrastructure projects PUTTING THE PIECES BACK TOGETHER modelling (BIM),” said Gill. “If you don’t that stretch over a larger distance there are One doesn’t have to look far to see some invest enough capital and time into digital added difficulties in constructing a digital of the mistakes that have occurred when engineering, you end up with clashes in model, however this does not preclude models have been used without sufficient the various levels of the drawing, missing proper processes. data. Gill highlights the Sydney Light Rail as

Digital engineering is a potential game changer for the construction industry, if backed up with proper expertise.

38 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS Tunnelling is one area that requires local knowledge to get costings right. one example. A lack of data on underground included. To bridge this gap, expertise is matter experts to look at the uncertainty utilities in the CBD led to the project needed to know where the risks are. – from quantities rates and construction spiralling well above budget and over time. “What you need to do with digital methodology, to the site specific risks such “There wasn’t enough time taken to do modelling is you need to pick out the as latent conditions, underground services, the technical investigations, the dial before information that you’ve got, put it on a table labour issues, approval issues, stakeholder you dig investigations on Sydney Light Rail,” and have subject matter experts have a management – the better the certainty is in said Gill. “If you don’t spend the time, you discussion about what’s missing,” said Gill. the project outcomes. It’s purely a matter of need people who know the area to come “You have to invest that time and effort to having the right people around the table to to the meetings and actually provide that look at every single thing that’s missing provide the right information – people who information. Either way you’ve got to pay and then put an estimate to it so that the know and understand the area,” said Gill. “It’s for the cost upfront before the project starts government has the correct price before the that simple, you’ve got to have the human or it’s going to cost you a huge amount of project even starts.” factor in the process.” money later, never mind the reputational Gill is adamant that this process needs to Gill said that at DCWC, cost and quantity issues associated with it.” be followed, and that digital tools must be surveying tasks are done with the benefit On other projects, as scope and supplemented with first-hand knowledge. of in-house expertise and outside experts requirements have changed as the project “On every single infrastructure project, we where needed. developed, models needed to be upgraded to need to implement that process. Even if the “DCWC has nine divisions and advisors, we reflect these changes. contractors have a BIM model in place, it have project managers, quantity surveyors, “We’ve been involved as a company doesn’t require a lot of money to conduct a and we have infrastructure experts in measuring and pricing those components two to three-week exercise where you take the field. Where we fall short, we bring in using traditional methods because some of the drawings and measure them. experts in the field so, we’ll partner with the design is changing so fast,” said We measure and bulk check quantities and organisations and individuals who have Gill. “BIM models are great when the information on 2D drawings and compare tunnelling experience, those who have project is finished and you have all the it to what the BIM models are actually actually worked at the coalface. We will find as-built information, this can then be producing. If we do enough samples over this and bring in those experts to make sure that used in the operations phase, but during period, we can actually let them know how the government gets the right advice.” the development phase, you still need accurate the BIM models are as a percentage, Once this is done, completed work is those tried and trusted methods, the 2D and then we know how much effort and time reviewed for accuracy. measurement checking methods to make we have to put into make up the difference.” “You need the right people to challenge sure and provide certainty on the accuracy of These procedures do not obviate the need thinking and verify the information, then the the BIM model outputs.” for digital engineering, but instead allow final step is the peer review,” said Gill. “Every As with any model, there is only so the best decisions to be made based on the project that we do will have somebody doing much that can be included. No model will model with an understanding of what is not a peer review to make sure that it’s correct.” ever be a 1:1 representation of a project present, and the risks involved in that. From there, the beauty of a digital model with information on all impacting factors “The earlier you bring in the subject can be realised.

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Finding continuity in crisis Bombardier Transportation Australia has had a solid year in spite of the pandemic, thanks largely to their commitment to local manufacturing. Rail Express speaks to ANZ President, Wendy McMillan.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread cross border travel, managing the business internationally in early 2020, Bombardier throughout COVID-19 has been a human task Transportation stepped into gear. From March, as much as a technical one. global and regional steering committees were “We treat Bombardier personnel as a family. established to ensure business continuity You’ve got your family at home, and when you across the global rail manufacturer. come to work it’s another family, so we really As President of Bombardier’s Australian and want people to have the ability to look out for New Zealand operations, Wendy McMillan was each other. If you’re not on site at the coal face, intimately involved in these conversations. it becomes hard to work out body language “We conducted continued reviews of via (Microsoft) Teams to see if someone may inventory management, both in country and on not be perhaps feeling themselves compared sites and that’s across the board, for both the to normal, so we’ve tried to really get around services business and manufacturing but also that by trying to keep close and having check of course the critical stocks of PPE.” Bombardier Transportation ins with management (and all) team members,” President ANZ Wendy McMillan With the company’s Australian footprint said McMillan. including a significant manufacturing and The company has continued its close operations footprint in Victoria, when the With temperature checks and mask wearing association with initiatives such as R U OK?Day second wave hit, protocols put in place early standard across all sites prior to the and has also conducted mental health first aid enabled Bombardier to continue throughout. government mandates, business continuity training for staff. At its site in Dandenong, the was bolstered. company is now piloting a Quiet Room space “We made sure that those additional where staff can privately reach out to the in- The Victorian government’s order of controls were in place and our COVID safe house employee assistance line, services such an additional 18 VLocity trains in 2020 has bolstered Bombardier’s production plans were also complete to meet or exceed as Beyond Blue and LifeLine, or simply have pipeline. government requirements, as with all a moment to themselves during a stressful businesses there have been some delays to period. This quiet room concept is being rolled certain projects as a result of the pandemic. out nationally. But by and large we have continued to deliver With these measures and others in place, and build trains and trams. Most of the Bombardier has continued to deliver for the delays that we do see are supply side issues,” Australian rail industry throughout COVID-19. said McMillan. While Melbourne was under one of the most A less visible but no less important stringent lockdowns globally, the company requirement to enable operations to continue has continued to manufacture a variety of was to make sure that auditing could be rollingstock for Victoria and other states. conducted under COVID-19 mandates. As a “Luckily, through great commitment from provider of safety critical systems, Bombardier our workforce, we have not had one COVID is required to conduct regular independent case nationwide to date, and no stand-downs. regulatory and quality audits. By being agile We have been able to build both the trains and adapting these have been able to continue. and trams for Victoria, and also starting up “Taking the example of Victoria, a lot of our production line for Adelaide as well,” said personnel and visitors haven’t been able to McMillan. “All of our service and maintenance come to site, so the audits have moved to operations and all of our signalling businesses being online and it’s worked extremely well have also continued really without a glitch.” with documentation, reviews and interviews.” To continue to deliver on time and to spec, Amid these procedural changes, a focus Bombardier has had to contend with global for McMillan and the Bombardier executive disruptions and how those have played out team throughout has been on ensuring the locally. Impacts on supply chains and the wellbeing of staff. With the Victorian second inability to access alternative sources overseas wave largely isolating the state from the has meant that in certain cases, Bombardier’s rest of Australia, and in particular with states tight partnerships with local manufacturers such as Queensland, Western Australia, South and suppliers have been a key factor of their Australia and New South Wales limiting sustained operations.

40 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS In addition, the company not only continued good examples of it. If you look at the election carriages. The technology is already in trials with existing orders, but added more work commitment from the Palaszczuk government on rail networks in the UK. In other areas, the to its order book. In September the company that has been returned In Queensland, so company is looking to optimise or retrofit confirmed that the Victorian government had you’re looking at a new manufacturing centre existing vehicles with new special awareness ordered 18 additional VLocity trains for the in Maryborough, to build the first 20 trains of technology to encourage social distancing and regional network. A selection of the new trains the additional fleet required not only for their encourage passenger flow. will also be the first VLocity trains to run on Cross River Rail project but further patronage To ensure that these benefits are felt up and the standard gauge network. growth and fleet retirement.” down the supply chain and by the community Locally designed and built using Australia’s With over one third of Bombardier’s global at large, however, governments need to set highest local content percentage at 69 industrial design expertise located in Brisbane, clear pipelines for local manufacturing so per cent, the new trains on order received and teams in Maryborough and Wulkuraka, that organisations like Bombardier can have recognition for their innovative design with Bombardier is able to ensure that local content the confidence to invest further. McMillan the Best Interior and Gold awards at the requirements are met in the Sunshine state acknowledges the work of the Australasian Australian GOOD DESIGN awards. As McMillan and that benefits are felt throughout the Railway Association in this regard. highlighted, this achievement was the result of supply chain. “For industries like us, rather than feast or the local teams and collaboration. “Localisation and local manufacturing are famine, having the consistent pipeline to plan “Not just design and engineering, but key objectives of ours and things that we is as important for us with our own internal procurement, quality, operations, project already do and do well,” said McMillan. “We business cases as it is for the supply chain, management, customer relations, and sales; work very closely with the union partners and particularly for local content,” she said. everybody has been involved so everybody has we have industrialisation teams looking at that Having survived the bushfires, pandemic, that sense of pride in the awards and working opportunity and entreating early to have good and economic crisis of 2020, McMillan said with our customers, the Victorian Department planning with our supply chain partners.” it was more important than ever Bombardier of Transport and V/Line and as well.” Having a local design team not only means continued to support and nurture the Not only was the award a recognition for that Bombardier wins awards for Australian communities within which it works. Bombardier and its customers, however, but design but ensures that local regulatory “We’ve continued our association with also the supplier partners that Bombardier requirements are met and innovation from community development organisations St Kilda works with, and increasingly the local other parts of Bombardier’s global business Gatehouse and we’re able to support them in manufacturing base that supports each train can be delivered locally. their mask drive and we are finalising our last or tram. “That’s where you get the best of both in pieces of our Christmas support to them at While transport infrastructure has largely being local,” said McMillan. the moment.” been the focus of government stimulus As cities and states start to encourage the At Bombardier’s maintenance site in spending, the rollingstock to run on these new public back onto public transport with the Wulkuraka for the New Generation Rollingstock or upgraded lines will go alongside investment threat of COVID-19 receding, enhancing the fleet, the company is working with local staff to in new track. customer experience and increasing safety will select a community partner. “Across the board, investment in transport be one way to win back commuters. Globally, “The aim as always is to look after your infrastructure is part of the economic recovery Bombardier has developed an antiviral HVAC backyard, and we will look to continue that and and rollingstock is one component of that and filter which can remove 99.9 per cent of working as tightly as we can with community there are projects around the country that are coronavirus – including COVID-19 – from rail when there are requests of us.”

Local design and manufacturing has ensured the Dandenong plant has continued producing E-Class trams.

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Engineering the lifecycle

Over the course of her career, Amy Lezala has brought a systems approach to rail engineering, one that will be useful as rail confronts its sustainable future.

A rail career was not Amy Lezala’s first choice performing the maintenance, travelling up and Lezala was a part of the design process when finishing her engineering degree. down the network with vehicles in service.” from start to finish going into service was The current engineering manager for the After beginning as a maintenance the Stansted Express. During her time level crossing review group at Metro Trains graduate, Lezala then moved into the design designing rollingstock, Lezala was supported Melbourne had grown up in a rail family in and materials team, with the first train that by Bombardier to complete a masters in fire the UK but wanted to do something different. “I’ve learnt over the years that every time I try and do something different it always pushes me down to a particular path.” Graduating from the University of Birmingham with a Bachelor of Engineering with honours, Lezala had applied for graduate schemes in the aviation and defence industries in the UK. With Birmingham University having strong ties to the aviation and automotive sector, rail was not on Lezala’s radar. However, after searching for other graduate programs, Lezala applied for Bombardier’s graduate program in the UK and was accepted, and since then she hasn’t looked back. “I said, ‘I’ll do the graduate scheme for a couple of years and then I’ll see what’s after that’ now it’s been 13 years. Once you’re in the rail industry you get hooked and enjoy it,” Lezala told Rail Express. Reflecting on the decisions she made at the early stages of her career now, Lezala highlights that rail is competing with other industries for young graduates and, if it hopes to encourage them to follow in her footsteps, it needs to be visible. “If we want to get graduates into rail, we need to give them that experience and understanding earlier on. There’s a lot of exposure for automotive and aviation and, in Australia, there’s a lot of exposure to mining and oil and gas. But rail isn’t really in the curriculum for university students.” With the UK deciding that rail would be a key industry for the country’s manufacturing economy, her alma mater Birmingham University is now established as a rail education hub, leading research and teaching for the next generation of rail engineers. For Lezala, her basis in engineering was supplemented by the on the job training she received as part of Bombardier’s graduate program, which formed the foundations for her career. After joining the rail industry in the UK, Lezala was exposed to a range of roles and “I spent a lot of time underneath the trains environments over the course of her career. and in the trains with the staff who were

42 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS safety engineering. With these skills Lezala Maintainability and Safety (RAMS) team?” lifecycle approach. contributed to projects around Europe, Lezala took up the offer and moved For Lezala this was a significant shift and before getting a call from Bombardier’s team to Brisbane to work with Bombardier’s spoke to the broader need to incorporate in Australia. Australian design team, ending up working sustainability at all points in a project’s “We got a call from our colleagues saying, on the QNGR program. While fire safety had lifecycle. Today, after a brief stint with SNC ‘We need some help because we’ve got some sat within the materials field in the UK, in Lavalin, Lezala is now applying these insights fire requirements on this new project and Australia, fire safety was part of the RAMS to the assurance of infrastructure with Metro we’re not sure how to approach them, what area, which made for a systematic approach Trains Melbourne. the strategy is, and how to manage them.’ I to design. As the QNGR project was procured was coaching the Australia team from the UK through a public-private partnership ENGINEERING FOR WHOLE OF SERVICE and then eventually they said would you like (PPP), reliability and performance became “There’s been a common theme all the way to move to Australia and be our Fire Safety inextricably linked to the success of the through my career which has been the focus on Engineer within our Reliability, Availability, project, further cementing a whole of system the lifecycle of the whole asset,” said Lezala.

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Amy Lezala is asking some of the same questions of reliability and maintainability as she did of rollingstock.

While this theme had initially emerged setting standards for the sustainability of rail that new products or components meet in Lezala’s experience maintaining and projects, including fixed infrastructure and safety standards. designing rollingstock, the focus is much the rollingstock, however Lezala notes that these “Since the days where I was a materials same today, albeit on fixed assets. goals have to be mandated in contracts as well. engineer I have had suppliers come up to “Exactly the same conversations I was “We are living in a commercial world and me and say ‘I’ve got this great new product having 11 years ago when building a train the content of a contract is a key driver for you guys should definitely get on board I’m having now on removing a level crossing. behaviour. The delivery body will do what is with this.’ But it’s not an approved product, It all comes down to what is the scope, what set out in the contract, otherwise they are we have a type approval program where we are the requirements, what can be delivered not doing their job. If a contract is written have products that are rigorously tested for and how do we safely manage the gap,” without consideration for the life of the asset, use on the network, bearing in mind that the she said. you may not get an outcome that is best for products might be out there for 50-60 years. While PPPs like the QNGR project have the network, the end users or the client” If there is a product that needs to be tested certainly come into vogue in the delivery Recognising these dynamics earlier on can for that amount of service, how do you do of major pieces of rail infrastructure and lead to outcomes that are more cognisant of that when it’s new to the market and never have an impact on a project’s lifecycle goals, the whole asset lifecycle. been used before? We need to get better Lezala also sees a cultural shift in the focus “Everyone has a role to play at each stage as an industry with getting these products on sustainability, akin to the changes in of a project. In my current role, I work with safely onto our networks.” perceptions around the importance of safety my team to provide assurance on behalf It is these questions and others that decades ago. of MTM that the projects are meeting Lezala continues to ask of the rail industry “Thirty to forty years ago, safety the technical requirements set out in the as the recognised sustainability of rail management was a nice to have and it contract. When I was a member of a design can put the industry on the map for the was only once the standards, requirements, team I was thinking very much about how generation of engineers who will follow in and policies started to be put in place it’s built in line with the contract and what Lezala’s footsteps. that people were forced to do it. Now the client is specifically asking for, whereas “You don’t need to go and work on an eco- it’s no longer an elective it’s a given, and when working on a bid I was asking what project to have an impact on sustainability, people want to behave safely. Currently, are we committing to and should we be you can actually just work in rail and you’ll sustainability is on that same pathway – it’s asking to put more sustainable targets and be doing a huge amount for our sustainable an elective, a nice to have, but we don’t behaviour that is commensurate with a good future. If we as an industry advertise this have enough policy and we don’t have network outcome.” then we can attract a lot more people to rail, enough standards or requirements that drive Beyond the contract negotiations, Lezala which will help with our skills gap, and it’ll sustainable behaviour.” also sees a role for innovation in enabling also help with this post COVID-19 recovery Bodies such as the Infrastructure rail to become more sustainable. However, by highlighting the importance of rail for Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) are this has to be balanced with the requirement sustainable communities.”

44 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS RAIL CONTROL SYSTEMS AUSTRALIA BUILDING FUTURETHE RAIL NETWORKS OF THE

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Solving the emissions conundrum With the first hydrogen-powered trains in passenger service, there is little holding back a shift to net-zero emissions mobility.

Some years ago, a thorny problem was to come up with a solution as they did in the distance, emission free autonomous propulsion, becoming increasingly pressing to railway 1930s with the diesel combustion engine, said another fuel is now coming to the fore: engineers. The existing form of propulsion, Alan de Reuck, director of strategic projects ANZ hydrogen. especially over long distances, was becoming at Alstom Transport. As de Reuck points out, hydrogen-powered recognised as too polluting to continue to be “If a government legislates that no more trains have the advantage of similar operating used. In the urban networks of large cities, diesel trains can be utilised from the year 2035 environments as diesel. electrification was one solution, but the high or 2040, whatever the date might be, it then “Realistically, utilising hydrogen on site at a cost of extending the electric networks to less becomes a challenge for the industry to provide refuelling site is exactly the same as what you’d frequented lines meant that this could not be the associated enablers to get to that.” experience with a refuelling site for diesel. applied everywhere. While the deadlines may seem to years away, When we went down the path of developing In addition to these infrastructure hurdles, for rail operators the time to start thinking a hydrogen train, we also tried to make it as operators were looking for trains that would about alternative propulsion technologies is easy as possible for operators to transition be easier to maintain and provide better now, as trains purchased today will to have a over from their familiar diesel operating energy efficiency. life cycle extending beyond these deadlines. environment. People are very familiar with a Sound familiar? Just as these issues were “Large operators are starting to look at certain operating model and the hydrogen train confronting the railways of the 1930s as they alternative sources of energy because the operating environment we’ve developed is very switched from steam to diesel engines, so too procurement decisions made today on trains similar to that of diesel, so the transition from are the same issues arising again today as and rollingstock have long term impacts. Trains an overall operational perspective should be networks search for the zero-carbon alternative generally have a lifespan of about 30 years, so quite simple.” to diesel. when you start looking at the years 2030, 2040, While operators in the early 20th century that’s not far away,” said de Reuck. ACHIEVING AUTONOMY migrated from steam to diesel, governments What the solution will look like will also The hydrogen-powered trains that de Reuck’s around the world today are mandating that depend on the local conditions. Just as a wave employer have developed are the Coradia diesel no longer be used from a certain date. of electrification of urban lines occurred to iLint, in full revenue service in Germany since As one part of the wider push to decarbonise replace some steam-powered trains, and diesel 2018 with another 41 trains presently on order. the economy and achieve carbon neutrality by was adopted for regional and freight services, Emitting only water vapour and condensation, 2050, authorities around the globe are setting what a decarbonised rail network will look like the trains have also been successfully trialled the end date for diesel propulsion. In 2018, will vary from line to line. in the Netherlands and Austria. the UK government announced that it would In some cases, as rail lines become busier or “It is important to note that the technology prohibit diesel-only trains on the UK network new high-speed lines with high instantaneous is here and now,” said de Reuck. “Energy is by 2040. Similar efforts are being made in energy demands are built, electrification provided and efficiently managed on the countries around the world including France, would be the solution, in others – light rail, for train by onboard fuel cells with and a small Germany, and India. example – batteries may become commonplace, supporting lithium ion battery system.” These mandates have thrown down the while bi-mode battery units may fill in other What makes hydrogen distinct from other gauntlet to the rail manufacturing industry gaps. However, to meet the challenge of long- forms of emissions free mobility is its ability

The design of the Coradia iLint enables operators to easily move from diesel to hydrogen power.

46 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS to power trains over long distances. Alstom’s present iLint trains are able to run for over Hydrogen-powered trains are already in service on railways in Europe. 800km without refuelling, meaning that they are able to effectively replace the operational schedules of diesel-powered rollingstock. The original decision to base the design of the iLint on its diesel equivalent allowed the designers to specifically focus on the application of the new hydrogen fuelled technology requirements rather than build a new train from the floor-up. Another distinction with the autonomy requirements of hydrogen trains is the need to introduce intelligent energy management systems to conserve on-board energy. As de Reuck highlights, the “i” in iLint stands for “intelligence”. “Alstom has developed its intelligent energy management system that uses the fuel cells on board with a supporting small lithium ion battery system, which effectively and efficiently utilises onboard energy to harness regenerative energy, keep the batteries sufficiently charged to both manage the on- board energy requirements of the train and support the energy requirements of the train during acceleration.” however, there is the potential opportunity with its electrical propulsion system. Drivers This further extends the range of the trains, for multiple hydrogen users to conglomerate have become accustomed to the clunky without having to compromise through any around a single source of supply. In Australia, acceleration profile of a typical diesel powered addition of extra weight through additional hydrogen production from renewable energy train and are pleasantly surprised with the batteries. To power a roughly 100-tonne sources is expected to increase significantly hydrogen train where the acceleration profile iLint, 250 kilograms of hydrogen will enable to meet future demand from countries such is far more efficient,” said de Reuck. the train to presently run between 800 and as Japan and South Korea. Areas tipped to be In addition, in other markets, hydrogen 1,000km, timetabling and load dependent locations where hydrogen will be produced powered trains is being adopted as a way to Just like diesel, however, the new generation and exported, such as in the Pilbara, Newcastle, extend the life of existing fleets. of hydrogen trains also have their refuelling and Port Kembla, provide linkages to the “In the UK, the Breeze project is a infrastructure requirements. There are three existing diesel-powered passenger and freight modernisation and conversion project of main options of getting hydrogen to a rail networks there. existing EMUs that were built in the early train refuelling station, either piped from a 90s, effectively replacing the present energy production facility, transported by another HYDROGEN IN THE HERE AND NOW propulsion system with that of hydrogen but vehicle such as a truck and stored on site, or With hydrogen trains already in passenger at the same time also modernising the fleet produced on site via an electrolyser. service, there is little doubt that the technology with a completely new fit out,” said de Reuck. With a refuelling station established, is a proven alternative to traditional propulsion “It’s not only about buying new trains or new methods. In addition, as early integration and locomotives, there are also opportunities for trials are completed across numerous operator conversion and modernisation of existing networks the time to full implementation ageing fleets. What you typically do is remove is reduced. the diesel propulsion system and replace it “It took quite some time in Germany to get with one of hydrogen, its support systems and the full regulatory approvals because it was electrical propulsion.” the very first place in the world to adopt this With major rail operators in Australia already new technology into the rail environment,” said signalling their intention to move away from de Reuck. “But it’s now become the benchmark fossil fuel reliance and hydrogen-powered and in other areas such as the Netherlands rollingstock being one path to that goal, de we achieved this over a considerably shorter Reuck highlights that now is not the time to period of time.” be complacent. Not only have regulatory hurdles been “A lot of people may think ‘We’ll just wait surpassed, but operator and passenger and see what the person next to me does,’ but experiences have informed future trials. I don’t think we have the opportunity to do “For the passenger experience, hydrogen that. The opportunity to be a game changer trains are extremely quiet, they have exactly and secure a long-term future and competitive the same characteristics as a standard EMU edge as operators is to move forward now.”

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A safe pair of hands From shop floor to c-suite, Robert Tatton-Jones brings a lifetime of rail experience to the management of Adelaide’s rail services.

at Yarra Trams in early 2020. In late October this year, following Keolis Downer winning the contract to operate Adelaide’s heavy rail services, Tatton-Jones began his new role as managing director of Keolis Downer Adelaide. Speaking with Rail Express in his first interview since taking up the role, Tatton-Jones notes that over the course of his career, the way in which rail services have been delivered has undergone a significant shift. “When I started it was very much focused on delivering services on time that were reliable, and now that is expected and the focus has now gone more into that passenger experience, whether around communication or cleanliness. The technology advancement that we’ve seen has ensured that the service will be there, it’s the quality of that service that matters now.” Behind these customer-facing changes are changes internally that have enabled rail operators to consistently meet demand. Robert Tatton-Jones began his career as a dual- “There’s been a shift in relation to making trained locomotive apprentice maintainer. sure that more assets are available when they’re required,” said Tatton-Jones. “So very specific maintenance activities occur in the Robert Tatton-Jones began his rail career with experience enabled me to understand the middle of the night, as opposed to occurring the grease-covered hands of a locomotive applications and implications of the decisions in the middle of the day when people need to maintainer. that were being made, and I’ve carried that travel.” “I started in the railway industry in 1992 at through to today. I think it’s very important that Tying these two changes together has been a 16, straight from school as an apprentice, dual any senior manager, in fact any manager in a step up in the commitment to safety. trained locomotive maintainer.” rail environment, remembers that after 5 o’clock “There’s been a real drive to making sure Tatton-Jones was based out of one of the the railway doesn’t stop, and the activities that that everything that we do is as safe as we largest rail depots in the UK in Toton, working are from 5pm to 9am the following day are the possibly can be. That’s been a definite change for what was then British Rail and subsequently most critical to make sure that we can provide since I started nearly 30 years ago and a lot of English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS). After the services that we need to the next day.” projects that I’ve undertaken have been around completing his apprenticeship, Tatton-Jones To make sure that the railways can continue implementing physical safety improvements as progressed through a management training to operate 24/7, a focus for Tatton-Jones has opposed to procedural safety improvement.” scheme to become a project manager while at been to always ensure that those working the same time obtaining a Bachelor of Science outside of business hours have the support PUTTING SERVICE TO THE TEST in mechatronics. All the while, Tatton-Jones needed. Perhaps no event has put all of these changes continued to be hands-on in the freight rail “Starting on the shop floor really gave me an to the test as much as the COVID-19 pandemic, sector. insight into how important it is for the people and as chief operating officer of Yarra Trams “During that time, I was still on the shopfloor doing those activities to have the right tools, during both waves in Melbourne, Tatton-Jones maintaining locomotives and after becoming a training, processes, and people in place, because dealt with the pandemic from the front lines. fully-fledged trained maintainer I moved from at 3am in the morning, if there’s an incident, “I started as the COO on the 4th of April, and the shop floor into an office environment.” and something needs to be repaired, you’ve not within three or four weeks, the first phase of This experience of being hands-on with the got access to all the people that you may have the initial Melbourne lock downs clicked in,” machinery and equipment that make up the rail at 9am in the morning.” he said. industry has remained with him as Tatton-Jones In 2007, Tatton-Jones made the move to While some changes to night services moved up through various roles in maintaining Australia with his wife and two young children were made as movement was restricted in rollingstock in the UK. moving between consulting and operators the second wave, Yarra Trams largely ran a “In my management roles, my early before ending up as chief operating officer regular timetable throughout the COVID-19

48 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS period. This meant that those imperatives of DELIVERING A NEW CUSTOMER contract, and we are in a position where that’s maintaining a consistent and reliable service, EXPERIENCE nearly complete.” whether through operations, maintenance, Now, Tatton-Jones is bringing all of these While everything is now focused on being or even network upgrades, had to be done experiences together to operate heavy rail ready for day one of operations on January under stringent safety requirements. To do this, services throughout Adelaide. Currently 31, 2021, Tatton-Jones highlighted that effective collaboration between stakeholders consisting of six lines and 89 stations across passengers will soon see improvements to was key, said Tatton-Jones. 125km of track, the network is also being their experience of travelling on the network. “We worked very closely with the Victorian expanded and electrified in parts, with new “One of the things that we will implement state government to make sure that we rollingstock to meet growing demand. fairly soon after commencing will be to provided the right services at the right time. We For Tatton-Jones, the task is to build on improve the real-time service information did a lot of work as you could imagine making this by providing a world-class customer that we provide to customers. We’re also sure that we assessed all the safety risks and experience. going to provide our staff with devices we put protocols in place to make sure that “Not very often are you given the which will enable them to better inform both our staff and customers were as safe as opportunity to work on a rail environment our passengers in a live capacity. Also on they possibly could be. That included barriers, where you can play a pivotal role in the rare occasion that we do have issues or additional cleaning, and a whole host of other improving customer service and safety and disruptions, we’ll be able to provide them things that were implemented by Yarra Trams really making a difference to the day-to- support.” and the state government.” day lives of people who live in a city like Once operations are underway, Tatton- As ways of working were disrupted with Adelaide,” he said. Jones is looking towards the future of back-office staff working from home and front- Transitioning to the new contract, which operations on the network, particularly as line staff limited from having physical contact, is the first heavy rail contract for the joint customers are encouraged back onto public communication within the team and externally venture, will be informed by Keolis Downer’s transport as the COVID-19 risk reduces. was essential. experience in managing operator transitions “It’s about making it as seamless as “One of the most important things was we in Australia, and Keolis’s heavy-rail operations possible – that door-to-door experience. We kept communicating at all levels across the in countries such as the US, UK, and Germany. need to try and focus on making it a pleasant entire business. Any concerns that came from “Keolis Downer do a transition experience for the passenger, a reliable anywhere were addressed and we dealt with exceptionally well and we’ve got a big team experience, a clean experience and a well- them as a team,” said Tatton-Jones. currently working here in Adelaide to assist informed experience so if something does “From a lessons-learned point of view, it’s in that transition process,” said Tatton-Jones. go wrong, they’re aware very early on so they about keeping the communication channels “We’ve also started building the team that can make alternative arrangements, catch the open and be as flexible as you can be.” is going to be here for the remainder of the next train, or whatever that might be.”

The passenger experience will be a focus for Keolis Downer as it begins operating the Adelaide network.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 49 Rollingstock & Operations

A risk-based approach to maintenance Using what is already there has allowed Infinitive to deploy an advanced solution based on existing data.

Knowing in advance the risk of a service affecting failure is one of the holy grails of rollingstock asset maintenance managers. Being able to do that without adding an additional array of sensors and equipment could be thought of as near impossible. But this is exactly the solution that UK consultants Infinitive Group have developed, and the numbers are already speaking for themselves. The technological solution has been applied on the London Underground and other mainline routes, where a service affecting failure has significant consequences, said Richard Johnson, managing director – Australia for Infinitive Group. “You can imagine in the London Infinitive applied machine learning to find trends and anomalies. Underground if you have a failure in a tube tunnel that whole line has to stop. It is the technology convergence.” One example of how the data can now same on a mainline in the UK, a failure In addition to the existing sensors, be understood through the application of there affects many different operators advances in processing power and cloud Infinitive’s solution was in doors. Uploading and Network Rail imposes a minimum storage, along with the emergence of new data from the wayside data store to the fine of £500 ($903) per minute for any technologies such as machine learning cloud and analysing it using machine interruptions on the mainline. If you can that can analyse vast amounts of data, are learning, alerts could be generated to look at the data and predict what’s going enabling new ways of understanding what identify doors that were being obstructed to fail ahead of time, then that’s quite a components on a train are reaching the end during closing and opening. This was caused significant benefit to the service itself.” of their life or are under additional strain. by issues such as dirt and debris build up. However, reducing service affecting With just the sensors already installed on These alerts would identify which doors failures without installing more hardware multiple lines of rollingstock in London, required servicing. Similar scenarios could is no easy task. Indeed, it is only through already seven billion data samples are be run for compressor units and other recent developments in technology that recorded each hour across the fleet. systems to plan maintenance prior to failure. Infinitive were able to deliver a solution “Manually it’s impossible to get across “Prior to this technology, the machine using the existing data captured, but not that kind of data so you need the ability learning and processing power, you’d have to always used, by rollingstock. to process and store it and then you write manual algorithms for each use case “What we found is that rollingstock that’s also need machine learning to tease the which is very time consuming,” said Johnson. been in service for the past 20 years information out,” said Johnson. “It has been done and you can do it, but have had a significant number of While the data is already there, without machine learning allows you to explore in sensors already fitted to the vehicles,” said the tools to store, process, and analyse it, many different areas that you wouldn’t even Johnson. “What’s been required is just a this resource was being underutilised. realise to pick out trends and anomalies.”

50 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS Smart approaches to capturing and analysing data can prevent failures.

The data frames for analysis are “That improves the accuracy of the without causing disruptions. assembled in sets according to their machine learning quite significantly because “The outcome can be multilayered and inspection points e.g. door locations, if you just throw all the data in unprocessed in one example that we did with diesel each frame also contains the inspection your analysis is not as accurate,” trains, we had a look at turbocharger aspects e.g. fault severities and other said Johnson. performance and at the end, we were able associated fields. Where there are known With the system now established, the to go back to the customer and say, ‘Based influencers, like the vehicle being common alerts needed to be actioned to have on our analysis, if you run the train at this to multiple door locations, this is also tangible benefits. By partnering closely load under this temperature condition this included in the data. The model then works with its operators, Infinitive was able to turbocharger has an 80 per cent chance of through the analytics job highlighting propose changes to ways of working that failure.’ Then, although the operator cannot anomalies. Post processing contextual have typically improved the Mean Distance book that train in for servicing today, they information, such as known events, can Between Service Affecting Failures by 20 per can put it on a route that’s not as hilly be included and the model re-run. This cent. In addition, savings of £80 million over and lower load and then book it in later,” allows human domain knowledge to be five years are expected to be realised. said Johnson. worked into the model. As Johnson points out, when the “This risk-based maintenance technology is applied alternatives can be approach allows the operator to make GETTING TO A POINT OF CHANGE suggested to ensure that services continue better decisions.” Throughout the implementation of the technology and approach, the issues of establishing this solution were not so much technical as they were process-based. “The data was being collected and was being stored but it was in an older database format, so we brought that into a database that was also tailor-made for machine learning and was quite scalable. The ability to do that was more a process than a technical issue where you have to organise access to the data, and once the data is accessed you can start running the analysis on it.” Rather than a need for new gadgets there was a need for expert human intervention to make the most of the existing data. Anomalies needed to be removed from the dataset so that only the real data was being fed into the algorithm. By determining anomalies in the data, systems could be fixed before a failure.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 51 Below Rail & Track Infrastructure

Meeting business and community expectations In an exclusive interview with Rail Express, Mark Campbell, CEO and managing director of ARTC sets out his vision for the national rail track organisation.

As the new CEO of a national rail had been recognised as providing from the trucks hampered by restrictions at borders, organisation, one would expect the first outset of the pandemic. rail freight has continued without any major months to be comprised of travelling around Things were organised in such a way disruptions. While somewhat out of sight of Australia, meeting with teams distributed at that we’ve been able to keep the network the general public, this success has enabled various points in the network and getting a fully functioning all the way through the the rail freight industry and ARTC in particular feel for the breadth of the organisation. COVID pandemic,” said Campbell. “A lot of to remind Australian of the vital, and perhaps Unfortunately, this was not the case for the things that were put in place are still under recognised, work that they do. Mark Campbell, who took over the reins in place today and I really don’t see a lot of “It has allowed us as an organisation at the Australian Rail Track Corporation change between now and 2021.” to gently say we’ve been part of this,” said (ARTC) on May 1, 2020. With borders locked Segregated workplaces and separated Campbell. “Of course, the above rail partners down, Campbell had to remain in Sydney, teams at critical sites such as network control have done a terrific job in keeping things unusually desk bound. centres kept the risk of virus transmission low moving, but it’s been good to internally, “The first five months have been very and maintained operational continuity. and a little bit externally, to remind people virtual. It was a little bit frustrating to not be The effectiveness by which ARTC was able that we exist and that we do provide able to get out and meet as many people as to respond to the COVID-19 strictures was an essential service.” I’d hoped, but I have managed to do some a microcosm of the organisation’s wider With the country now looking for ways to visits and finally in the last month or so, I’ve capability, said Campbell, who described his revive the economy after COVID-19-induced been able to visit the head office in Adelaide. appointment as an “evolution not revolution”. shutdowns, Campbell highlighted that this It’s been an unusual way to start in a new “My job is to pick things up where is an opportunity for ARTC to highlight the role,” he told Rail Express. Fullerton left off and carry on the work. It’s critical work it is doing to grow local and Luckily, outgoing CEO John Fullerton been great to walk into an organisation national economies and find opportunities and the broader team had ensured that the that is so competent and headed in to expedite those projects. organisation, which has operations in all the right direction.” “With the investment the government mainland states, was While other freight modes have is putting into Inland Rail and the other able to continue been impacted by COVID-19, with projects like the Botany Rail Duplication, the delivering the ships quarantined due to the Cabramatta Loop, the North East Rail Line essential potential of infection (NERL) upgrade it’s great for us to be able service it from overseas and to play a part of stimulating the economy. In the case of NERL for example, we’ve actually been able to accelerate that project slightly due to COVID-19 because of the suspension of some of the passenger services have allowed us to get on track more often and complete the work faster than anticipated.”

Campbell has highlighted engagement with community as an ongoing focus for ARTC.

52 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS A COMMUNITY FOCUS IN MAJOR also a community decision because it meant INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS that there were going to be far less trucks on Prior to being appointed CEO and managing the road.” director of ARTC, Campbell was the CEO of While this decision was a positive for aggregates and concrete supplier Holcim. the quarry’s operations, the company had Prior to heading Holcim, Campbell was COO inadvertently alienated another community that of building products company Rinker Australia overlooked the enlarged site. before it was acquired by Holcim. Moving into “What we hadn’t done was focused on a the role with ARTC, Campbell said that what community that was on a ridge quite a few stood out was the regional nature of both his kilometres away and what we found during the new role and those he had occupied previously. process was that they weren’t worried about “Having spent a long time in the traffic, noise, or dust; it was visual, as they were construction materials industry, I’m used to used to seeing a dark valley at night and all of a working in regional communities and making sudden they could see the lights of the quarry,” sure that our operations are good neighbours said Campbell. and part of the community.” “Over many months, and really through Campbell cites the experience of having listening and compromising, we turned a overseen the expansion of the Marulan quarry negative sentiment in the community to a very Mark Campbell joined while at Holcim. Located near Goulburn, NSW, positive one. At the end of the day, we achieved ARTC on May 1, 2020. during the expansion of the existing quarry a good outcome for the community and also a priority was ensuring the goodwill of the our business.” immediately adjacent community, something With ARTC currently in the planning or delivery of those projects.” that was achieved in the use of rail for delivery phase for a number of major projects, With the first section of Inland Rail now materials transportation. Campbell said he would ensure that community complete and attention turning to the next “One of the significant decisions that we needs dovetailed with the commercial stages of the project, community engagement took at the time was to take advantage of mandates that ARTC had as a Commonwealth- may come in the form of more local contractor the location of the quarry which was right by owned corporation. involvement as the procurement process is the rail line and to put in the infrastructure “The government has been good enough to refined to broaden the range of organisations to be able to bring materials from the quarry have the confidence in ARTC to deliver those that can bid for works packages. into a Sydney distribution centre on rail. That projects and we’ve got to make sure that we, as “The Inland Rail team have done a terrific for us was an economic decision, but it was an organisation, prioritise the safe and efficient job of analysing the construction market and

The adoption of ATMS is hoped to increase freight procuctivity and efficiency.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 53 Below Rail & Track Infrastructure

understand what they’re doing, both in terms of safety and operations but also in terms of technology. We have to look outside of our own organisation to learn as much as we can from others, as well as inventing things internally. The broader we can look in terms of technology the better.” Campbell also noted that the infrastructure owner will have to take on the safety lessons learnt from the Wallan train derailment that occurred in March 2020. “ARTC and the wider industry has to take on board whatever the outcomes of those investigations are and factor that into our safety priorities. We need to continue to focus on technology to improve how we operate and maintain the network.” In this case and others, coordination between Australia’s disaggregated rail sector will be key, and something that Campbell is looking to industry organisations to lead. “The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) The COVID-19 pandemic has allowed the ARTC to remind communities of its and the Freight on Rail Group of Australia essential value. (FORG) are two very strong organisations that should be engaging with government on matters of policy and being used by listening to the parties within the construction rollout of the technology to other areas. government as a sounding board. In my industry, to modify the way that we will award “We’re now planning over the next five previous role at Holcim, I used to chair the the contracts to give more opportunity for years or so to roll that out broadly across the industry association and I am a strong and different organisation to bid for the projects,” network. ATMS has the potential to be a real firm believer in industry associations being the said Campbell. game changer in terms of the way that we right forum to put forward industry cases and While organisations such as the Australian use technology to improve our operations but industry points of view,” he said. Owned Contractors grouping have called obviously improve the safety of the people “It always seemed to work better when for specific quotas or requirements for local using the network.” you had a broad consensus rather than contractor involvement, Campbell said that While the system is unique and developed individual organisations.” ARTC would consider these suggestions but for the particularities of the Australian When it comes to the interoperability of next was focused on awarding contracts based on a freight network, Campbell noted that there generation signalling systems, for example, number of factors. is the potential to gain insights from other Campbell said the need for coordination is key. “We as an organisation have got quite contexts when it comes to the adoption of “It would be a missed opportunity if we sophisticated procurement processes and new technology. didn’t make sure that everything is able to work we think that leads us to choosing the right “I’m really keen to learn from the other together and I’m sure that collectively as an partners on each individual project, but I think freight and passenger networks in Australia and industry we’ll make that happen.” it’s good for the industry if there’s a broad capability to deliver rail projects, rather than it Work on ARTC projects such as Inland being centred around a few tier one contractors. Rail is moving ahead. While they are critical, it is good to have a healthy number of construction organisations to be able to engage with.”

MOVING THE RAIL FREIGHT INDUSTRY FORWARD Besides the major infrastructure projects underway around the country, the freight rail industry is also at a turning point when it comes to the implementation of the next generation of rail technology. With the ARTC’s Advanced Train Management System (ATMS) now the primary safe working system on the Port Augusta to Whyalla section of the interstate network, Campbell said it would be a priority for the organisation to continue the

54 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS Infi nitive Group Provides Predictive Failure Analysis to Improve Availability and Reduce Costs of Rolling Stock using Risk-Based Maintenance

A risk-based maintenance approach presents a signifi cant opportunity for reducing operating costs while also improving the reliability and in turn availability of rolling stock.

As the results of a number of projects in the UK have revealed, predictive failure analysis can be achieved through the data already available Who Are Infi nitive Group from existing train subsystems fi tted to most Infi nitive Group focuses on big data, rolling stock over the past 20 years. looking at all transport fi elds to analyse Through modern data harvesting technologies, and systematically extract information coupled with deep analysis and visualisation from large and complex data sets. technologies, the delivery of an unprecedented We work with the largest rail owners and level of insight into the health of a vehicle operators; augmenting their innovation teams without additional sensor fi tment can be to drive incremental change to ensure tangible achieved. business outcomes. This risk-based maintenance approach is an Infi nitive Group opened their subsidiary enhancement to the standard planned and in 2019 with Richard Johnson joining reactive maintenance practices which have as Managing Director, Australia. long been the standard within the rail industry. Richard has over 25 years experience in By enhancing these maintenance practices, transportation and is well placed to engage with Infi nitive Group is able to enhance the you to support your digital transformation and availability of rolling stock fl eets whilst also innovation eΠorts through from inception to delivering tangible cost savings and asset life production rollout. extensions.

Contact Richard at: richard.johnson@infi nitivegroup.co.uk to see how we can help your business.

Infinitive Group advert full page.indd 1 13/11/2020 11:38 Below Rail & Track Infrastructure

Peace and quiet

With more eyes and ears on the rail corridor than ever, limiting noise disruption is becoming more important.

that curve.” The particular curve, and focus of this study that Dyavanapalli refers to is a heavily used combination freight and passenger route located in a dense, downtown area of Chicago. Operated by a Class 1 railroad, residences complained about the noise from train traffic that they were hearing from being at home all day. “That curve has been there since before these high-rise towers were built” said Dyavanapalli. “There’s a lot of people working remotely Problematic curve in the cities now and that’s what caused this. It wasn’t that the railroad wasn’t there before or that this problem didn’t exist before. This problem wasn’t a priority because people weren’t working from home.” The noise levels were reaching over With residents living above a significant curve on a heavily used track, wheel 100 decibels. Loram was brought in by the squeal was causing disruptions. railroad to look at how to reduce the noise coming from the track. Having had 25 years of experience in friction management, While the shape of most large cities is defined Just like other cities around the world, in Dyavanapalli knew that a friction by the car, in some, rail plays a dominant role early 2020, Chicago’s professional class was management, specifically a top of rail solution, in how the city functions. A prime example sent home to work and avoid COVID-19. As would be required. of this is Chicago. Since the arrival of rail in cases picked up from February and March, “The only viable possibility that was the mid 19th century, the city has been the many residents were reminded of the rail readily available was to create some type of central hub of the US rail system, with more lines that run beside tower blocks of their lubrication plan. We knew from successful kilometres of rail radiating out of Chicago apartments, and not always in the most experience that putting in top-of-rail would than any other US city. pleasant way, said Vennie Dyavanapalli, significantly reduce the noise levels,” he said. Today, the city is still crisscrossed by rail director friction management at Loram. In other instances, straightening the lines, and the elevated track through the “A lot of the professional folks that were track could reduce the noise from the curve, centre of the city, known as the “L”, has come living and now working in that area started however in this already densely populated to define Chicago’s streetscapes. noticing the unpleasant noise coming around area, any solution had to work with the

Loram applied their top of rail friction modifier, and saw a dramatic change in noise levels. Sound measurement location

Manual application test location

Wayside applicator location Loram applied the friction modifier at the exact point of the curve that would make it the most effective.

56 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS existing rail alignment. To validate the taking away the noise,” said Dyavanapalli. team had to be careful about only applying effectiveness of the top of rail solution, Seeing that this would be an effective the right amount. Dyavanapalli’s team tested the technology. solution, Loram tested a Loram friction “We have a pumping system that’s “We did some initial handheld studies modifier’s automated application via a Loram metered where we have developed extreme – such as spraying the curve with a Loram wayside applicator known as TracShield. When resolution on the amount. We didn’t want a modifier – to see whether it would reduce the two freight trains passed through, only four lot of carry down, we wanted the product to noise. For a few weeks we measured the noise and six events over 90dB occurred, compared be very localised to that specific site. After levels in a baseline or dry condition and then to 46 and 63 events during the dry tests. observing the site, working with the local in a lubricated or what I would call a friction What made this particularly effective, said railroad personnel, knowing what the wheel modified condition.” Dyavanapalli, was knowing exactly where the counts per day look like, understanding the After testing, Loram found that the friction modifier was needed and how much traffic flow primarily at a certain point in application of its top of rail friction modifier had to be applied to have the biggest impact. the morning or afternoon when the trains cut the decibel level by 13.5 per cent and “What is unique with what we do, is our are clustered or in a gap, we were able to events over 90 decibels were cut by 72.5 per understanding of how much material and calibrate the output.” cent when applied manually. These noise where to put it down. We fundamentally feel The technology was able to target a point reductions were achieved while preventing that the equipment and the consumable of the wheel-rail interface no larger than wheel slip. should not be independent of each other, but a five-cent coin where the most slippage “If you’re watching a train go by and you rather somehow married to each other and was occurring. hear a high squeal or a high-pitched noise, that’s what we were able to bring to the table,” Since applying the solution, Dyavanapalli that’s the slip that’s happening between the said Dyavanapalli. and Loram have been in discussions with the wheel and the rail,” explained Dyavanapalli. As Dyavanapalli explained, the middle of track owner and feedback has been positive When a train negotiates a curve in the the curve is where the greatest amount of from residents and others in the area. track, the wheel on the outside must travel lateral force is applied as the train negotiates “The best feedback is that I didn’t get a further than the wheel on the inside to cover the curve. Knowing this, Loram was able to callback, except for please return and fill the greater distance in the curve’s diameter. apply the right amount of friction modifier to the TracShield,” said Dyavanapalli. “We did Train wheels are conically shaped to account mitigate the lateral force that was causing not get any other calls. If the residents were for this. As the wheel moves from the smaller the noise. still complaining the railroads would have to the larger diameter point, known as “With our equipment design, we were able called back.” slipping, under high friction that causes the to put an application point just ahead of the Another kind of stakeholder would have squealing noise. curve, where the primary traffic would roll also benefited, said Dyavanapalli. “When the train is negotiating that curve, through. We saw a 10dB reduction.” “There is a dog park next to the curve, and a small amount of friction modifier Another factor in using friction modifiers the dogs didn’t like that high pitched material is put down, that material will absorb to reduce wheel squeal is that applying too squeal as well and as a result their that slip and the energy that it’s causing, thus much will impact braking performance, so the reactions/behaviour improved.”

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 57 Digital construction is common practice at DB E&C: With Building Information Modeling (BIM) we set quality standards in project planning and implementation

Modern technology is in daily use at DB E&C: For example, 3D laser scanning, ground-penetrating radar and multicopters

Smart data networks inform us of maintenance requirements for infrastructure and vehicles before problems occur – maintenance via remote diagnostics

Modern mobility is driven by modern technology. This in turn drives us to offer you optimal solutions based on state-of-the-art technology. We know: Innovative processes and construction methods help to increase quality and save costs in construction and operation. As one of the world’s leading engineering and consulting companies in the rail sector, we offer tailor-made mobility and transport solutions that meet the challenges of our time.

www.db-engineering-consulting.com Photo: Max LautenschlägerMax Photo: Below Rail & Track Infrastructure

A comprehensive solution for rail machinery and equipment As the company has grown, Harrybilt Engineering has taken on greater capabilities and expertise to meet the demands of the Australian rail market.

For over 35 years, Ballarat-based specialist engineering business Harrybilt Engineering Harrybilt has partnered with Hitachi has been providing solution to local to deliver the S Series rail machine. and national customers. The regional manufacturer has continued to grow and now services the rail and utilities sector, along with general engineering projects. “We started out as a small engineering business and were providing unique Harrybilt has partnered with Hitachi engineering solutions to local businesses to deliver the S Series rail machine. and then 19 years ago the company started to gain more experience in the rail industry,” described finance and marketing manager for Harrybilt Engineering, Beth Martino. To meet the requirements of the rail sector, the company brought in staff with manufacturing experience and engineering expertise. “Since 2000, we have had an in-house mechanical engineer and have hired employees with engineering experience. Over the years, the team has developed an extensive range of skills in manufacturing in unique and changing demands. PROVIDING A TURNKEY SOLUTION the rail industry,” said Martino. “We’ve recently added the Heavy Duty Responding directly to customer needs goes Building on this heritage and the skills Rail Threader and the Adjustable Fork Grab,” beyond the attachments and rail machines foundation, the company has expanded its said Martino. “We’ve been able to do this by that Harrybilt Engineering produces for footprint in Ballarat to satisfy the increasing working closely with customers and utilising the Australian rail industry. For example, demand for locally developed and custom the new space that we have.” in the partnership with Hitachi, Harrybilt designed rail equipment. In 2019, Harrybilt These relationships are bolstered by the Engineering can handle the purchase of the Engineering partnered with Hitachi to in-house engineering capabilities, which base vehicle, fitment of the rail guidance release the S Series rail guidance system allow for Harrybilt Engineering to develop system, as well as a Tiltrotator and any rail fitted to Hitachi excavators. The partnership their own solutions. maintenance attachments required. This also in part resulted from the expansion of “By having an in-house engineer, it is includes the certification and registration Harrybilt Engineering’s footprint. much easier to customise rail systems and of the rail vehicle for the many different “In 2018, we doubled our shed size rail maintenance attachments. That kind of networks around Australia. which has allowed us to employ more customisation helps our customer achieve “At Harrybilt Engineering, we offer a people and tackle more complex projects. the results they need.” turnkey solution,” said Martino. “With the S This has allowed us to establish the A recent example of this is the Heavy Series, this is all done under the one roof.” partnership with Hitachi on the S series rail Duty Rail Threader. Following feedback This capability not only applies to the machine last year and we were also able from customers on the original design, S Series. Harrybilt can convert any brand to work with a customer to develop the the attachment was updated to respond or model of excavator or truck to be used Hi Brid Rail System,” said Martino. “We’re to harsh conditions some customers on rail. constantly customising and updating our rail are experiencing. “We have worked hard to provide our rail maintenance attachments too.” “The Adjustable Fork Grab is the same,” customers with a rail machine, work tools These projects and others like them said Martino. “We have altered our standard and attachments, rail support and expertise are the result of Harrybilt Engineering’s unit to suit customer needs. The tynes along with after sales support through spare connection with its customers in the rail are adjustable to grab multiple sizes and parts and services,” said Martino. “Harrybilt industry. Having close relationships has weights of work tools and general rail Engineering are a one-stop-shop for all enabled Harrybilt Engineering to respond to maintenance gear.” rail needs.”

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Taylor Rail spreads its wings

A stalwart of the Australian rail industry, Taylor Rail is expanding to meet the growing pipeline of rail construction work around the country.

While many things have changed over five decades, this independent Australian owned “Taylor Rail bring considerable rail know- rail maintenance and infrastructure company still attributes its success to attracting how to the table and a constructive attitude and retaining great people. Rail specialists that take pride in their work and put their that we really value. Without doubt, they customers first. are a great example of a contractor that Led by owners Mark Wroblewski and Peter Kessler, Taylor Rail has signalled its intentions works hard on its client relationships and to play its part in Australia’s rail renaissance. Over the last 12 months Taylor Rail has looking to leave a positive legacy on every doubled its turnover and increased staff and its rail plant fleet to meet the challenge of project they tackle.” strong volumes of forward work. “While maintenance has always been a Seth Rogers, Pacific National, head of sales and commercial, coal backbone of our work in hand, we have been delighted to have increased our presence in construction over the term with Inland Rail, a more complete rail business.” with pace. It was also great to see the close the Level Crossing Removal Project and the Michael Simons – ARTC area manager, working relationship with ARTC personnel.” Port Botany expansion projects reflecting a Junee to Yass, said that Taylor Rail took a more sophisticated service offering” said CEO, professional approach to the Cootamundra RECENT PROJECTS & PROGRAM Peter Kessler. Yard Upgrade Project in 2020. MAINTENANCE Wroblewski added, “We have also opened “Supported by proven systems for induction, 1. Port Botany Upgrade – Stage 1 up capabilities in civil construction, overhead site access and clear methods of safe working, Taylor Rail Australia has been awarded wiring, RSO support and BOOT builds in the whole operation was well managed the first of three stages of Patrick’s rail infrastructure which has made Taylor Rail and organised and focused on achievement Port Botany upgrade project as the

Inland Rail’s first customer travels the newly constructed Parkes to Narromine – completed by Taylor Rail in JV with Fluor in 2020.

60 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS resurfacing and other maintenance services to Sydney Trains’ 800km heavy rail network. Taylor Rail’s recent Plasser 09-2X addition This includes emergency response and to its extensive Resurfacing fleet. round-the-clock weekend possession style coverage.

A SAFETY FIRST APPROACH TO CONSTRUCTION Across all of its projects, Taylor Rail has a zero-harm safety model that operates to clear corporate guidelines. Its safety culture reflects an empowered workforce that is led on the ground by its field supervisors, who play an active part in making their workplace safe every working shift. “We are delighted that at the end of specialist rail contractor to civil Roads Program Alliance (MRPA). Currently the first quarter 2020-2021, after much contractor, Mainland Civil. this program of works includes six level hard work, the company has achieved Stage 1 is already complete and included crossings where Taylor Rail provides its first 12-month rolling average Total four rail sidings built to ARTC standards and specialist engineering, demolition, Recordable Injury Frequency Ratio extensive crane runways featuring 800m overhead traction and a rail construction of zero,” Wroblewski said. of MRS86kg rail using Gantrail plates and capability to MRPA. fastenings. THE FUTURE OF TAYLOR RAIL “Our vital operational, safety and 3. Parkes to Narromine, ARTC Inland Rail Wroblewski and Kessler are buoyant about environmental needs and requirements Taylor Rail Australia is currently the future of Taylor Rail and know that the have always and will continue to be met by undertaking, in a 50:50 joint venture, current state and federal investment in Taylor Rail with flexibility, professionalism the construction of 115km of track rail maintenance and upgrades to metro, and conformance,” said Khaled Elomar – demolition and new track construction urban and regional networks, represents a construction manager, Sydney Autostrad between Parkes to Narromine. Scope once in a generational opportunity. Terminal, Patrick. includes the installation of 190,000 “It’s an exciting time to be in the rail sleepers, 330,000 tonnes of ballast, 110 game,” Kessler said. “While we are always 2. Level Crossing Removal Project, Vic culvert crossings, 2,400 welds across the working to improve the business we have Taylor Rail is engaged as a long-term partner project, 31 turnouts, 33 concrete level much to offer.” to provide all rail specialist construction crossings and 15 steel deck level crossings. “Taylor Rail bring considerable rail know- services to support the Metropolitan The company has self-performed the how to the table and a constructive attitude majority of the work and have set new that we really value. Without a doubt, they are benchmarks in productivity and quality. a great example of a contractor that works hard on its client relationships and looking to 4. Network Maintenance, Sydney Trains leave a positive legacy on every project they Over 10 years, as part of its Master Services tackle,” said Seth Rogers, Pacific National’s Agreement, Taylor Rail has supplied head of sales and commercial, coal.

Co-owners Peter Kessler & Mark Wroblewski.

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KiwiRail expands KLP Hybrid Polymer Sleepers application to tunnels and bridges KiwiRail had to find an alternative solution for its aging timber sleeper infrastructure. With first positive outcomes using Lankhorst’s KLP Hybrid Polymer Sleepers on mainline and turnouts, KiwiRail is moving ahead with implementing KLP Sleepers in tunnels and on bridges.

sleepers to replace wooden sleepers, the high carbon cost of manufacturing and transporting concrete sleepers and its limitations due to set fastening locations meant that this was not always a solution for KiwiRail. In addition, as KiwiRail were primarily looking for sleepers to use in turnouts, flexibility was key. “The sleepers are used in both mainlines and, in our yards, so there’s a big mixture of working environments that they’re subjected to. There’s a lot of areas where they’re high speed, high volume, high axle load and then alternatively in yards it’s a lot slower, a lot more forgiving, so a product that’s more versatile and not dedicated to one sort of infrastructure was required,” said Fleet. KiwiRail has ordered Lankhorst’s KLP “Our Request for Tender focused on whole- Hybrid Polymer Sleepers for turnouts, and now bridges and tunnels. of-life cost, minimum maintenance and security of supplies” confirms Fleet. With an initial expression of interest from seven competitors Around 10 years ago, KiwiRail was faced with supplier of composite sleepers, and with more in response to an RFT for the supply of more a maintenance challenge. Across the 4,128 manufacturers entering the market, KiwiRail than 50,000 sleepers, KiwiRail went through a kilometres of track, ageing timber sleepers opened a Request for Tender in 2018 for the rigorous selection process. needed replacing to ensure a safe and efficient supply of composite sleepers designed for over Link Asia Pacific, the sole regional agent rail network. “We were looking for a solid 18-tonne axle loads and maximum speeds and service provider for Dutch manufacturer substitute for timber as an alternative solution of 110 km/h. “We were looking for a product Lankhorst, informed them of the tender for our track, designed for over 18 tonne axle that’s like timber, so it’s easy to train our staff opportunity. Link Asia Pacific also successfully loads and maximum speeds of 110 km/h.” and easy to use out in the field as well. We also coordinated preparation, review, and submission explains Mark Fleet, Professional Head of Track wanted something that’s more environmentally of all tender documentation. at KiwiRail. friendly and uses recycled products,” said Fleet. Ultimately, KiwiRail selected the KLP Hybrid “We’ve been having difficulty with hardwood While other railways have turned to concrete Polymer Sleepers from Dutch manufacturer sleepers because we can’t find sustainable sources and as a smaller purchaser, our access to sustainably managed timber from South America and Africa was limited. The cost of timber sleepers is also going up and the required quality is hard to find. With new legislation prohibiting the use of creosote for the treatment of sleepers, their life expectancy can drop to as little as 10 years.” The solution that KiwiRail turned to were sleepers made from alternative materials, such Holes drilled and baseplates as fibres, plastics, composites, or hybrids. After factory-fitted to KLP Sleepers. an initial successful contract with a leading

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Lankhorst. A reassuring fact is that Lankhorst’s something they’re used to with timbers.” KLP Sleepers, with first installations in To date, 4,112 of Lankhorst’s KLP Hybrid operation since 2006, are reliably operating in Polymer Sleepers have been installed across tracks in 11 countries globally. the KiwiRail network and the feedback from As part of our due diligence, we witnessed staff installing the sleepers has been positive. factory testing in the Netherlands and With an expected useable life of above conducted a site visit with Lankhorst. We’ve 50 years, the KLP sleepers are providing a seen how they’re working, and we’ve seen the competitive, whole of life option to timber, products in use as well. They arranged for us which Fleet noted had been decreasing to go to the local infrastructure provider to get in quality and life expectancy. When the their firsthand reviews on how the product has sleepers do reach the end of their life, they benefited them,” said Fleet. are fully recyclable, contributing to the KLP sleepers best met KiwiRail’s circular economy. requirements for functional performance, “Not only are the sleepers made from whole-of-life cost, minimum maintenance, and 100 per cent recycled materials but they Type 401 KLP Bridge supply security. As Bernard Huitema, Account are also 100 per cent recyclable without Sleeper being installed. Manager Rail at Lankhorst, highlighted, the any degradation of the quality, which means steel reinforcements within the KLP sleepers you can make a new sleeper with the same distinguishes them from other polymer material,” said Huitema. “This is a big difference The most challenging demand for sleeper sleepers on the market. “KLP sleepers are because composite products with glass fibre stiffness is that found in bridges, particularly unique in combining the respective beneficial are hard to recycle.” when the gauge width and the distance characteristics of both polymer and steel. Building on the successes of the installation between bridge girders differ (this difference Polymer dampens impact and sound, even of the KLP Hybrid Polymer Sleepers for is referred to as “Offset”). KiwiRail’s 22.5-tonne better than wood, but if you have only the turnouts, Link Asia Pacific and Lankhorst axle loads and offsets of more than 300mm polymer you do not have the required bending worked on a solution for the installation of KLP was a new design challenge for Lankhorst. stiffness. Steel rebar is optimally placed to sleepers in tunnels. In this instance, concrete Despite this, Lankhorst offered a 150mm high provide high bending stiffness at low thermal sleepers (which are cheaper to produce than bridge sleeper as solution. This also allows expansion, which ensures that the required composite sleepers) were not an option as the sleepers to be spaced 25 per cent further apart gauge is maintained.” ballast bed, designed for timber sleepers, could that the current timber sleepers. Based on Fleet also commented on the benefits of not be lowered further to accommodate deeper experience and growing confidence in the KLP the steel-reinforced polymer design. “Due to concrete sleepers. solutions, KiwiRail has placed an order for 160 the ductility of polymers used, there is no risk high-strength Type 204 KLP Bridge Sleepers, to of micro cracks under impact and overload be trialled and installed in 2021. situations, like concrete sleepers. Since it does KiwiRail posed another bridge-related not contain glass fibres, handling on site does request to Lankhorst: for bridges with girders not require special breathing apparatus, and that are riveted together, timber sleepers get does not cause skin irritation. Furthermore, slots machined on site for sleepers to fit over it can be cut and drilled on site, like timber, the rivet heads. In response, Lankhorst offered making installation easy especially when used the Type 401 KLP Bridge Sleeper. This sleeper for turnouts.” allows for machining and drilling slots in “Because you can drill where you need to the bottom surface, very comparable to the use it, you’re not dedicated on a particular operations done on timber sleepers. “With Weight-optimised low-profile KLP turnout angle or a particular turnout design,” Tunnel Sleeper, profiled bottom. Lankhorst’s design, they have achieved that said Fleet. “It’s quite flexible so the staff out compatibility for us and all the time they’ve in the field find that a big help. Because it’s With limited height available and an kept to our requirements around dimensions so similar to timber, they find that just drilling axle design load increased to 22.5 tonnes, and specifications, so all in all it’s a win-win for it, moving it around and actually fastening to Lankhorst offered four different concept us,” said Fleet. the sleepers themselves is quite easy as it’s designs at a height of 130mm, 20mm lower Throughout the process of meeting unique than existing timber sleepers. KiwiRail requirements and installing a new product, all selected Lankhorst’s internationally parties have had to collaborate and be open, proven Type 102 KLP Mainline Sleeper. something that Fleet reflected positively on. Its 53kg low weight allows for manual “Lankhorst and Link Asia Pacific have been very handling, while its tailored shape delivers a forthcoming and honest about any questions significant increase in the required lateral we had with them. The communication is open, and longitudinal stability, due to increased they provide solid technical and commercial integration in the ballast bed. KiwiRail has offers in a timely manner. Both Lankhorst placed a first order for more than 18,000 and Link Asia Pacific are good companies to tunnel sleepers, with Lankhorst investing in work with.” dedicated new mould developments, based Interested in finding out how KLP Sleeper on the unique requirement, given the narrow- solutions can address your challenges? Contact Steel-reinforcement provides strength and stiffness. gauge application. Link Asia Pacific via [email protected].

64 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS We are excited to be operating and maintaining Adelaide Metro train services from 31 January 2021

Join us on the journey

For recruitment opportunities visit: careers.downergroup.com/en/listing/

KDA - Rail Express - Ad.indd 1 17/11/2020 12:27:31 PM Signalling & Communications

More than the sum of its parts Thales’s integrated metro offering takes a whole of system approach to rail.

business rules of the customer and deliver the from the basics. The software is deployed by expected outcomes. Therefore, the challenges Thales and we have specific platforms that become more about speed and managing interoperate with each other. Consequently, risk and safety/security, rather than detailed the result is not shopping list of various technical issues. products, suppliers, and architectures that are “If we have isolated systems, the challenge blended together to form a system spread is how to understand, harmonise, and then across different platforms, including signalling, analyse the data to make a decision. The data trackside equipment, communications. In needs to be transformed. In contrast, if the Thales’ approach, the platforms and software system is harmonised it’s easier to analyse the work together and are developed as a total data and use this to inform decisions.” system. Each product which is used is fully The customer and the public are looking validated and integrated as part of our product to extend the normal functions of the system line policy before being deployed on a project. from simply moving passengers from point This is the element which enables us to move Thales manufactures and integrates its end-to-end solution. A to point B, to moving them in the most quickly and minimise the risk for our customers. efficient way, with the right information and the right connections, while providing a safe, BENEFITS FOR OPERATORS AND It’s said that the human body is the most comfortable and secure environment. It’s all PASSENGERS complex system in nature. Its effective about providing good customer experience Having manufactured the system from its functioning requires the effective to commuters. component parts, Thales has designed its metro interconnection of many separate systems, Thales is delivering on this promise of an systems to be interoperable with each other including organs, the nervous system, and interconnected rail system with its end-to-end from the beginning. As Terrochaire points out, the skeleton. solutions. Thales is able to bring together these this speeds up implementation and the delivery Today, as urban rail systems become more functions from operators around the globe into of the integrated system. complex, director of programmes, ground a cohesive solution while each sub system of “The time to deploy and to commission this transportation systems at Thales, Luca Nucci the overall solution has a dedicated product kind of system is reduced because we are able says they are more closely resembling the line manager who is responsible for managing to conduct testing in our premises and factory interconnected human body. the associated roadmap and incorporating and this is not repeated on site. So, when we “The components of the Metro system are new developments into the system including arrive on site the solution is already integrated.” subcomponents and subsystems that have to responding to changing requirements. Testing not only for functionality but work in a similar, integrated manner to provide Specifically for metro, Thales’ solution ties also reliability can be conducted prior to the final result, just like the human organs in together Communications-Based Train Control commissioning, enabling the more advanced the body. The organs are synchronised; each (CBTC) signalling technology with integrated systems to be rolled out from day one. one has its own function, but they are seen as supervision and control systems, as well as These kinds of advanced systems that come a whole.” predictive maintenance, security systems, and about through the interconnection of the Approaching the delivery of a metro system, advanced analytics and decision-making tools. various subcomponents can be seen by both or any rail system for that matter, in this As Terrochaire describes, the system is built by passengers and operators. For passengers, real integrated way means that each element of Thales from the ground up. time information displays can be calibrated the system performs more efficiently, just as a “The advantage of Thales is we provide the with signalling and supervision and control human arm is more useful than a mechanical field equipment itself, meaning everything from functions to deliver updates in real time. hoist, due to its interconnection to various the signals, to the switches, all the computers From the operator’s perspective, notes Nucci, other systems. Instead of thinking of a metro on board the train and the platform, the human simplified human-machine interfaces can bring or urban rail network as an agglomeration machine interface that display in real time the together various sources of information in the of systems, there are greater benefits when status of all of this equipment and also all the one stream. understanding the metro as an interconnected status of the trains.” These solutions are further From their console, the operator can whole, said Julien Terrochaire, global integrated with COTS products and also draw supervise the entire status of the line in an solution engineering manager at Thales. The upon “the secure by design” characteristics of integrated software platform. This includes convergence of a number of technologies to Thales’ cyber solutions. collecting all inputs from the various systems, more ‘ethernet’ based solution moves the know- Nucci concurs, highlighting the advantages overseeing the functionalities and sending how from the detail of the technology to the of having a system that is designed to commands - although any commands would integration of those technologies. The technical work together. only be executed if the predetermined safety challenge is no longer how do the cables, plugs, “We are one of the few companies that are rules in the system considered it safe to do communications connect together at a low able to deploy our own platforms. We integrate so in that particular moment. The systems are level, but rather how do the solutions fulfil the solutions, but we also make the system fully integrated and perform in coordination

66 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS with each other. For example, when it comes can be used to improve scheduling of services. to-end solution is also the possibility of to the safety of the passengers, the operator In Dubai, these systems not only communicate introducing patches across the system. In can impart single commands that reach with the rail operator, but security services as other system architectures, digital components multiple systems in parallel: a passenger call well, creating additional value for metropolitan that are not as frequently updated can for emergency would trigger phones, help authorities. We already have solutions in place introduce vulnerabilities into an overall points, cameras and even the rolling stock in to address the challenges of COVID-19 such network, however Thales can ensure that the some circumstances. as limiting and coordinating the number of components are constantly receiving the latest With the system in operation, the connected passengers in a station/platform/vehicle. upgrades to maintain safety. collection of data can enable the deployment The key point is that the functions required “Any transport line can be the most updated of predictive maintenance, reducing downtime to be implemented have moved more from the one even if it’s 15 or 20 years old because or service interruptions. individual systems, to the functions performed it can be updated planning a continuous “In this way collecting data, having every across systems. The functions are changing enhancement of the functionalities along the single system, from the elevator to the lights faster than ever before and the means to be years, with massive advantages in terms of in the room under control, we can have able integrate, validate and qualify is far easier. cost compared to the cost of refurbishing the statistics and plan preventive and corrective But with this comes a different risk which entire line or technology system” said Nucci. maintenance at the appropriate time with needs to be managed, which is cyber security. This process also avoids expensive a reduced cost for the operator,” said Nucci. overhauls at the end of a system’s life. “having an integrated, reliable system makes it SAFETY AND CYBER SECURITY On a more functional level, just as the easy to predict future faults Underpinning these interconnected first commissioned components can have Not only is maintenance about fixing faults, technologies is a cyber secure by design their interoperability tested, future system but also ensuring the system is operating approach to each of the system components. upgrades can be introduced without with the latest technology. By working with “When we say integrated it doesn’t mean compromising interoperability. one provider, upgrades can be installed that that it’s an open book,” said Terrochaire. “In “In Thales we have what’s called a utilise the various components of the system, the display, we can have the display of the ‘product policy’ which means that all without having to rewire. By leveraging the brake of the train, but that doesn’t mean that of these components are isolated and existing product/solution roadmaps we can from this display the operator can modify the also integrated to each other,” explained ‘refresh’ the technology over time to improve status of the train.” Terrochaire. “Depending on the customer availability, add functions and improve features. As Nucci explains, the commands available needs, Thales’ innovation and R&D centres These additional benefits can come without are limited by design. provide new and existing customers with the hassle of changing equipment. Gone are “Wherever we give the interface to the upgraded solutions that are certified and the days where equipment is installed and then operator to display and see all the data, the validated as integrated systems prior to upgraded at 15 years or 20 years, customers commands are limited to the ones that are their deployment.” want the latest and greatest and this can be safe to be operated. The system rejects any In this way, just as a body needs a health delivered as part of an ongoing support activity. command that is not safe for the operation.” check up every now and then, so too an We should be talking about ‘technology refresh’ One benefit to cyber security threat integrated rail system will benefit from and no longer about midlife overhaul. prevention from having an integrated, end- regular attention. “The platform is designed for future expandability and to enhance the features. For example, cameras at the beginning may have standard features like CCTV, however with future software releases and minor changes to peripherals’ hardware can provide enhanced functionalities like facial recognition, information about passenger density areas, conduct body temperature checks, without the need to replace the technology infrastructure because the system has been designed to be expandable and receive updates with the most state of art technology,” said Nucci. The end-to-end solution is already in place on metros such as those in Doha, Dubai, and Santiago, which have leveraged the CBTC technology to improve operations. The integration of signalling systems, station infrastructure such as platform screen doors, and passenger movement tracking and announcements enable a secure and dynamic Thales combines signalling, security, network. For example, in response to crowding as well as predictive maintenance for a on platforms, automatic announcements can be integrated solution. generated to disperse passengers, and analytics

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When bigger is not always better

When building a signalling system for the rail last mile, finding a solution that is fit for purpose is key. RCS Australia explains.

While the term “the last mile” has come to prominence to in road transportation to describe the challenges of getting goods to their final destination, rail has its own first and last mile. In a 2016 report commissioned for the European Commission, the authors found Richard Ogilvie, director at RCS Daniel Grivicic, senior systems and many of the last miles in rail were in need Australia said that COTS solutions safety engineer at RCS Australia, works of renewal, the majority being more than 50 reduce complexity for small operators. to design a system right for the task. years old. Infrastructure such as private sidings, intermodal terminals, and rail logistics centres were identified as needing critical investment to Richard Ogilvie, director at Rail Control With the growth of commercial off-the- allow for a productive rail network. Systems Australia (RCS Australia), has been shelf (COTS) technology in the signalling In Australia, the rail last mile is also a critical looking at how signalling systems for the rail market and it’s adoption by mainline link in connecting primary producers to the last mile can be improved. operators, there is an increase in interest for national network and large manufacturers with “We’ve done a fair bit of work in various signalling systems designed for the needs raw materials. At one end of the supply chain, private line or industrial sidings or yards around of private siding operators. Private operators these may be a siding next to a grain terminal Australia. Traditionally, signalling has been done now have the benefit of access to the same or the line from a mine’s loading facility to the with old mechanical, hand locked set of points technology as mainline operators, but as a cost main line, and at the other end, it might include with a key or it might be an industrial control effective solution that can be scaled to their a loading facility for a container yard or port. system that is using some weird and wonderful requirements. RCS Australia has pioneered These last miles can also range in complexity control system to operate a level crossing.” in the application of this technology to rail from a single line adjoining the main line to According to Ogilvie, owners of these private signalling in Australia, providing a cheaper, multiple interconnected paths that criss-cross a sidings have seen main line signalling systems safer and more efficient solution than those complex facility such as a steel mill. as overly complex, and rightly so. previously used in small private rail operations. Ensuring that these critical links in the rail “Main line operators have signalling systems “What we’re trying to get across is that there supply chain operate efficiently is a shared goal that are designed to move large amount of rail are options and alternatives to do signalling for their owners, rail freight companies and the traffic efficiently and safely, but perhaps are on a cost effective, small-scale basis to suit a wider logistics sector, and this can often depend perceived as being overkill for a lot of other particular situation.” upon the signalling equipment that these scenarios where a safe automatic operation Daniel Grivicic, senior systems and safety private sidings have installed. equipment would be very beneficial.” engineer at RCS Australia outlined that this approach delivers a solution that is designed to meet the client’s needs. “We listen to the client; we understand what they need and we’re able to customise not a product but multiple products in order to provide a solution. What you end up with is a cohesive solution which is incredibly cost effective, safe and that suits your needs rather than the needs of an organisation that is selling a single product that is shoehorned into your requirement.”

A FAMILIAR SOLUTION Another benefit of using commercially available Grain and industrial sidings are one area where COTS technology can be equipment is that in many cases it will look deployed for an automated solution. and feel similar to the industrial control and automation systems that these private sidings

68 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS use in their internal processes. “We offer a rail automation system which is probably more familiar to these smaller operators,” said Grivicic. This familiarity enables staff with existing knowledge and understanding of process control to translate this expertise into rail signalling, said Ogilvie. “The types of operators and end users that we’re talking about here will have a rail siding, but they’ll also have some industrial facilities or safety systems or control systems. What we’re offering is exactly that – it’s systems that look and feel like those used in other parts of their operations, can be maintained by the Siding owners can conduct their own same people, and use the same principles maintenance, when it suits them. and operations but are able to be engineered and suitable for that railway operation and particularly for a seamless interface to their complexity of such signalling systems is greatly RCS Australia created a solution using mainline operator as well.” reduced,” said Ogilvie. “Customers come to us COTS technology. With a solution that is designed to meet and say, ‘I know I’ve got this problem.’ In the “They’ve now got a system that safely the scale of these rail last mile facilities, past, I would’ve just said that it’s too hard, but controls points so drivers don’t have to get out unlike in mainline signalling environments there are now feasible and workable solutions.” of their cab and that provides safe passage where specialised signalling staff are required, The safety improvements from moving away for trains.” maintenance can be conducted as needed from manual signalling or points systems are Overcoming a perception that signalling and by staff who work on other systems considerable. Instead of a driver having to exit systems were too expensive or complicated within the business. the cab and move the points, the driver can for a private network service a steel mill of “If you’re a loading facility operator, for remain in the cab, have the points operate this size, RCS Australia implemented a system example, you’ve got all sorts of safety systems remotely with a fully integrated interlocking that improved safety and increased the that you maintain and have a maintenance between the siding and the mainline. efficiency of the network. provider for, whether it be in house or an In more complex systems, road and rail “That’s been operating for over 10 years external contractor. Those people aren’t interfaces can be managed. very successfully and they look after it and necessarily from a rail background, they’ll “It’s not necessarily the system itself that’s maintain it themselves,” said Ogilvie. “They’ve be process or industrial electricians and by going to make things safer, but what you’re got a couple of people in house who are trained offering them a COTS system, it gives them doing is you’re removing interfaces that you to look after the system and they manage much more power and control over how otherwise would have to manage or protect that very well.” they look after and maintain those systems,” using old systems,” said Ogilvie. “So, solutions With the technology proven on the ‘rail last said Ogilvie. that remove the interface between people mile’, there is the potential for this cost effective “In the past, users have been told that’s a and trains and between vehicles and trains and safe system to be rolled out to other, signalling system which requires a specialist increases your level of safety dramatically quieter parts of the national freight network. rail signalling person to maintain that system compared to having no systems or having old, Ultimately, this will enable more freight to and that’s just not the case here.” outdated systems.” be handled on a reliable, efficient and future In addition, these systems can be connected RCS Australia has seen these systems come proof network. to web-based diagnostics, so maintenance to fruition in the efficient management of train can be supervised remotely by a specialist, movements. For example, RCS Australia installed if required and then on-the-ground changes a signalling system for a steel mill in South carried out by a suitably skilled member of staff. Australia when the creation of a new rail line to connect a loading facility brought together STEPPING UP SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY previously disparate railways. Rail infrastructure managers and operators, “In each of those areas, each train was even those with a smaller scale infrastructure, operated independently under a manual have a duty to ensure safety as far as reasonably procedure, and then all of a sudden they had practicable under national regulations. While lots of opportunities for trains interacting. They in the past, upgrading manual rail signalling recognised they needed to do something to systems for private sidings was not feasible, the provide a level of safety, not only for the trains new solution offers a way forward. but also a large number of level crossings “The onus is on the employer or the operator inside the facility that needed to be protected,” to provide a safe work place as far as reasonably said Ogilvie. RCS Australia has deployed these practical. In the rail movement space, this Based on general signalling principles solutions around Australia. becomes a lot more attainable as the cost and tailored to the specific needs of the facility,

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Change management Frequentis is working with rail operators around the globe to ensure that the adoption of next generation communication systems does not compromise safety and operational continuity.

Australian railways and rail operators are Frequentis provides a number of embarking on programs to modernise their technologies and services to operators. safety-critical communications systems. Largely replacing analogue radio communication with digital systems over broadband networks, this has required the deployment of new technologies in the field and in consolidated control centres. Frequentis, an Austrian communication and information systems provider along with its subsidiary in Australia, will provide its Operations Communication Manager (OCM) product to rail operators around the globe to bring together communications into a single hub. The company expanded its expertise in this area in August 2020 with the acquisition of a share in Spanish mission critical services technology provider Nemergent solutions. can broaden our portfolio, so we are now not data communication and video, and for either According to head of public transport solutions only offering solutions for the control room of the three you get group communication at Frequentis, Markus Myslivec, this will enable as such but also the mission critical services so where a group of specific participants Frequentis to provide a comprehensive and which the control room needs and uses can exchange information and one within integrated solution for the rail control room from the network.” the group is allowed to send. Then you get of the future. As Myslivec explains, these services are an broadcast communication, similar to group “Nemergent are a cutting-edge provider array of essential communications methods. communication but it’s not possible to change for mission critical application services and “Mission critical services are in general who provides the information, who talks, mission critical clients. Together with them we composed of push to talk voice communication, it’s just a broadcast. You also get point-to- point communication between two common participants.” Adding these applications to Frequentis’ OCM will provide Australasian railway operators the platform to communicate across their chosen future rail communications methods. “Mission critical services will form the basis for the success of Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), replacing GSM-R,” said Myslivec. “Frequentis is now an end-to-end application provider. Today we offer the solution for the control room and, together with Nemergent, we provide all the applications on mobile devices, communication networks and in the control room.”

THE FUTURE OF RAILWAY COMMUNICATIONS The GSM-R system that Myslivec is referring to is the Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway, the standard for Frequentis has deployed its incident and crisis digital communications in railway systems, management and dispatcher communication technology to the Sydney Rail Operations Centre. as organisations moved away from analogue systems. In Australia, many operators use this

70 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS standard, however it relies upon 2G technology, and the horizon of obsolescence is approaching, as Michael Hsu, head of public safety and transport – business development at Frequentis Australasia, explained. “There are a number of large railway operations in Australia that are currently utilising the GSM-R technology but at some stage they will look forward to the next standardisation, the next generation of railway communication functionalities, and in that space, we’re looking at FRMCS as the future standard to adopt.” FRMCS, or Future Railway Mobile Communication System is shaping up to be Rail networks around the globe have the replacement to GSM-R and is expected chosen Frequentis for mission critical communications systems. to use 5G communications as the bearer technology. However, transitioning to the new technology will be complicated while “The user doesn’t need to bother with procedures for management of information ensuring operational continuity. Frequentis whether they are communicating with a train assets within the system, such as change is ready to partner with railways to enable over analogue radio or GSM-R or a public management, configuration management and them to shift from a legacy to future system network or mission critical services because testing and release management. with minimal disruption. the user interface always looks the same,” Services include security monitoring of “An emerging requirement for rail radio said Myslivec. “The signaller presses a button countermeasures against malicious code, systems is the transition from legacy or dials a specific train number and will be intrusion detection strategies and detection systems, that can be an analogue system, connected to that very specific train and mechanisms, audit and event log analysis or GSM-R or another digital system to the our system in the background takes care of and alerting, system integrity checking new system,” said Myslivec. “In future, this whether it has to call out that train on the vulnerability monitoring, assessments and could be the FRMCS or any broadband based analogue line or GSM-R or whether it has to patching, a periodic audit of intrusion detection communication system, and one critical establish a session initiation protocol (SIP) via procedures and systematic user training and requirement is to do the transition from the a mission critical server. This is, to our mind, awareness programs. A system-based network old world to the new world with minimum very important because with that measure you and communications security, with high operational impact.” can enable a very smooth, almost seamless level business continuity, disaster recovery Having had experience transitioning rail transition for the end user in the control room.” and system redundancy measures combine networks from older analogue systems to Underpinning the application of these with a system compliance plan identifying GSM-R or Tetra technology, Frequentis is emergent technologies, Frequentis has a industry, regulatory and legislative compliance set up for the next wave of technological committed corporate focus on system security. requirements. advancement. Myslivec explains that this Key national infrastructure, such as rail “On the one hand, if you think about the end is done through what is called “bearer transport, requires concerted efforts to ensure user device, which is basically a PC running on independent communication”. key systems are designed, built, deployed, Windows IoT, then of course you would like “We can provide our services over various tested and maintained to ensure that the to have all your security patches always up to communications networks,” he said. “This is increasing array of cyber security threats date so your system will be super secure. On how we want to take care of these lifecycle are managed in a robust and timely manner. the other hand, we all know a nice Windows issues. We are independent from the Frequentis Australasia also has significant upgrade on your home PC and the pain this underlying network, so for us lifecycle is easy, expertise with Defence and Air Traffic systems can cause you. There’s always a trade-off to our as it’s purely a software solution which is just and is a Defence Industry Security Program mind between security and safety, and I’m still running on servers and IT equipment, so we (DISP) member that requires compliance with convinced that we have to learn together with don’t have a big issue with lifecycle in terms Australian government legislative/regulatory/ the authorities, the railways, how to handle this. of hardware, or base stations, for example.” guidance, including the Information Security “Currently, I see a trend in all the tenders Hsu concurs, highlighting what this means Manual (ISM) and the Protective Security Policy to make it as secure as possible. It is then our for rail operators. Framework (PSPF). In addition, Frequentis job to tell the customers that this will have an “Our technology is capable of working intends to join the partnership arrangements impact on the operations and your safety. For with various different radio bearers, and it with the Australian Cyber Security Centre this reason we will work with our customers to can give customers a very streamlined single (ACSC), where private sector organisations will find the optimal position between the two,” said platform approach.” team with government to deal with the quickly Myslivec. Practically, from a train controller’s evolving cyber threat landscape. Navigating this balance will require a perspective, the communication method The Frequentis security/cyber organisation, clear focus on operational continuity while between the control room and the on- systems and processes include utilisation of the transitioning to the latest technology, board staff remains the same, even as the appropriate accreditation framework, design something that Frequentis continues to underlying infrastructure is updated. of hardware/software architecture, focus on support global customers with.

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DSP

DVA Signalling & Communications

Omada is involved in one of the first deployments of ETCS signalling in Australia.

Thriving through testing times Omada Rail Systems is using the opportunity of an Australian-first technology deployment to address the rail industry’s signalling deficit.

There is currently a great deal of focus on the early deployment of the ETCS equipment and to the control centre in Rockhampton. We rollout of next-generation signalling in urban provided Rail Express with an update on how are checking each area that the upgrade has areas to alleviate congestion and increase the project is progressing. occurred in so far, including various signalling network capacity. However, a leading example “We’ve been laying the groundwork to allow and equipment rooms around Rockhampton of this technology is being deployed over for the testing of the whole system in March,” and all the way up to Emerald and then down 500km away from the closest state capital. said Murphy. to Gladstone.” With Rockhampton at the core of the Arnold, who is the tester in charge (TIC) This testing work also covers the wayside network, Aurizon is deploying European Train of this project, is leading Omada’s test team, equipment such as balises that have been Control System (ETCS) Level 2 across sections and as director Luke Craven highlights, installed on the line to Emerald, as far as of the Central Queensland Coal Network. is also sharing his expertise with the Blackwater and Bluff, as well as on the North The freight operator and network manager is younger generation. Coast Line which Aurizon shares with other looking to improve speed control and signal “We want to expand on our well-trained, freight trains and passenger traffic. enforcement, for a safer, and more efficient well-disciplined staff, who ensure that all facets Here, Murphy is experiencing firsthand the network. Once deployed, Aurizon is also looking of the testing functionality are covered to a advantages of the flexibility inherent in the to utilise the technology to allow for driver- high quality. It’s a great opportunity to give ETCS, which has been designed to handle the only operations, reducing the number of people our young graduates a well-rounded, on-site multiple different types of traffic that criss- in the cab of each train. experience as well. It’s all well and good to be cross the European networks, leading to the Brisbane-based signalling specialist Omada looking at drawings but seeing the equipment technology being adopted on multi-use lines. Rail Systems is working with a global signalling in practice is invaluable.” “The ETCS is intended to work in parallel manufacturer and supplier on the project. This While in the field, Murphy has had first-hand with the existing systems, so its primary use provides the next generation of signalling experience with the intricacies of installing will be for only coal trains that are equipped engineers an opportunity to gain valuable new signalling technology, and significantly, in with ETCS. Meaning that other trains can still experience, addressing Australia’s skills gap the first operational context within which the use the lines using the original system without when it comes to the implementation of next- technology will be introduced in Australia. negative impacts,” he said. generation signalling technology. “We’re going out and confirming that “There’s quite a range of technology, you’ve Graduate signalling engineer Nathan Murphy the equipment is installed correctly and is got interlocking systems from back in the has recently been working on-site, with testing corresponding correctly with the whole system, 60s up to the more modern technology. The engineering manager Ian Arnold, to test the making sure the trackside equipment talks interface between those technologies is a

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critical part of the design and that’s why we’re going out and doing the strict correspondence testing to make sure that everything will talk back to ETCS.”

PUTTING THE THEORY INTO PRACTICE Supplementing theoretical knowledge with practical training, Murphy has been able to develop his competency by absorbing the expertise of the team working around him. “I’ve found that sometimes the best course of action is to just dive straight in and ask a lot of questions along the way. I’ve learnt so much in a relatively short time because there are so many experienced people in Omada with really diverse backgrounds and skills.” As Omada’s graduates progress through the program, Craven identified that encouraging Omada director Luke Craven highlights the importance of training the next youth within the industry is key for Australia generation of signalling engineers. to grow the capacity of its local workforce and meet the demands of signalling projects that are about to get underway. their strengths are, what fields they like or Already in the short time he has been with “We can see it’s the way of the future. As a enjoy, and we are adjusting the training to suit us, we have received highly positive feedback company, we are implementing training courses, those areas.” regarding his help in getting projects initially based on theory and then following up While the Aurizon project may be one of completed safely and efficiently,” said Craven. with the practical experience as well.” Australia’s first roll-outs of ETCS, the pipeline Alongside their growing presence in testing Omada’s graduate program includes of projects involving the deployment of new work, Omada’s team of engineers are working enrolling in the Graduate Diploma of Railway signalling systems will only require further within some of the industry’s largest projects, Signalling which is conferred by the Institute expertise, with major signalling upgrades including Cross River Rail, the Melbourne of Railway Signalling Engineers (IRSE) and is announced or underway on the Brisbane, Metro Tunnel Project and the Level Crossing delivered over the last two years of the three- Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth networks, Removal Project. year graduate program. along with the deployment of Advanced Train Since 2017, Omada has been heavily involved Craven said that while graduates are Management System (ATMS) on the Australian in the Level Crossing Removal Project in exposed to the range of work that is required of Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) interstate Melbourne, consisting of 75 separate level signalling engineers, the pathway sets them up network. Craven sees a particular gap in crossing removals. With a combined team of for a variety of possible job roles. the number of testers available for these nine engineers operating in both Brisbane and “The gap is in the number of signalling major projects. Melbourne supporting Metro Trains Melbourne engineers now as people know, and we’re taking “The number of contract testers in the in delivering each project, Omada’s team on graduates to fill that gap. Each individual industry doesn’t match anywhere near the members have become an integral part of is different and may prefer design, project infrastructure target,” he said. the delivery team. management or testing, so we’re giving them To go some way to meeting this, Omada Omada’s growing involvement in these major a broad range of activities and seeing where has reached out to young graduates projects comes as a result of their effective while creating an engaging environment recruitment. Craven details how Omada has for engineering. handled the expansion of their team, to “We look to create a welcoming working ensure that the growth they are experiencing environment that people want to be in, and is sustainable. couple that with giving people practical “We are always on the lookout to bring the experience. Engineers want to play and get right people into our team. While experience their hands on, so we look to provide as much and competency are important factors, what practical experience as we can because that we really look for is attitude. Our team is just enhances the joy of engineering.” made up of people who want to go that extra mile, which is something our clients see on a A GROWING FOOTPRINT regular basis.” These efforts have seen Omada expand its As their team grows, Omada is looking to team and capabilities. Omada has recently engage for larger packages of work, which hired testing engineers in New South Wales in turn will allow for greater capacity to and South Australia, where the company did not expand further. previously have an on-the-ground presence. “We want to take on whole testing packages,” Graduate signalling engineer Nathan Murphy has been getting hands on “We have a tester based in Adelaide who, in said Craven. “We are aiming to expand our training through the ETCS project. the last couple of months, has been providing numbers and with that expand the training of services to some of the infrastructure owners. the graduates as well.”

74 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS CONFIDENCE MOVESWORLDCONFIDENCE THE TODAY SOLUTIONS TRANSPORT TOMORROW’S DELIVERING For As e e ne engine ha o in understan i proje de a s With people the s mpartial prod mpartial olutions, fcet oiiy n gene and prosperity. conomic mobility fficient peration. tegration, construction and and construction tegration, e delivered ve technologies w liver s the world t wrdie w balance we worldwide, cts oe than more ser ering ars 1 n metro 2 in 1 across y www.systra.com ignature and cesu tak eod of record track uccessful ig f h calne of challenges the of ding S r th YSTRA helps move move helps YSTRA uct expertise with an with expertise uct pla ough i ,vices team ces sustainably cons en to 60

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prepare forthefuture. mode, spans everytransport Our pcait expertise specialist helping our clients

©SYSTRA/CAPA PICTURES Signalling & Communications

Building a resilient network now and into the future

With horizons for the implementation of future communications systems approaching, now is the time for rail operators to think about harnessing 5G technology.

At the end of 2018, the Australasian rail “GSM-R is a narrowband application, so improved safety and efficiency, while industry came together to set out a vision it’s got limited bandwidth – it currently reducing total cost of ownership. for the industry’s future. Named Smart Rail, supports voice communications and “The use of Machine to Machine and the collaborative effort set out the priorities ETCS Level 2 data where the requirement is telemetry data will be enabled by the for the industry over the next 30 years. in kilobits.” high bandwidth and highly reliable low With over 20 named initiatives, what tied To get to the rail system of the future, latency 5G network. This will enable the the vision together was its focus on the where data volumes in the order of performance monitoring of onboard train digital transformation that the rail industry gigabits may be required for services such systems and other distributed equipment in will undergo. as streaming CCTV feeds between trains the wayside,” said McDonnell. The collected ideas conjure a vision and operational control centres, global 5G will also be part of the updated of automated trains sharing real time railways are looking to a new generation customer and passenger experience, with information with customers and each other, of telecommunications infrastructure, continuous connectivity and access to and constantly sending data to a digital namely 5G. service information throughout the journey. train control centre. To get to this goal With broadband 5G technology being however, rail operators will need a network confirmed as the basis for Future Railway THE BENEFITS OF FOLLOWING A that can securely support the volume of Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), STANDARDISED APPROACH data transfer. the technology standard will form the While 5G and FRMCS are not expected to Today, most rail network operators in underlying architecture for the rail system begin deployment until 2025, McDonnell Australia have either adopted or are in of the future. The higher capacity and explains that now is the time for rail the process of adopting “global system for low latency standard will enable the organisations to start thinking about moving mobile communications-railway” (GSM-R) deployment of data-based mission critical to this next generation technology. Already, technology. Developed to specifications applications such as automatic train control Nokia is involved with European operators finalised in 2000, the system can support while continuing to support essential to trial 5G technology. the limited amounts of data that have voice services. In 2019, Nokia won the tender to been required in the rail industry until now, The technology will also provide deliver and test the world’s first 5G-based explains Rory McDonnell, transportation the fundamentals for the widespread network for automated rail operation in segment lead for Nokia’s enterprise business application of analytics to perform Hamburg, Germany. The 5G network will be in Oceania. predictive maintenance, allowing for the communications bearer for driverless

76 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS of which Nokia is a consortium member, security. There’s no point in implementing a to validate the first FRMCS specifications network if it’s not fully secured because then by developing and testing prototypes for you’re not guaranteeing the reliability and the FRMCS ecosystem for both trackside availability of the network, and, critically, infrastructure and on-board use. privacy and safety of the travelling public.” “Not only does standardisation overcome In taking what McDonnell describes as a the issues relating to interoperability holistic view of a network, cyber security is and compatibility, it allows new system an inalienable element. providers to enter the market leading to “With our end-to-end security services, the availability of Commercial Off-The- we support our customers in every step of Shelf (COTS) products which reduces costs,” their security transformation journey by said McDonnell. improving their overall security posture to withstand attacks and achieve their THE STEPS TO 5G IN AUSTRALIA business goals.” McDonnell notes that GSM-R networks Designing an effective cyber-security will continue to support the needs of the strategy requires a deep understanding of rail operator until 2025 and beyond while the possible threats, and their source. Cyber FRMCS becomes the established technology threats to critical infrastructure systems standard. General packet radio service such as rail networks can come from (GPRS) is a mobile data standard that can criminal, malicious, terrorist, or state-based be introduced over a GSM-R network to entities, and countering these varied threat facilitate this transition. actors involves practical strategies including “The first step on the journey for railway automating security, network segmentation, operators towards FRMCS is to make sure encryption and continuous monitoring. 5G will form the basis of smart that they introduce GPRS for internet Automation and continuous monitoring are and secure future rail networks. protocol services, within the next two especially important due to the constantly years. Then they also need to migrate their changing threat landscape. onboard systems, to support IP. Within two When working with a customer, Nokia shunting of empty trains. In France, Nokia years we need to get to a stage where all begins with a comprehensive assessment, and operator SNCF are working on a 5G GSM-R networks are IP enabled.” before proactively addressing concerns lab to prepare for the transition of GSM-R As 5G relies upon IP, having IP over and areas where the system infrastructure to FRMCS. GSM-R already enables a smoother does not meet proscribed standards. Then “Rail operators should start planning transition to 5G. the attack surface must be secured, which their path towards FRMCS at an early stage Once that step has been reached, rail involves accounting for all devices on to ensure the seamless transition from networks can begin to build their FRMCS the network. existing mature technologies and eliminate network. In early stages, non-mission critical “You need to understand the customer’s the risk of any service impact in the future,” systems such as passenger services or network,” said McDonnell. “There’s no point said McDonnell. CCTV can be carried by an early 5G network securing 80 percent of the network, you Although GSM-R systems will become before mission critical and voice services are need to know every single device that’s increasingly obsolete from 2030, it’s likely migrated from 2025 onwards. connected to the network and ensure that that FRMCS will only become a practicable the network is protected from an attack on solution for widespread deployment from THE CRITICAL NATURE OF CYBER that device. You leave nothing to chance.” about 2025. SECURITY IN FUTURE RAIL With the surface secure, Nokia engages To bridge this gap, highlights McDonnell, COMMUNICATIONS in the ongoing optimisation of performance operators will need to continue rolling out While the move to a data rich rail and introducing the latest safeguards to GSM-R or LTE until at least 2025 to meet communications future has a number of mitigate against new security threats. their short term needs, while creating a plan benefits, rail organisations will also have “With over 30 years’ experience delivering to update the network with FRMCS from to be aware of the changing cyber security mission critical solutions, an end-to-end 2025 onwards. threat profiles as digital systems become portfolio (including cyber security) and a “Circa 2025, FRMCS will become the the basis for rail operations. Nokia, which product road map to support FRMCS, Nokia telecommunications bearer of choice for the has deployed GSM-R to over 110,000 offers a unique proposition to rail operators,” ETCS level 2 signalling systems,” he said. kilometres of track in 22 countries across said McDonnell. Critical to the success of FRMCS will more than 120 railway networks, has deep “We can address all the customer’s be its standardisation. While European experience in the migration of legacy current networking needs, across technology, suppliers and networks are leading this networks to highly secure digital systems. deployment and implementation. On top charge, Australian and New Zealand As McDonnell explains, early work of that, we address the vital cyber security networks have the benefits of being fast on 5G technology is underpinned by an layer as well as supporting their network followers. Beginning on November 1 this unwavering focus on creating a secure operations with our managed services year, Horizon 2020 ICT053 5Grail is an network. capability, and finally we offer our customers EU funded €13 million ($21.14m) project, “A key part of your network is cyber an evolution path towards FRMCS.”

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The tools for growth

Melvelle Equipment has been locally manufacturing rail track equipment since the 1980s, and is continuing to design and build tools for the Australian rail industry.

Melvelle’s in-house design capabilities means that the products are built to suit the Australian market.

Despite being one of the only Australian in use overseas, the local market has been Melvelle. “Customers will come to us and say manufacturers of portable rail maintenance where products have been developed and ‘I’m looking for a better spike puller. The ones equipment, Melvelle Equipment has a used for the past four decades. we’ve got work but they don’t always pull humble origin story. Having taken over the business from his the spike if the timbers are too hard.’ We then Current CEO Andrew Melvelle describes how father in 2007 after working in the business investigate the reason for why that might be his parents began the business in the garage since 1993, Melvelle has now quadrupled the and if we can improve on that, we will offer of the family home. size of the company’s manufacturing facilities a solution.” “The business was started in 1982, to meet the demands and requirements of Design and engineering are conducted in and quickly outgrew its home operation customers in Australia and overseas. house using digital modelling tools integrated and moved into a small unit in Maryland, with Melvelle’s ERP system. Newcastle, near where we are now.” DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED FOR THE “I’ve got three full-time engineers that work Melvelle’s father, who had been involved TOUGHEST CONDITIONS with me, and this – along with my own design in manufacturing drilling equipment for the Based in the rail manufacturing hub of experience and that of my production manager mining industry, recognised a niche in the rail Newcastle, and servicing clients around – allows us to bounce ideas off each other. market and began locally manufacturing small Australia, the product development process Most of my employees have been with me for tools and equipment for track maintenance. at Melvelle Equipment is attuned to the over 10 years, so they have a lot of experience “Everything was imported, Dad decided specific requirements of rail track managers from seeing what other people have done, as to start Melvelle’s and focus on rail,” and maintainers in Australia. Over the years, we service equipment as well,” said Melvelle. said Melvelle. the company has continued to create new Through being enmeshed with the industry The focus on building local equipment products to provide a better solution. that they serve, Melvelle’s team are well for local conditions has been the company’s “Most of the R&D that we do is focused aware of the testing conditions their products success since. While the equipment has been on the requirements of customers,” said are used in.

78 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS “The engineers that are involved in doing the design are the guys who go out and do the testing and experience how the product is going to be used,” said Melvelle. “As much as possible we try and get our guys out on site so they can get some first-hand experience of what the customers’ job is, so we can design a better product.” In one example, through being on site and seeing how their equipment is being used, Melvelle is aware of how the Australian climate impacts upon rail maintenance activities, specifically those that Melvelle designs equipment for. “Because of the dry conditions that we operate in, things like clips and spikes become harder to remove because the timbers dry out and the clips and spikes bond in the sleepers more than they do overseas.” This experience out in the field is directly fed back into the design processes that Melvelle’s innovative track equipment lead to the production of existing and new has been a staple of the Australian market since the 1980s. equipment.

LOCAL AND ONLY A PHONE CALL AWAY While Melvelle Equipment has grown in its “When the customer rings us, they’re talking manufacturing capabilities and product range since its foundation in the 1980s, Melvelle to the design team. As we are a small team has committed the team to remaining familiar to the industry they serve. As an – there’s only 26 of us in total – we can be Australia-based and owned SME, those who flexible with the design and make a product are designing and building the products are in touch with the end-user. improvement to suit a customer’s needs at “When the customer rings us, they’re talking to the design team. As we are a small team the drop of a hat.” – there’s only 26 of us in total – we can be flexible with the design and make a product improvement to suit a customer’s needs,” said Andrew Melvelle, CEO of Melvelle Equipment Melvelle. “All the manufacturing is done on site. If compared with ordering a spare part out of market. Recently, the company has been a customer rings up and needs something Europe which can take a couple of weeks. developing the only Australian-made urgently modified, depending on what it is, we When delivering spare parts locally, we can rail tensioner. can turn it around in days if we need to.” have a spare part to a customer within a “Everything in the marketplace is imported With manufacturing done locally, it also couple of hours, depending on where they are when it comes to tensioning track and over means that when Melvelle sends a team to in Australia.” the years our customers have asked us, ‘Why trade shows or industry events, attendees Ensuring that when repairs do need to be don’t you build a tensor?’ We showcased one will not only be speaking with a sales done that they are done correctly, Melvelle’s that we had manufactured at AusRAIL 2019 representative but the product designers engineers are on-hand to provide crucial and the response to it has been phenomenal. as well. product support. Customers are ringing us up asking ‘When are “Every exhibition that we have or are “If customers do have an issue on track with you going to have it in production?” involved in, whether it be AusRAIL or an RTAA our machine or product, we’re happy to talk to “We’re also looking at potentially some ride- field day, we take our engineers with us to the customers. My team have got a lot of track on machines, again it’s customer-driven and those events.” experience, they can talk rail terms and they customer-focused. They want a ride-on that’s The relationship does not end when a can talk specifics about a machine to diagnose for a hot environment so they’re looking at customer purchases a piece of equipment, what a problem is or actually bounce ideas off air-conditioning, and they wanting us to build however. Melvelle provides support, servicing, on how to improve the product.” something bespoke for them,” said Melvelle. and spare parts, with stocks kept locally for Due to this back and forth between With these products now in the process quick deliver. customers and designers, Melvelle is always of development, Melvelle is continuing “We can ship a spare part from Newcastle looking for ways to improve their product its heritage of locally designed rail track into the Pilbara within a couple of days, offering to the Australian and global rail equipment built for the Australian market.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 79 Managing risk through an introduction of industry leading technology, products and services.

Visit us Call us Write to us 168 Campbell St T. + 61 8 9471 5000 [email protected] Belmont, WA 6104 F. + 61 8 9749 1349 www.speno.com.au Research & Development

Cutting out the noise

A sustainable solution for when rail and residences meet, STRAILastic have a smarter noise attenuation solution.

Living near a train line has many benefits. Being able to walk to high-frequency services to hubs means less time spent in traffic and easier connections to destinations that are difficult to drive to, such as airports, CBDs, and stadiums. Being within 400 metres of a train station is thought to increase a property’s value by 4.5 per cent, according to research by Luti Consulting and Mecone Planning. Recognising that the benefits of locating residences close to train station extend beyond individuals to the broader flow of cities, planning authorities have been encouraging increasingly dense residential development within walking distance of transport. In 2017, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around 40 per cent of population growth in Sydney was within 1km of a train or bus station. In Melbourne, the figure is about 30 per cent. While these figures are undoubtedly good for mode shift to public transport and the STRAILastic combines products including mini sound walls, dampers liveability of cities, as more people move close and infill panels to reduce noise. to rail lines noise from trains is becoming a greater community concern. Furthermore, as cities trial 24-hour public transport, especially a sound map of the adjacent area which above the surrounding area, a simple solution on the weekends, the impact of rail noise is presents the volume levels emitted from the is to install the low profile infill panels which being felt by the community. rail corridor. STRAILastic then works closely prevent sound from reaching the community Rod Pomroy has seen how these with the acoustic engineer to determine to below while allowing passengers to look out development trends have brought communities best combinations of treatment to show these from the train over the surrounding area. It closer to rail lines. With an almost 30-year reductions on the acoustic map. can be treated aesthetically by attaching a career in the rail industry, Pomroy, now “A sound map describes visually the impact screen-printed scene on an aluminium panel managing director of STRAILastic Australia, on adjacent buildings from the noise coming attached to the obverse side of the panel wall. has seen the pressures put on rail operators to off the railway line, and then describes the In urban areas where rail lines pass through reduce noise pollution through tighter operator stepped change with first the STRAILastic cuttings or in tunnels underneath homes, the noise licensing from environmental protection dampers, and then the overlay of the mini damper would be used in combination with authorities around Australasia as high rise sound wall and vertical infill panel. This allows the two ripple wall treatments to cut the residential development expands adjacent to the acoustic engineer to recommend the most noise at the source. station nodes. Communities have also raised effective treatment to reduce noise in the area Each product contributes to a noticeable concerns about the visual impacts of large adjacent to the railway line.” reduction in noise levels, said Pomroy. concrete sound barriers along the rail corridors Developed to meet the needs of railway “The web dampers reduce noise by about often covered in graffiti. authorities, the STRAILastic mini sound wall three dBA. Then the mini sound wall or the While the number of people living close to a range were designed to fill a gap in the market vertical panel attached to the bridge parapet rail line and subsequent regulations might have for an economically and environmentally railings will reduce the noise emitted by increased, what actually causes rail noise has sound solution. approximately another four to five dBA, taking remained constant. As a modular system, STRAIlastic is able to the total reduction to eight dBA.” “The majority of noise is from the wheel-rail combine these products to fit the task at hand. Noise through a transom bridge can be interface,” said Pomroy. “It’s that wheel squeal “You only use these solutions where significantly reduced by attaching modified where the flange meets the rail head with the you need to,” said Pomroy. “First you do the STRAIL level crossing panels to seal the area rail head roughness. noise assessment, work out where the major below from the noise on the bridge. To understand the amount of noise that is impact is and then concentrate the noise The precise nature of the STRAILastic coming from the train and into the surrounding attenuation at the particular location.” solution, tailored to the conditions provides residences, acoustic sound engineers construct For example, on railway embankments cost effective and visually appealing solutions

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 81 Research & Development

Where the products have been installed so far, noise measurement has shown a reduction in noise emitted and local residents have often commented on the difference. In Brisbane, STRAILastic installed the dampers at the entrance to the tunnel which adjoins the northern end of the Merivale Bridge. Residents above the tunnel entrance wrote in after the dampers were installed to say they appreciated the difference. “In Germany we’ve have similar letters from people living adjacent to the rail lines saying, ‘Thank you I can now sleep at night’,” said Pomroy.

BUILDING IN NOISE REDUCTION FROM Panels made from vulcanised rubber prevent noise from exiting the corridor. THE START While the systems that STRAILastic has installed in Brisbane and elsewhere reduce for rail operators rather than existing tailored to fit unique demands. the noise impact from existing railways as alternative noise attenuation initiatives of “For example, we have several versions of urban centres densify, new rail projects are large concrete barriers installed alongside the STRAILastic mSW that have been adapted to required to address both vibration and airborne rail line to cut out noise. The large walls can the specific requirement in each country, exactly design within their designs but on some recent be a blunt, expensive solution and create a shaped to the technical envelope,” said Göschl. projects ineffective noise attenuation has led to heavy visual barrier in the community which Ongoing product development to improve post-construction solutions. attracts graffiti. vibration absorption and innovation in “On some recently completed rail projects “STRAILastic has another way of doing it and new surfaces will continue to improve the the designers did a lot of work to try and it’s cheaper and more appealing to the local product’s capabilities. isolate the noise, but it wasn’t effective enough community,” said Pomroy. With their low profile they do not need any and additional treatments such as acoustic What makes STRAILastic more effective is extra planning approvals, unlike larger concrete panels were retrofitted to get the noise the low profile of their unique design which sound walls. Although mounted near the track, to an acceptable level.” allows passengers to see from the train. The the products have been designed to allow for For future projects, noise and vibration ripples in the vulcanised rubber surface trap rail maintenance works. options have been significantly improved and mix the sound waves effectively cancelling The mini sound wall, which is located as through continuing research and development the waves generated close to the kinetic envelope as possible, is efforts with new and modified product range “When the noise hits that the rippled sound mounted at the end of the sleeper and the being developed to meet individual project barrier it disturbs the sound waves back on design enables track machine access through needs. STRAILastic’s in-house design team themselves and so it dissipates it”. the install of gates at regular intervals have recently developed sound-damping Another benefit of the product range is for machinery. panels shaped to the side of tunnels and new environmental. The panels are made from a “Furthermore, we’ve developed a variation combinations of vibration mats and track Optimising railway response times vulcanised rubber mineral mix, which is 70 per of this mini sound wall product where instead isolation that reduces the vibration that passes cent recycled materials, tyres in particular. This of it being on the end of the sleeper, we extend into the surrounding structure. Delivering a reliable and efficient journey experience for Together the Frequentis Operational Communication avoids the significant carbon cost of concrete. that support further out to allow tamping “I just want people to think about it without removing the panels. before they start,” said Pomroy. passengers is key for railway operators. System and Incident Management System support A FIT-FOR-PURPOSE SOLUTION efficient day to day operations as well as prompt incident Designed and manufactured in Germany, By moving away from a reliance on individuals, to the resolution, providing situational awareness, faster STRAILastic rail noise attenuation products use of unified control rooms, operational resources can communication and efficient workflows, all aligned with have been specifically devised to reduce the airborne wheel rail noise. be efficiently managed, allowing for informed decision the latest railway telecommunication standards. Andreas Göschl, business development making and precise communication flows, improving manager at parent company Kraiburg Strail, safety and service continuity. With Frequentis technology operators are put back in the said that the products have been developed driving seat and customer satisfaction is improved. with specific input from rail operators. “We have founded a team of specialists The answer? The integrated Public Transport solution who collect direct information from railway from Frequentis satisfies operational as well as safety authorities in specific countries and through management system requirements. our STRAIL Partner Network, which is active in more than 50 countries, for over 40 years. The team develops solutions based on requirements The solutions have gone through an extensive and rigorous design that come directly from the railway and development process. authorities.” Individual products can also be www.frequentis.com

82 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS Optimising railway response times

Delivering a reliable and efficient journey experience for Together the Frequentis Operational Communication passengers is key for railway operators. System and Incident Management System support efficient day to day operations as well as prompt incident By moving away from a reliance on individuals, to the resolution, providing situational awareness, faster use of unified control rooms, operational resources can communication and efficient workflows, all aligned with be efficiently managed, allowing for informed decision the latest railway telecommunication standards. making and precise communication flows, improving safety and service continuity. With Frequentis technology operators are put back in the driving seat and customer satisfaction is improved. The answer? The integrated Public Transport solution from Frequentis satisfies operational as well as safety management system requirements.

www.frequentis.com Research & Development

Locally grown

As a local manufacturer of rail grinding equipment, Speno Rail Maintenance Australia is providing a complete solution.

Speno rail grinders in operation around Australia and NZ are designed, manufactured, and assembled in Western Australia. While a major provider of grinding equipment and services to the Australasian market, Speno Rail Maintenance Australia (SRMA) is also part of Australia’s rail manufacturing ecosystem, with significant operations in the Perth metro area. To get an understanding of how the company takes an idea through the research and development process to providing a customer with a final solution, Rail Express spoke with Speno’s general manager Mark Green and technical manager Justin Tysoe. travel through For every project that Speno works on, densely populated the impetus to design and build a new areas there is less piece of equipment comes from the specific room for large equipment and requirements of each individual client, creating machinery. In addition, as the name suggests, Speno uses digital tools to design rail grinders such as this truck-based, purpose-built bespoke machines. Recently, with the weight that light rail track can carry is utility switch grinder. more light rail networks becoming operational reduced. around Australia, Tysoe’s team were tasked to “The rail grinder has got to be narrower and components simultaneously,” said Tysoe. come up with a solution for this expanding lighter because unlike something designed The computer-based design tools also utilise genre of the market. for heavy haul railways, where they’re running the database that Speno has built up after “Currently we are designing a new mini 40-tonne axle loads, now you want to run on half a century of operating in Australia so that grinder – a truck-based, utility switch grinder.” a network where they’ve got 15-tonne axle rather than starting from scratch, experience The truck-mounted design is an extremely loads,” said Tysoe. and expertise are designed into each product. flexible solution, capable of complying to “You’ve got to have smaller, lighter “If it’s a completely new concept, we build a client’s specifications. The key advantage equipment to be able to run on those light a prototype and evaluate it in the real world, behind the truck-mounted utility switch grinder, rail networks. These are completely different so that you get a tactile feel for it, but a lot of when compared to a rail-bound switch grinder, scenarios, which is also why we do a lot of the the times you’re working on the experience of is that the truck is able to access track and R&D in Australia.” things that you’ve done in the past,” said Tysoe. complete the grind with minimal interruptions Environmental requirements must be taken “A lot of the work that we’ll do is evolution, to train running, where a rail-bound switch into account when designing a new machine, as rather than revolution.” grinder must travel on track and have train complying to the regulations is critical for the With a design now firmly determined, Speno paths booked – consuming revenue train paths. sustainability of the country and business. turns to its manufacturing partners to finalise One of the challenges for traditional With these requirements in mind, the next the product design. grinders working on light rail networks is the stage for Speno is to develop a concept model. “Anything that can be manufactured in increase in grade. Using digital design tools, Tysoe and the Australia we manufacture in Australia,” “If you take a traditional rail network, they’re manufacturing team create mock-ups of the said Tysoe. “We work closely with different normally only at two to three per cent grade,” equipment prior to assembly. engineering companies and fabrication said Tysoe. “When you are looking now at light “We do a vast amount of 3D modelling companies nationally, and we currently rail, we’re looking at some much higher grades and engineering. Before we make anything, utilise over 150 local suppliers.” – up to seven per cent. That gives completely we might look at many different ideas then different requirements for traction systems.” design and refine them until you get to a KEEPING THE END GOAL IN MIND Another challenge is the reduced kinetic design to manufacture. The 3D model allows Throughout the design process, the end envelope. As vehicles on light rail tracks us to look at the interaction of various goal of the functionality of the equipment is

84 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS always front of mind. As Green explains, the design and engineering are only as good as All Speno rail grinders in operation the outcome it can produce. around Australia and New Zealand are manufactured and assembled in WA. “Every operator’s desire is to perform as much maintenance on track as they can in the least amount of time, and that’s where the R&D is really driven from; the need to get on track and off track as quickly as possible, grind as accurately as possible, and provide the desired level of service for the client.” In the 17 years that Tysoe has been with Speno, the focus on improving each product to meet these demands has been measurable. “When I first started, we would be grinding at about 5km/h and doing three to six passes. Now, we have machines that can grind and do the entire profile in one pass at 25km/h. You’ve gone from a three-hour window where you might be lucky if you did two to three kilometres to now doing 75km in the same window.” For Speno, the work that is performed on the equipment in the workshop is about maximising the amount of time a client’s railway is able to be productive. Speno has been at the forefront of working closely with their clients to achieve desirable, easy “We do a vast amount of 3D modelling and to apply and maintain solutions, resulting engineering. Before we make anything, we in tangible successes for both companies and the partnership. might look at many different ideas then “For every hour that you are on track conducting maintenance, that’s an hour that design and refine them until you get to a our clients are not moving rollingstock on track, whether that be passengers or freight,” design to manufacture.” said Tysoe. “A reduction in track time equates to productivity improvements for the client.” While improvements to the machinery and Justin Tysoe, technical manager, Speno the way that it operates is part of achieving this goal, current work within Speno is LOCAL KNOWLEDGE – INTERNATIONAL the same level of quality assurance and also looking at how to utilise digital data BACKING responsibility, we must perform to exceptional to improve the efficiency of maintenance Speno’s operations in Australia are supported standards to support our client’s operational activities. However, said Green, the approach by the global heft of Speno International. requirements,” said Green. that Speno takes is one that provides Headquartered in Switzerland, the company In Australia, while governance and support the complete solution from inception to has subsidiaries in Japan and Italy, in addition comes from the international parent company, operation and beyond. to SRMA, and provides rail grinding services Speno is proud to be part of Australia’s “Many companies find managing and to a wide range of railways, including high- manufacturing landscape with Australian interpreting data challenging, and as such do speed rail and heavy haul networks in Japan designed, manufactured and locally supported not fully benefit from the significant value and Europe. equipment and personnel. adding potential, correct data and analytics “The name ‘Speno’ is renowned “The advantage of having something locally can add to their business and assets. Speno internationally for quality and precision, a built is that we can support it,” said Tysoe. has taken the approach with our R&D of reputation well deserved through decades “If you’ve got a problem we’re here, we’re in not providing large volumes of data to our of determination and focus on being Australia, we can manufacture the components clients to sort through to find the answer. the best. Countries such as Japan and here, using Australian-based people”. Our aim is to provide the best solution from Switzerland, where they are operating high- “As we have experienced with COVID 19, that data. Everything that we’re doing here is speed passenger networks, would not take with overseas trade and travel restrictions, aimed at assisting the client’s understanding unnecessary risks with quality, reliability, and the value of having a local manufacturer and of the condition of their network, at safety by engaging a service provider who supplier of rail equipment has become more commencement through to completion, using does not deliver to the highest standards. important than ever for the success of the a data analytics solution.” SRMA’s ethics and operations stem from Australian rail networks,” said Green.

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Contact: Ben Griffiths 2021 [email protected] Research & Development

National approach to rail innovation needed: report The rail manufacturing industry in Australia has been held back by diverging state policies, but with a national pipeline of work coordination will pay dividends, a new report finds.

Australia has the opportunity like never before to harness the current project pipeline to improve rail manufacturing productivity, a new report has found. The report, Finding the fast track for innovation in the Australasian rail industry, authored by L.E.K. Consulting on behalf of the Australasian Railway Association (ARA), highlights that rail innovation needs to be a national priority, and not fragmented between different state-based policies. Caroline Wilkie, CEO of the ARA, said that the current investment in rail plus the renewed federal focus on manufacturing meant that the conditions were right for a rail manufacturing resurgence. “The rail industry is expected to invest $155 billion in the next 15 years and we have to make that investment count,” Wilkie said. “The world-first introduction of autonomous trains in the Pilbara region is just one example that shows Australia has the capability to lead the way on Australia has the opportunity to rail innovation. become an innovative manufacturing “But the policy settings must be right to hub for rail, but national coordination support innovation and technology adoption is needed. across the industry at a whole.” Wilkie said that despite Australia having the UK had a national rail innovation new models to support ongoing innovation,” a large market for rail and the required bodies which drove local investment into said Stuart Thomson, CEO of the Rail network size, differing policies on local world-leading technology. Manufacturing CRC. content in various states meant that the With the closure of the Rail The report highlights four ongoing local manufacturing industry would struggle Manufacturing CRC earlier in 2020, challenges for the rail industry. These to compete. the Australian rail industry has lacked include the need for national harmonisation, “The international experience has shown government funding and a national body for industry co-investment in R&D, the support that where governments lead a focus on innovation specific to rail. The report found for a culture of innovation, and the need to rail innovation, private investment follows,” that Australia was also falling behind in secure future funding for rail R&D. she said. comparison to other countries, with only one “There exist significant opportunities for “We have the projects in the pipeline per cent of the world’s rail patents in 2019 the sector to increase local manufacturing, and we have the network scale to make rail coming from Australia. develop supply chains and to train and innovation a real success. In a report released at the beginning educate a highly skilled workforce, however “All we need now is for a true of this week, the Rail Manufacturing CRC Government intervention and support will national focus to bring government and reviewed projects that it had completed be required,” the report highlights. industry together to make the most of and highlighted the potential for Wilkie said that the industry was at a this opportunity.” further innovation. critical juncture. With such a fragmented market, Australia “Australia’s research sector is world class “We run the real risk of being saddled was actually spending more per capita and there exist many opportunities for with an inefficient, outdated rail network on rail than countries such as Japan the rail sector to utilise Australia’s R&D if we don’t support greater innovation and the UK where rail manufacturing capabilities. With the closure of the Rail and technology adoption to deliver the formed a significant part of the local Manufacturing CRC, there will be a need for best possible outcomes for Australian rail industry. However, both Japan and both government and industry to consider rail users.”

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 87 2021 SPECIAL FEATURES

RAIL IN 2021

As the end of 2020 rapidly approaches, now is the time to set your business up for success in 2021. WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU With 11 print edition delivered to the doors of key ISSUE 11 | DECEMBER 2020 decision makers in the rail industry throughout the year, Rail Express is the ideal platform for companies looking to grow their exposure in a dynamic market. Below is our features list for 2021. To get involved in one or more of these special A fully integrated Smart Public Information features get in touch with us today. ECOsystem - SEE PAGE 26 REGULARS: • Rollingstock & Manufacturing

Improving safety culture on megaprojects Mark Campbell takes • Major Projects & Infrastructure over the reins at ARTC PAGE 90 SYSTRA's approach on Grand Paris Express PAGE 52 PAGE 34 • Operations & Maintenance

SUPPORTED BY: • Safety & Major Incidents

FEBRUARY Light Rail MARCH Intermodal APRIL Contractor Capabilities Showcase MAY Digitalisation, Design & Digital Twins JUNE Sustainability CONTACT JULY Signalling OLIVER PROBERT AUGUST Condition Monitoring BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, SEPTEMBER Legal & Compliance RAIL EXPRESS OCTOBER Plant, Machinery & Equipment 02 9439 7227 | 0435 946 869 NOVEMBER Workforce [email protected] DECEMBER AusRAIL, Research & Development

AUSTRALIA’S LEADING BUSINESS TO BUSINESS RAIL PUBLICATION 2021 SPECIAL FEATURES Standards & Regulation

Getting it right, together

With organisations across the rail industry moving ahead in their Project i-TRACE journey, now is not the time to be left behind.

If 2019 was the year to get on board, and operators from around Australia outlined RAIL IN 2020 was the year to get moving, by 2021 the their expectations when it came to supplier train has clearly departed the Project i-TRACE compliance. Tony Anetts, associate director station. The project to introduce barcodes supply chain at Sydney Trains, put it most 2021 across the rail industry has already taken definitively, highlighting that, “We are not significant steps, with some operators now going to enter into a contract or an extension including GS1 compliance in new contracts and of a contract if you are not on the i-TRACE As the end of 2020 rapidly approaches, now is the contract extensions with existing suppliers. journey. As much as we can, we are going to time to set your business up for success in 2021. The Project i-TRACE journey is broken up find someone who is going to play in this space into several stations. So far, businesses should because it is our future.” WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU With 11 print edition delivered to the doors of key have progressed through the first four; project The message from other operators was also ISSUE 11 | DECEMBER 2020 Rail manufacturers can choose the decision makers in the rail industry throughout overview, rail guideline, supplier workshop, clear, with organisations such as V/Line having labelling solution that best suits them. the year, Rail Express is the ideal platform for and business case. brought their warehouses and depots in line companies looking to grow their exposure in a “Suppliers to the rail industry should now with Project i-TRACE compliant barcodes and have left station 5: join GS1 so they can start identification throughout. have their unique identifiers recognised across dynamic market. assigning globally unique identifiers to parts, For major operators, the opportunity to their customer-base and throughout the supply components, and assets,” said Michiel Ruighaver, achieve end to end traceability offered by chain. For example, a major steel manufacturer Below is our features list for 2021. senior account manager - freight, logistics and barcodes with unique identifiers is essential. which supplies to a rail clip manufacturer To get involved in one or more of these special industrial sectors at GS1. Not only does the GS1 process standardise both implemented GS1 standards on their A fully integrated Smart While all members of the rail industry will data between suppliers, contractors, operators, products. Now, instead of following manual or Public Information features get in touch with us today. ECOsystem be on their individual Project i-TRACE journey, and others, but it enables operators to move paper-based processes, material identification - SEE PAGE 26 REGULARS: they are not alone. An array of online resources towards the digitalisation of the rail industry. is digitised and automated to track and trace is available through the GS1 website, including With over $100 billion being invested in rail product efficiently, saving time and money. • Rollingstock & Manufacturing free webinars, self-paced video tutorials, over the next 10 years, operators have indicated With the next stages of the Project i-TRACE and dedicated rail industry training sessions. it is crucial to get everyone on the same page journey involving decisions on matching Improving safety culture on megaprojects • Major Projects & Infrastructure Mark Campbell takes In addition, GS1 staff are there to assist from the start and set up the industry for virtual data to physical products, suppliers can over the reins at ARTC PAGE 90 SYSTRA's approach on Grand Paris Express PAGE 52 along the way. future success. Transformational changes are be assured that there is a solution that will PAGE 34 • Operations & Maintenance All these tools are there for suppliers to not going to be possible without barcoding. suit them. SUPPORTED BY: • Safety & Major Incidents meet the requirements of operators who are Laying the building blocks of barcoding on “The manufacturers of parts, components and increasingly encouraging if not mandating the materials being put in place over the next assets are best suited to determine what data compliance with GS1. At a recent webinar, 10 years sets the industry up well for benefits should be encoded into the barcodes to support FEBRUARY Light Rail in the future years. their customers across the supply chain,” said MARCH Intermodal Ruighaver concurred, noting that Ruighaver. “For example, a manufacturer of a barcodes provide a baseline for future weld kit needs to not only identify the item but APRIL Contractor Capabilities Showcase industry developments. also encode the expiry date as this is critical MAY Digitalisation, Design & Digital Twins “The unique identification of parts, information for their customers. A manufacturer components and assets is the foundation of a rail spike would not encode an expiry JUNE Sustainability for improved inventory management, date on the box but would encode the batch it CONTACT JULY Signalling predictive maintenance, asset management belongs to, in the event of a possible recall.” and traceability. Operators are relying Those taking the next steps on their Project OLIVER PROBERT AUGUST Condition Monitoring on manufacturers to mark their parts i-TRACE journey can also know that the and components with GS1 globally standards have been globally tried and tested, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, SEPTEMBER Legal & Compliance unique identification at the time of and is business as usual practice in fields such RAIL EXPRESS OCTOBER Plant, Machinery & Equipment manufacture,” he said. as retail, healthcare, and transport. The benefits of moving forward on this “GS1 has been assisting industries for over 02 9439 7227 | 0435 946 869 NOVEMBER Workforce process will also flow through to suppliers. 45 years to improve business and supply DECEMBER AusRAIL, Research & Development The open nature of the GS1 standards means chain processes across many industries,” said [email protected] that investment now is future proofed, with Ruighaver. “Subsequently, the rail industry suppliers not locked into a particular type benefits from the experience of other Barcodes will enable traceability and of technology. In addition, with GS1 being a industries and can use what has already been the further digitalisation of rail. global standard recognised by ISO, suppliers developed and hit the ground running. No that sell products into multiple industries will need to re-invent the wheel.” AUSTRALIA’S LEADING BUSINESS TO BUSINESS RAIL PUBLICATION WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 89 Don’t miss an issue, subscribe today. railexpress.com.au/subscribe

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ISSUE 11 | DECEMBER 2020 WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU and a vital tool for all people working in and around the rail sector.

Rail Express is Australia’s authoritative business to business rail publication.

A fully integrated Smart Combining the resources of our respected journalism team Public Information and our unparalleled industry contacts and affiliations, ECOsystem Rail Express provides extensive, comprehensive and - SEE PAGE 26 balanced coverage of breaking news and trends in key areas like infrastructure, investment, government policy, regulatory

SYSTRA's approach on Mark Campbell Improving issues and technical innovation. Grand Paris Express takes over the safety culture on PAGE 34 reins at ARTC megaprojects PAGE 52 PAGE 90 Published both in print and digitally every month, Rail Express is SUPPORTED BY: the only publication to have both the official endorsement and active participation of the main railway associations in Australia and the broad support of the rail industry. The only way to ensure you get every copy of Rail Express is to subscribe today. Visit railexpress.com.au/subscribe.

AUSTRALIA’S LEADING BUSINESS TO BUSINESS RAIL PUBLICATION Plant, Machinery & Equipment

From the ground up

Monitor Lifts’ RR14 EVO Rail-Road Boomlift is providing fast and safe aerial access to the rail industry.

Introduced into Australia in 2011, the RR14 EVO motor, basket rotator, booms, and jib. (Mobile EWP’s) and AS/RISSB 7502:2016 (Road rail-road boomlift has proven itself as a strong The RR14 EVO provides up to 9.3 metres Rail Vehicles). and reliable EWP. of horizontal outreach, making it extremely The latest models feature direct hydraulic/ Manufactured by Platform Basket in Italy efficient for all applications. hydrostatic drive and 4-wheel steer for the originally for the UK market, the RR14 EVO The large basket size is now rated to 3 ultimate traction and manoeuvrability. There is has been designed from the ground-up as a persons/400kg. This basket is deeper than also an option of an 18km/hr drive speed dedicated rail boomlift. This is not a machine usual baskets, not just wider, providing good on rail. that has been modified to go on rail. As such, it space for the operators to move. The shape An advanced diagnostic system is located at has some very significant advantages. of the basket is also ideal for working in and both the basket and ground controls providing Uniquely, the turret is self-levelling. This around rail infrastructure. operators and technicians a high level provides excellent performance and stability The tri-gauge design allows the RR14 of technical data. due to its ability to level on cants of up to EVO to adapt to all Australian & New Zealand The rail gear has a high stowed height eight degrees. The levelling turret means rail gauges and has been approved for use which overcomes the restrictions some the operators always have a level platform in all states. machines have in accessing inclines, ramps on to work in. The new RR14 EVO has an option of Euro delivery vehicles, etc. The levelling turret also reduces side loads 5 engines which with the exhaust purifier are Another detail is the auxiliary diesel engine on mechanical parts such as the slew ideal for use in tunnels. A new hybrid version for emergency recovery. This is not just a is also available for true “zero-emissions” battery-operated pump or a remote device. applications and whisper-quiet running. The emergency recovery procedure on some With 15 years of continuous service on machines can be long and complicated. The Network Rail in UK and Europe, and nine simplicity and speed of the RR14 EVO auxiliary years in Australia, the RR14 EVO has diesel engine wins hands down. earnt a reputation for strength Manual slew lockouts are standard and allow and reliability. safe operation beside a live line. There is also Monitor Lifts have a boom elevation lockout to allow travel under certified all versions live overhead power. in Australia & An optional pantograph is available, and NZ to AS/NZ uniquely this is mounted to the chassis (not 1418.10 mounted to the boom) which allows the booms to slew without interfering with the pantograph operation. And as with all specialised EWPs supplied by Monitor Lifts, experienced Monitor RR14 EVO technicians are based in our capital cities and a large stock of spare parts are held in Australia for fast after-sales support.

For further information, visit www.monitor. net.au or call 1800 025 024.

THe RR14 EVO is a boomlift designed for rail.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 91 Safety & Assurance

All on track work has been carried out under LPAs or TPAs, to remove the element of risk.

Establishing a new safety norm Australasia’s current array of major projects have the opportunity to set improved standards for safety across the industry. John Langron explained how Sydney Metro is putting this into practice.

In John Langron’s four-and-a-half-decade Langron said that the current crop of major there’s an opportunity to do things differently. career in rail, a lot has changed. Speaking at projects have the opportunity to set improved “It’s really worth putting the effort in the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board safety norms. up-front to set sites up properly, so you can (RISSB) 2020 Rail Safety Conference, Langron For a multibillion-dollar project such as separate them physically with hoardings from – who is now rail safety manager for the City & Sydney Metro, this opportunity begins at the the live rail environment, you can provide safe Southwest stage of Sydney Metro – reflected on design stage. access for workers to and from different parts just how far the industry has progressed when “There’s an opportunity right at the earliest of the site without having to cross live tracks it comes to safety. stages to plan alignments, station locations, to make it more robust in terms of how you “On my first day on the railways back in 1974, to improve the safety during construction and manage safety on those sites,” said Langron. I turned up at Transport House above Wynyard then the eventual operation. Also, if you’re Other benefits can be gained by developing Station and there’s a bank of elevators there designing something from scratch, you can standard processes. Track possession and every lift had a person operating a lift. I design into the infrastructure the ability to be arrangements, for example, can be repeated noticed over the next few days, everybody that able to construct it safely as well as operate or follow standard configurations to not only was there operating the lift had an arm or a leg it safely.” improve efficiency, but encourage a higher level that was amputated.” At an operational level, Langron describes of safety control. The flip side to this, however, Langron asked his supervisor at the time why that Sydney Metro can “change the is to guard against complacency. this was the case and was told that those who benchmark for customer safety” through the “The downside of having staff turn up to one were operating the lifts had been injured in use of technology such as driverless trains, site for long periods of time is that they can trackwork incidents. platform screen doors, and removing the gap become complacent, these sites do change from “It was a real shock to think that it was between the platform and the train. day to day and workers need to be aware of almost accepted, that people working in a very “Those sorts of things will actually lead to what’s going on at all times,” said Langron. dangerous environment would every now and a significant change in safety for everybody,” then become injured or worse and that was just he said. ELEVATING SAFETY DURING the way it was. People nowadays would think Decisions made at the planning stage that PROJECT DELIVERY that’s totally unacceptable and it’s certainly can also have a positive impact on safety are Moving from the planning into the construction nowhere near safe enough.” those that are made in terms of construction phase of the project, Langron said that With rail now having come a long way from methodologies. With major sites that will be in Sydney Metro had implemented a number the standards that were accepted in the 1970s, use for years while construction is underway, of protocols and practices that would set a

92 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS concrete boxes were fabricated offsite before of new organisations and project delivery being lifted into position and filled with authorities, a new culture of safety can be concrete during a possession. This avoided the established from the top down, said Langron. need for scaffolding and formwork in a live “You’ve got the opportunity there to rail environment. establishing the culture that you want “By making those changes you can with people as they come in, rather than in reduce the risk profile quite significantly,” established organisations where you’ve got said Langron. to change what’s already there. We’ve had The final focus is separation, in this case, the opportunity to creating the culture that separating people and equipment from trains. Sydney Metro wants, and health and safety In some cases, this has been achieved through have been a huge part of that.” temporary fencing and in places where larger To formalise this establishment of a safety machinery is being used, more substantial culture across the organisation, various jersey barriers have been installed along programs have been instated, and Langron with weldmesh fencing. The requirements for pointed to the success of two of these. The this kind of separation are then written into Sydney Metro Orientation Training program contracts with companies that are on site instructs every person who joins Metro in the completing works. values of the organisation, while the Sydney For major worksites, further separation Metro Industry Curriculum, delivered with has been implemented for the benefit of Registered Training Organisations, provides workers and nearby customers. At Central soft skills training for higher risk roles such station, a 4.5-metre-high hoarding has been as Protection Officers. Those in the program new standard for safety. erected between the project site and the live go through a five-day training course covering Before entering each site, every worker has rail environment immediately adjacent. This areas such as safety critical communication, to pass through a compliance process. not only prevents equipment from slewing problem solving, decision making, and “There’s breath testing, there’s a swipe card into the path of an oncoming train but risk management. for the Rail Industry Worker cards and then they reduces dust and noise pollution for those These programs establish a new level go through the turnstiles. Nobody can get into standing on the platform. of safety culture that once Sydney Metro the site unless they’ve done those preliminary is complete or as employees move on to checks, that’s probably a step above what DRIVING A CULTURAL SHIFT other organisations is spread throughout the you’d expect to see on a normal maintenance Behind each of these policies and procedures rail industry. job or a short term job, but it does give us a is a shift in the way that rail authorities “The bottom line is that we want to more robust way of managing those minimum approach safety. With major projects like remove all excuses for unsafe behaviour,” requirements,” said Langron. Sydney Metro involving the establishment said Langron. Across the project more broadly, safety controls can be categorised as following an elimination, substitution, or separation process. The profile of a major project such as Sydney Metro allows for new ways of working and In the elimination process, the goal is to safety cultures to be established. eliminate the risk. In the example of rail worker electrocution, which is a risk when working in a live rail environment such as the site at Central Station, effort has been made to eliminate the risk entirely. “Sydney Metro took a bold decision in 2017 to stop the use of Absolute Signal Blocking (ASB) and Lookout Working. That drove worksite protection up to the highest levels, and specifically Local Possession Authority or Track Occupancy Authority. Over the past three years, all live rail work has been able to be carried out predominantly under Local Possession Authorities as a result of rigorous forward planning and great support from Sydney Trains,” said Langron. In the area of substitution, Langron explained how traditional construction methods could be substituted for safer methods that reduced the exposure to risk. An example of this was the construction of concrete piers to support the truck access bridge into the Central Station site. Precast

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 93 Safety & Assurance

RISSB in 2020: Reflecting on the last 12 months The past year has seen RISSB enhance its role as industry’s partner in co-regulation.

Working hand in hand with industry, the Rail of its first ever light rail Standard and we are RISSB’s Rail Safety Conference broke previous Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) working on other products tailor-made for the attendance records attracting nearly 250 has expanded its range of Standards, Codes light rail sector. people to its twentieth event. During the of Practice, Guidelines, and Rules for the rail RISSB’s national recognition and reputation conference we launched our Occupational Australasia’s largest dedicated industry in Australia and New Zealand, and has is growing. As previously reported in Rail Work Health and Safety Survey which added more technical documents to its library Express, we know industry is using RISSB we will make available to industry in the of more than 200 publications with the recent products more than ever. Our 2020 Take Up coming months. bulk handling conference & exhibition addition of AS 7651 - Axle Counters, AS 7658 Survey showed extensive industry use of both RISSB has extended its membership benefits - Level crossings – rail industry requirements products and services with more than 90 at the same time as reducing its fees and in and AS 7664 - Railway signalling cable routes, per cent of survey respondents saying that 2019/20, our membership grew by 35 per cent, cable pits, and foundations. This year, most they use RISSB products (Standards, Codes of our largest one-year growth ever. importantly, the National Rules were published, Practice, Guidelines, and Rules) and services RISSB continues to explore options for a first step in developing national rules for the (conferences, forums, training, and programs) in broader industry involvement in fulfilling roles rail industry. some way. and responsibilities in the rail industry. At the Exhibition space During 2020, we reviewed the way we Industry demand has led to RISSB’s training same time, we are continually introducing develop our work plan, engaging with CEOs and programs being expanded with new courses new initiatives based on industry needs and senior executives as well as technical leaders being developed that will be made available feedback we have, and will, continue to receive. in the industry to incorporate both business through face-to-face delivery, online or a Recently, we launched our Priority Planning and technical priorities. Consequently, RISSB’s combination of both. Process inviting anyone with an interest in work plan now includes a range of major The new MasterClass webinar series the rail industry to submit an idea for a new projects, identified by industry as critical to rail commenced in April 2020 and has proved publication or project by December 11, 2020. NOW ON SALE safety, including track worker safety and train to be very popular with nearly 5,000 people We also invited applications for Horizons control interoperability. Engagement in the watching the first suite of presentations. Program 3.0 – our flagship engagement development of publications also improved, Based on its initial success, RISSB will program for young professionals aged 35 resulting in broader industry representation on continue to offer webinars in the new year years and under. MELBOURNE IN CONJUNCTION WITH Development Groups. RISSB is also playing a beginning in February 2021. Podcasts have RISSB continues to enhance its value to lead role in the planning and implementation been added to our digital offer, with our new industry and is committed to working with the of activities involving harmonisation and RISSB Conversations podcast series launched broader rail community to make our industry interoperability in the National Rail Action Plan. in November. safer, more efficient and to provide the support 14-16 APRIL 2021 In 2020, RISSB commenced development With a bold new two-day virtual format, the rail industry needs going forward.

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Continuing to recognise excellence amid disruption The RTAA has kept up its calendar of events throughout 2020, with more opportunities to engage and connect in 2021.

RTAA is a rail industry technical organisation that serves individuals and organisations interested in understanding and furthering the rail track industry and includes suppliers, machinery manufacturers, contractors and other support industries. The RTAA has a proud history and has been in existence for over 45 years serving its members with conferences, Field Days and meetings. The impact of COVID has meant a rethink on how the RTAA can serve its members and the rail track industry. While face to face meetings are not currently being held, the RTAA has commenced holding Webinars on various topics and this will continue through to March 2021. These can be viewed on the RTAA website in case you RTAA technical committee chairperson miss the live presentation. Peter Milton received the rail career Jerome Pun won the Emerging achievement award. RTAA announced the winner of Emerging Rail Specialist award. Rail Specialist at the annual Australasian Rail Industry Awards in October. The winner the bridge standard and how this produces inclusion in rail. Details of the award and was Jerome Pun from Monash Institute a conservative design. The author provides judging criteria will be posted on the of Railway Technology (IRT). The award an alternative approach the design which RTAA website shortly. includes attendance at an international rail will produce what is considered to be a more The RTAA Annual Dinner in collaboration or transport conference. Also congratulations appropriate output. Rail grinding is now an with the NSW Chapter of the Rail Technical to our other finalists for this award, Jonathan accepted maintenance practice that extends Society of Australasia (RTSA) was postponed Mendes, Bombardier Transportation, Nathan the life of rail by careful management of rail in 2020 due to COVID. A date in 2021 is being Atkins, Rio Tinto, Opinderjit Samra, Arup and head and the paper by Speno looks at the gaps finalised to host this event in Sydney. The Sean O’Halloran, MTM. in the current standards and the expected winner of the RTAA Diversity and Inclusion At the same ceremony, the RTAA technical quality of the finished product. Award will be presented at the Annual Dinner. committee chairperson, Peter Milton received The other two papers cover a range of Due to the impact of COVID, the RTAA Field the 2020 Australasian Rail Industry’s Rail Career topics including the use and analysis of data Day, held in conjunction with Sydney Trains, Achievement Award. Peter has worked in the to provide data driven maintenance, the has now been moved to mid-2022. The site rail industry for 45 years and has been an active role of the independent verifiers in project of the Field Day is also moving to a location member of the RTAA for many years. Peter delivery and the improvement of the safety within the existing rail facilities at Chullora has been working with the other members of trackworkers in multi track environments. which will provide an area suitable for both of the RTAA technical committee selecting These six papers will all be presented in two displays and demonstrations. The Field Day and reviewing papers for the 2020 AusRAIL sessions at the Ausrail virtual conference in committee is meeting to work out the site conference. A diverse selection of papers was December 2020. detail and layout and further information will reviewed and the final selection will cover The RTAA Diversity and Inclusion Award be provided during 2021. a range of topics that will interest the RTAA will again be awarded in 2021. The RTAA 2020 will certainly be a year that everyone audience. Some papers such as the use of Hemp has recognised the need to promote diverse will remember and how well we all adapted in the manufacture of sleepers are meant to workplaces by making the promotion of diverse to a new way of working. The RTAA will provide alternatives approaches to the current workplaces as one of the key priority areas. The continue to provide support to its members sleepers designs and materials. RTAA Diversity and Inclusion Award recognise over the next few years and looks forward Another paper describes the design of the the outstanding achievements of members to achieving 50 years of support to the rail rail track on pedestals in rail car depots uses in the promotion of diversity and workplace track industry in 2023.

96 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS Industry Associations

Welcome to COVID normal, and here is why we need it to stay COVID-19 broke down long standing curfew policy barriers in record time because they made sense to both the supply chain industry and communities alike, writes ALC CEO Kirk Coningham.

The standard government process to solutions, recommended by industry experts. addressing a problem or opportunity is to The new ‘COVID-normal’ approach has develop policy, implement that policy through delivered other benefits. It has exposed regulation and/or legislation, then give government decision makers to the industry the opportunity to address it through professionalism, “can do” attitudes and high- a Regulatory Impact Statement. COVID turned calibre people that are fundamental to our this on its head as the deep experience and industry. This has justifiably, and dramatically, understanding of industry was engaged from increased the trust of senior bureaucrats, the beginning. Helping address the problem or political leaders and governments in the opportunity and working together to deliver our industry. sensible solutions. Through this mechanism we can move When meaningful collaboration is the start beyond old-school default positions including of the process, as demonstrated throughout those that unhelpfully immediately prioritise COVID, benefits fall to everyone. the movement of people over freight. What Take the curfews example. The problem the COVID experience has shown us is that was too much noise, the early solution was to there are many circumstances in which the ban delivery at certain times or restrict access, movement of people is far less critical than particularly around residential areas. the movement of freight. Australian Logistics Council CEO, Kirk Coningham. Fast forward to 2020. If governments and We must bank the trust dividend and ensure Industry consulted on the same problem open conversations and collaboration across today the sensible resolution wouldn’t require ministries and governments extend into the Governments and industry came together regulation or legislation that ultimately costs future. As has been amply demonstrated during the COVID-19 crisis in ways that few the economy dearly. Modern demands would throughout this crisis, we achieve great things could have ever imagined let alone predicted. be met with modern remedies. These could working together. COVID normal is here to stay. Empty supermarket shelves panicked the nation include the use of much quieter electric The benefits, hard won during the most difficult and the cry was heard to quickly consult and vehicles and changing regulations on noisy of times, must be preserved and put to work as collaborate with industry to ensure essential reversing alarms by engaging new and widely Australia grows its way out of a recession with supply for all Australian consumers. available technologies like reversing cameras the full and essential support of the supply The outcome for our industry was that and proximity sensors. Sensible industry led chain industry. freight continued to cross state boarders and into communities. Where others grappled with enduring obstacles, the freight industry worked New solutions to old issues were incredibly closely with governments to, quite rolled out during COVID-19, and can create permanent change. literally, continue to deliver. Welcome to COVID normal. The supply chain industry is now in a greatly enhanced position. It has achieved high levels of trust and quality relationships with governments, extending across a broader range of Federal and State departments (including Home Affairs and Treasury) to table once difficult and long-drawn out discussions. ALC is now calling on government to hold on to this new COVID normal and establish a formal process to collaborate with industry at the beginning of the policy development process – not the end.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 97 Contracts in brief

The latest contracts, EOIs, and tenders

NATIONAL AW Edwards will build the station, as Armadale Station will also be expanded Contract awarded for Narrabri to North Star well as two entrances, footpaths, lighting, for longer trains, and the project will include construction retail space, improvements to pedestrian a new Australind platform and an extended The Trans4m Rail joint venture has been and cyclist safety, and enabling works for pedestrian overpass. Armadale’s bus station announced as the successful contractor for over-station developments. will also undergo an upgrade. the construction of Inland Rail between The station will be located 25 metres Narrabri and North Star. below ground in the excavated station cavern. Contractors sought for Inner Armadale Line The $693 million contract includes Lifts and escalators will connect the two level crossing removals upgrading 171km of existing track. A entrances, one on the Pacific Highway and one The request for proposals process has begun contract for phase two, including 15km of on Clarke Street, to the platforms. for the removal of three level crossings on the track upgrade and 2.3km of new track, will Retail space will be created around the Inner Armadale Line in Perth. be awarded separately. Clarke Street entry and in future along the Contractors are being sought for a $415m Trans4m rail is a joint venture between Pacific Highway. Local transport connections combined package of works that involves John Holland and SEE Civil. Lendlease and including pedestrian crossings, bike parking the removal of crossings at Oats Street, another joint venture RailFirst, made up of and paths, kiss and ride, and point to Mint Street, and Welshpool Road and the Downer EDI and Seymour White, had also point drop off points are also part of the construction of an elevated rail line. been shortlisted for the contract. project scope. New stations at Oats Street and Carlisle Construction is expected to begin in January will form part of the alliance contracts. Preliminary design contract awarded for 2021 to be completed in 2023. Part of the contract will involve the southern NSW sections of Inland Rail A separate tender process will be held for creation of well-designed public spaces The contract to carry out reference design the over-station developer. Further community beneath the raised section of the Inner and accompanying primary approvals feedback will be sought on the over-station Armadale line. documentation on two sections of the Inland development package. A contract is expected to be awarded Rail project has been awarded. in 2021. WSP Australia will carry out the work on QLD the Albury to Illabo and Stockinbingal to Contractor announced for Gold Coast Light RFPs for Midland Station relocation project Parkes sections. Rail Stage 3 construction The project will involve decommissioning and The tenders for the first packages of John Holland has been nominated as the demolishing the existing Midland Station and construction work will follow reference preferred contractor to deliver stage three of the construction of a new station between design and planning approvals. This is the Gold Coast Light Rail. Helena Street and Cale Street. expected in late 2021. The $709m joint local, state, and federally The project will be procured through an funded project, will extend the light rail line alliance model. Three consortiums move to RFP stage for to Burleigh Heads from its current terminus in Gowrie to Kagaru PPP Broadbeach. NZ The successful consortium will win the John Holland prevailed as the successful Contracts awarded for track and systems contract to build the 6.2km tunnel through contractor over two competing joint ventures, works on CRL the Toowoomba Range, connecting Inland one of CPB Contractors and Seymour Whyte Known as C5 and C7, the contracts have been Rail to the Brisbane outskirts, as well as Constructions and another between Fulton awarded to delivery consortium Link Alliance 121.8km of above-ground track. Hogan and UGL. and are within the existing project budget. The three consortiums are; Captsone, Stage three is expected to be completed C5 primarily involves the connection including CPB Contractors, Ghella, UGL, in 2023 and adds eight stations and 6.7km of between the new line from Britomart, via DIF, and Pacific Partnerships; G2Konnect, dual track to the network. Five addition light Aotea and Karangahape, to the existing line including Acciona, Ferrovial, Cintra, and rail vehicles are planned to be procured for at Mt Eden. Macquarie; and Regionerate Rail, which the extended line. The C7 contract covers the Systems includes Clough, GS Engineering and Integration, Testing and Commissioning Construction, Webuild (formerly Salini WA components of the CRL project. These Impregilo), Lend Lease Services, and RFPs for Byford Rail Extension include trackslab, track, overhead line, Plenary Group. Contractors are invited to submit proposals for signalling, control systems, communications A contract is to be awarded in 2022. the completion of the Byford Rail Extension, systems, control room fit-out and building part of the Metronet program in Perth. work, and trackside auxiliaries. Work also NSW The project involves constructing 8km includes integrating the new line and Contract awarded for Crows Nest Metro of new track, a new station at Byford, a bus systems with the legacy systems on the station construction interchange and up to 600 parking bays. Auckland rail network.

98 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2020 | RAIL EXPRESS RailGallery-Ad-2020-June.pdf 1 18/06/2020 12:47:04 PM

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