Rail Express December 2021

I S S U E 11 | D E C E M B E R 2021

W W W. R A I L E X P R E S S . C O M . A U

Powering on at Gawler Project When it came to choosing the primary equipment supplier and installer for the ambitious Gawler electrification project in South Australia, the decision was easy – PAGE 35

Alstom moving with the times

China’s first hydrogen hybrid locomotives

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PAGE 28

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Contents Issue 11 - December 2021

22

4

From the Editor

6

Industry news

CONDITION MONITORING

20

Cloud-based Siemens system down to earth

22

One step ahead with voestalpine

RO L L I N G S TO C K A N D M A N U F ACT U R I N G

28

32

24

Alstom moves with the times

26

Panolin success runs in the family

28

CRRC’s hydrogen hybrid shows way for rail transit

30

Bestech sensors keep wheels rolling

32

TasRail opts for KLP polymer sleepers

M A J O R P ROJ E CT S A N D I N F RA S T R U CT U R E

35

Manco Rail powers up Gawler project

36

DCWC and the power of procurement

SIGNALLING SOLUTIONS

38 40

Meeting the challenge of multiple interfaces

R E S E A R C H A N D D E V E LO P M E N T

40 In-house laboratory workshop spearheads Holland research 42

Harrybilt track solution rides high

S A F E TY A N D S TA N D A R D S

44

Multi Agency the next step in systems integration

46

Jump on i-TRACE and don’t get left behind

LIGHT RAIL SOLUTIONS I S S U E 11 | D E C E M B E R 2021

48

W W W. R A I L E X P R E S S . C O M . A U

Powering on at Gawler Project When it came to choosing the primary equipment supplier and installer for the ambitious Gawler electrification project in South Australia, the decision was easy – PAGE 24

COVER STORY Overhead hi-rail electrification specialist Manco Rail is helping to power up South Australia’s Gawler project

Alstom moving with the times

China’s first hydrogen hybrid locomotives

PAGE 24

PAGE 28

SUPPORTED BY:

I-TRACE: don’t get left behind PAGE 48

See page 35.

Strailastic tracks pass temperature test

I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I AT I O N S

50

ARA: Rail value cannot be underestimated

52

ALC: Supply chains are ‘people business’

53

RISSB: Get on board the Learning Express

CO N T RACT S, T E N D E R S, E O I S

54

The latest rail projects around Australia

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 3

From the Editor Issue 11 - December 2021

Published by:

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

Publisher Christine Clancy E: christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au Chief Operating Officer Zelda Tupicoff E: zelda.tupicoff@primecreative.com.au Group Managing Editor (Southern) Sarah Baker E: sarah.baker@primecreative.com.au Editor Ray Chan E: ray.chan@primecreative.com.au Business Development Manager Michael Usic T: 0423 177 977 E: michael.usic@primecreative.com.au Client Success Manager Janine Clements E: janine.clements@primecreative.com.au Design Production Manager Michelle Weston E: michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au Art Director Blake Storey E: blake.storey@primecreative.com.au Design Kerry Pert, Aisling McComiskey Subscriptions subscriptions@primecreative.com.au

www.RailExpress.com.au The Publisher reserves the right to alter or omit any article or advertisement submitted and requires indemnity from the advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published. © Copyright – No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the Publisher.

4 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2021 | RAIL EXPRESS

Welcome to the December issue of Rail Express.

H

ad things gone as planned, we would have been getting together this month for rail industry’s major annual conference, AusRAIL PLUS. But as we all know, nothing is ever certain in the new normal imposed upon us by COVID. With the original Brisbane venue unable to be committed because of Queensland border restrictions, organisers had to look at other options.

The good news of course is that AusRAIL PLUS 2021 is now confirmed, with a new location and a new date, albeit one that encroaches into early next year.

The largest rail industry convocation in the southern hemisphere has been greenlit to proceed at the International Convention Centre in Sydney from 28 February to 2 March. With NSW’s roadmap out of lockdown confirming the state will be open for business in the new year, the move to Sydney was a necessary compromise.

Hosted by the Australasian Railway Association and organised by Informa Connect, the convention brings together all facets of the rail industry under the one roof over three days, incorporating an expansive program combined with an extensive trade exhibition.

This will be the first time in nearly two years for industry stakeholders to reconnect with many colleagues and customers outside of Teams and Zoom chats, and I am sure there will be many professional and personal catch-ups, old and new, as products are showcased and news gets picked off the grapevine.

Moreover, the event is an opportunity to come together to collaborate and share ideas and solutions to meet the challenges of a rejuvenated rail industry across Australia, which has ironically boomed during a period of pandemic lockdowns.

And on that matter, it goes without saying that we’re barely out of the woods when it comes to the virus: the rail industry, being an essential service and hence at the frontline, is particularly prone and needs to be afforded the strongest levels of protection.

Whether it’s driving a train, working on the tracks, loading and unloading freight or liaising with commuters at the stations, just one positive COVID case can shut down the entire workplace.

There is merit to calls for vaccinations to be

prioritised for transport workers, in particular those who live in regional Australia where vaccine supplies are limited.

The Australian Logistics Council has also called for on-site COVID testing facilities to be installed at major freight terminals.

Pacific National chief executive Paul Scurrah went one step further when he encouraged the use of rapid antigen testing (RAT), which provides a simple, efficient method for frontline rail workers to screen for the virus at home before showing up to a shift.

Scurrah cited an instance when Pacific National was forced to temporarily shut down its Sydney Freight Terminal at Chullora due to a positive case and associated close and casual contacts having to isolate.

The event resulted in a shortage of available train crew and terminal operators, which in turn led to delayed and cancelled interstate rail freight services between Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

He said countries like the United Kingdom, Germany and United States had successfully deployed RAT as a quick screening tool, including use of home testing kits, to help in the overall fight to contain COVID. It’s critical that the movement of essential goods continues uninterrupted and that those Australians who need it most can access the supplies they need.

Services run by Victoria’s regional train service V/Line were also recently disrupted when several staff returned positive numbers. The chain reaction that a solitary COVID infection can cause spreads swiftly, and extra safety measures must be put in place to protect these coalface heroes.

Australia cannot risk the shutdown of passenger and distribution centres or a reduction in heavy vehicle and train drivers and rail maintenance workers. Ensuring the continued flow of the nation’s food, medical, and essential goods supplies should be a priority.

Rail Express has partnered with the Australasian Railway Association, and will have a presence at AusRAIL PLUS in February.

ray.chan@primecreative.com.au

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News

National

New resource supports gender diversity in rail The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has released a new guide to connect rail organisations with resources to support improved gender diversity in the industry.

ARA Chief Executive Officer Caroline Wilkie said the ARA Gender Diversity Resource Guide provides easy access to resources for anyone seeking to attract, retain and advance women in their organisations.

“While the industry has made progress in recent years, the fact remains that only 27 per cent of the Australasian rail workforce is female,” she said.

“The industry must work together to improve diversity and the guide provides links to practical resources that can help organisations play their part in achieving that goal.”

The guide links to a range of resources available free and online, including those developed by the Australian Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), and provides a brief summary of steps and activities for organisations to consider.

It will be particularly useful for small to medium organisations seeking to support a gender-inclusive workplace.

The development of the guide forms part of the ARA’s Women in Rail Strategy, which was recently revised to include a series of initiatives focusing on attraction, retention, networking, industry development, benchmarking and recognition.

Wilkie said rail organisations were encouraged to share their progress as they

Participation of women in the rail workforce has grown six per cent since 2017.

implemented new diversity initiatives using the guide.

“There are so many examples of our industry introducing new and innovative programs to support gender inclusive workplaces,” she said.

“We are eager to share even more stories as the industry continues to advance this crucial issue.”

The ARA has also partnered with the Diversity Council of Australia to deliver a series of diversity training courses for its members in the new year.

“As skills shortages continue to impact the industry, achieving greater diversity is crucial to making sure we have the right people to meet the industry’s needs over the long term,” Wilkie said.

“Our biennial gender diversity survey is now under way and we look forward to releasing new data tracking the industry’s progress in the new year.”

The survey is based on WGEA’s survey questions and seeks to create a holistic understanding of gender representation, as well as diversity strategies and policies, in the rail industry.

The 2018-19 survey confirmed participation of women in the rail workforce had grown six per cent since 2016-17, but remained below national averages.

The ARA Gender Diversity Resource Guide is available via: https://ara.net.au/wp-content/uploads/ARA_ Gender_Diversity_Guide_Extended.pdf

One Rail snapped up by Aurizon for $2.35b Aurizon has signed an agreement with Macquarie Asset Management to acquire One Rail Australia (ORA) for $2.35 billion.

ORA comprises bulk rail haulage and general freight assets in South Australia and the Northern Territory; the 2200km Tarcoolato-Darwin railway line; and a haulage business in NSW and Queensland.

Aurizon will divest ORA’s NSW and Qld business (East Coast Rail) through a demerger or a trade sale, whichever creates greater value for Aurizon shareholders.

Aurizon will retain and integrate the ORA bulk and general freight assets into the Aurizon business. These include the Tarcoolato-Darwin rail infrastructure, South Australian

6 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2021 | RAIL EXPRESS

regional infrastructure, five rail yards, 68 active locomotives, over 1000 active wagons and approximately 400 employees.

The purchase is subject to several customary conditions precedent and regulatory and consent conditions, including clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The acquisition is fully funded from a combination of Aurizon’s existing debt facilities and underwritten by new committed debt facilities.

Managing Director Andrew Harding said the transaction offered a unique opportunity to grow Aurizon’s business and create value for shareholders.

“The One Rail acquisition is highly strategic

and transformative for Aurizon. It is fully aligned with Aurizon’s strategy to grow our Bulk freight business into new markets and new geographies in Australia,” he said.

“The One Rail acquisition delivers a step change for Aurizon Bulk as a new entrant in the SA and NT region, and supports the ongoing growth of non-coal revenue in the Aurizon portfolio.

“The ORA bulk infrastructure and operations in SA and NT provide customers with a safe, efficient and effective pathway to market for numerous existing commodities and growth opportunities in base metals, agriculture, iron ore and for new economy metals such as manganese and copper.”

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News

Queensland

Historic investment in train manufacturing “At the election, we pledged $600 million to build 20 new trains in Maryborough with an option for a further 45.

“It’s now clear we’ll need a full complement of trains to cater for growth in years to come.

“I want Queensland to benefit from this $7.1 billion investment. That means jobs for workers throughout our state.”

The government has already shortlisted three companies – Alstom, CAF and Downer Rail – to build the 20 six-car trains previously promised and the possible additional 45.

IMAGE CREDIT: RAILGALLERY.COM.AU

Central Queensland will benefit from the largest investment in train infrastructure in Queensland’s history.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Central Queensland would play a key role in the supply-chain as part of the state’s $7.1 billion to boost the state’s train manufacturing industry and build 65 trains in Maryborough, creating up to 3000 jobs throughout Queensland.

“We’re investing in manufacturing to create jobs in regional Queensland,” she said.

Downer Rail, which runs a manufacturing facility in Maryborough, is one of three companies that could be contracted to build the new trains.

Member for Rockhampton Barry O’Rourke said the plan will support jobs and infrastructure growth for the entire Central Queensland region.

“We’re in the process of acquiring the Rockhampton Rail Workshops, and now this historic investment in Queensland rail manufacturing and supply will no doubt attract more rail suppliers to the region.

“Once set up, the Rockhampton Rail Workshops have the potential to play a pivotal role in the supply chain.

“The industry can come to Central Queensland with confidence, knowing the Government is committed to keeping rail manufacturing and supply local.”

Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga said it follows another recent rail investment in the region.

“Just last week we were at Austrak’s 50-worker strong Parkhurst facility announcing a three-year contract renewal to supply Queensland Rail’s sleepers,” Ms Lauga said.

“Now to see an investment of this scale across Queensland’s rail network, suppliers can be even more confident coming and setting up shop in Central Queensland.”

Cross River Rail is on track for first services to begin operating in 2025.

New lease of life for decommissioned train A retiring Queensland Rail train has been given a new lease of life and will now be used by firefighters for decades to come, enabling them to undertake realistic and comprehensive training for rail emergencies.

Queensland Rail Security and Emergency Preparedness Senior Manager Drew Brock said the decommissioned Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train was moved to the Queensland Combined Emergency Services Academy (QCESA) at Whyte Island, Port of Brisbane, in a mammoth operation.

“This is an outstanding collaboration between Queensland Rail and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) that is really putting the ‘train’ in training,” he said.

“Queensland Rail has constructed a rail environment at the Academy, including 85 metres of railway track complete with sleepers and ballast, and they’ve now delivered and installed a real, retired three-carriage train.

“This will give firefighters and other first

8 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2021 | RAIL EXPRESS

responders safe, unimpeded access to a realistic rail environment to practice operational scenarios and emergency rail responses.

“It will also allow multi-agency exercises to take place without security concerns for the public or any impacts that come with training on the operational rail network.”

QFES Commissioner Greg Leach said the project would enhance QFES’ current response capabilities.

“This project is providing our crews with an exciting opportunity to train on current rail equipment and strengthen our interoperability with other first responders to rail incidents,” he said.

“We are fortunate to have this amazing facility available at QCESA which will integrate into the greater suite of props we have.

“This train joins other true to life training props at the facility. From a retired plane, to shipping containers for live fire training and a six-storey

building reduced to rubble for search and rescue practice, the Academy is equipped with a range of facilities that allow firefighters to practice their skills in various scenarios.

“This retired train will now allow QFES crews, along with Queensland Rail and our emergency services colleagues, to conduct training on a real train, in a real rail environment. All agencies will be able to work together to test their operational response, in a safe and controlled setting.”

The train, known as EMU21, had been introduced in 1981 and was decommissioned this year after serving more than 12 million kilometres on the Queensland Rail network.

“Today, EMU21 starts its post-retirement journey, providing a safe, life-sized, realistic rail environment for first responders,” Brock said.

The train’s nearly 70-kilometre journey from Ipswich to the training facility was a major logistical feat, which involved it being dismantled and lifted by crane onto a truck.

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Western Australia

The value of non-destructive testing An Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation says a train derailment near Koolyanobbing, WA, illustrates the value of non-destructive testing.

SCT Logistics train 2PM9 was on a service from Perth to Melbourne on 27 October, 2020, when a wheel on the 58th wagon in its consist fractured and disintegrated.

This resulted in derailment of the wagon and separation of the derailed wagon, and the 10 wagons trailing it, from the front of the train. No other wagons derailed, and there were no injuries.

Detailed material examination identified that, prior to the incident journey, a transverse fatigue crack had initiated in the vicinity of a spalling defect in the wheel tread.

ATSB Director Transport Safety Stuart Macleod said the crack propagated into the rim and flange of the wheel.

“On the day of the incident, a skidding event at the fatigue crack likely induced rapid

A crack had propagated into the rim and flange of the wheel.

brittle cracking in the wheel, resulting in fragmentation of the wheel and, subsequently, derailment of the wagon,” he said.

The wagon in question had experienced various issues with brakes and overheated wheels in the 12 months prior to the derailment, but it is not clear whether any of these issues contributed to the derailment.

The failed wheel had recently been reprofiled, but the maintenance provider’s work instruction did not require non-destructive examination beyond a visual inspection to identify any remaining defects.

“Skids and hotspots may be repairable on wheels in otherwise good condition, but they can induce wheel failure if cracks are present, as in this case,” Macleod said.

“Diligent inspections and non-destructive testing can be useful for detecting and monitoring wheel cracks, which is particularly important as these cracks approach the wheel wear condemning limit.”

Since the derailment, the operator and maintenance provider have developed a process for monitoring wagons that experience repeated issues, such as with braking.

Inspection procedures for thermal cracks and overheated wheels have been refined, and non-destructive testing is being investigated for use in certain wheel inspections.

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News

New South Wales

Sydney Harbour track laying complete Track laying on the first rail crossing under Sydney Harbour is complete, marking a major milestone on the Metro City & Southwest project.

Premier Dominic Perrottet made the announcement as he inspected the completed tracks and the new Barangaroo Station, which is now ready for platforms, lifts and escalators to be installed.

“This incredible city-shaping project is coming together before our eyes, with services set to start in 2024,” he said.

“Sydney Metro will transform the way we travel around our great city - the trip deep under Sydney Harbour will take just three minutes between the new Barangaroo Station and Victoria Cross Station at North Sydney.”

Transport Minister Rob Stokes praised the construction team for completing the 800 metre section of track in both tunnels under Sydney Harbour.

“Workers have laid 2400 railway sleepers and 4200 tonnes of concrete have been

Excavation at Barangaroo Station.

installed to finish this historic railway tunnel under Sydney Harbour,” he said.

“It’s incredible to think of the hard work that is going into this project. Eventually more than 4000 tonnes of Australian steel

will be used for the 31 kilometres of tracks from Chatswood to Sydenham, including 200 tonnes under the Harbour.”

The excavation of the Barangaroo caverns, which will house the metro platforms, took almost two years to complete. About 650,000 tonnes of crushed rock – enough to fill 100 Olympic swimming pools – was removed.

Station builder BESIX Watpac will now fit out the station, creating 300 jobs at the peak of construction. Across the Sydney Metro City & Southwest, more than 5000 people are currently working on the project; about 50,000 will have worked on the project by the time it is complete.

Metro trains will start running through the harbour tunnels in 2024, extending the North West Metro into the city and beyond to Bankstown.

New stations are being delivered at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Pitt Street and Waterloo, along with new underground platforms at Central Station.

Narrabri-North Star telecommunications enhanced Residents along the Inland Rail corridor from Narrabri to North Star (N2NS) will soon have access to improved mobile phone coverage, thanks to a partnership between the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) and its delivery partner, Telstra, to deliver new and upgraded mobile telecommunications infrastructure in the region.

Improved telecommunications is an operational requirement of Inland Rail in certain areas along the alignment and following completion of a feasibility study

on N2NS, ARTC is taking the opportunity to extend local coverage as it implements telecommunications infrastructure during construction.

The telecommunications works will include a new radio base station in North Star, a new small cell in Croppa Creek, an upgrade to the existing base station in Gurley and a new radio base station in Crooble.

Local member for Parkes, Mark Coulton, met with representatives from ARTC, Gwydir

Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton (centre) in North Star with representatives from ARTC, Gwydir Shire Council and the local community.

12 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2021 | RAIL EXPRESS

Shire Council and the local community at North Star to announce the legacy project, which will boost the mobile coverage up to 10-15 kilometres either side of the Inland Rail alignment.

Coulton, who is also a farmer in the region, said this would give comfort to local landowners that they will be able to receive information from their paddocks regarding train movements when moving machinery or livestock across the rail line.

“This also means that Inland Rail will leave that great legacy benefit when construction is long since completed,” he said.

The augmentation work to be undertaken during Inland Rail’s construction will roll out in 2022. Telstra will manage the ongoing operations and maintenance once the infrastructure has been delivered.

Supply chain opportunities have brought a significant economic boost to the region with $32.3 million spent across 116 local businesses that have supplied to the project to date.

Since construction began on the N2NS section of Inland Rail, 717 people have worked on the project, 212 of whom are local residents and 47 are local indigenous residents.

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News

Victoria

Yarra Trams recognised at global awards

The Vision of the Year category was focused on identifying the best emerging ideas in the urban transportation sector.

Melbourne’s Yarra Trams and its operator Keolis Downer have been highly commended for the “Vision of the Year” award at the Global Light Rail Awards ceremony in London.

Yarra Trams and Keolis Downer were recognised for their innovative and ambitious network transformation roadmap, which was developed in collaboration with the Victorian Department of Transport.

Keolis Downer has been managing the Yarra Trams network since taking over in November 2009. Keolis Downer’s guiding principle is to ‘Think like a passenger’ and is focussed on delivering safe, reliable, clean, and easy-to-use services, while increasing the environmental, social, and economic contribution that Melbourne’s tram network makes to the city.

A highlight of the light rail industry’s calendar, the Global Light Rail Awards recognise ground-breaking new technologies,

inspiring collaborative working, and companies going above and beyond to ensure the safety of passengers while maintaining a reliable service.

The Vision of the Year category was focused on identifying out the best emerging ideas in the urban transportation sector and was open to both ideas that have been implemented recently, as well as those that show potential and are looking for recognition in the future.

Victorian Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll said Melbourne’s historic and iconic tram network will play an intrinsic role in the Victorian Government’s strategy to deliver simple, connected, accessible, reliable and safe public transport for Victorians.

“As we strive to deliver the best tram network in the world, the international expertise provided by Keolis Downer Rail has been invaluable, particularly in relation to

improving passenger experience,” he said.

“We value the close collaboration with KDR on how to respond to COVID from a public transport perspective, and the partnership has provided global insights on our strategy to transform the tram network.”

Yarra Trams’ Chief Executive Julien Dehornoy said the award recognises the hard work of the teams at Yarra Trams and the quality of its partnership with the Department of Transport, as “we increase reliability, access and passenger comfort alongside journey times as Melbourne continues to grow”.

“Trams are central to Melbourne’s identity, but they are more than just an iconic association with this city. They are the work horses of our public transport network, moving more than 200 million passengers around our city every year,” he said.

“This award reinforces our vision that Keolis Downer is more than just an operator – we are true long-term partners for Victoria, and we are committed to improving and investing in the tram network so it can be enjoyed by Melburnians for decades to come.”

Melbourne has the largest tram network in the world, with more than 2700 employees and 500 trams serving 24 routes, 250 km of double track, and more than 200 million passengers per year (pre-COVID). It has been operating since 1885 and more than 90 per cent of the current network was built prior to 1940.

Alstom scores century with Flexity Alstom has delivered the 100th, and final, Flexity light rail vehicle (LRV) to the Department of Transport in Victoria.

As Australia’s only end-to-end manufacturer of LRVs, Alstom designed the vehicles to meet the specific characteristics of the Melbourne tram network, including increased accessibility.

The trams were locally manufactured at Alstom’s Dandenong rolling stock facility,

The tram is based on Alstom’s popular low-floor Flexity LRV platform,

14 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2021 | RAIL EXPRESS

including more than 50% local content, supporting around 75 employees and a thriving ecosystem of local suppliers in Victoria.

The tram is based on Alstom’s popular lowfloor Flexity LRV platform, which is the largest fleet of modern low-floor trams operating on the world’s largest tram network, spanning more than 250km of double track.

The fleet is about one fifth of the network’s overall fleet.

The original contract for the first 50 trams was signed in 2010, with further orders for an additional 20, 10, 10 and 10 vehicles awarded between 2015 and 2019, proving the performance, quality and accessibility credentials of the platform.

Alstom’s LRV fleet in Victoria also includes 41 Citadis X02 LRVs, taking the total number of

vehicles operating on the network to 141.

Alstom’s Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, Mark Coxon, said, the company was thrilled to have delivered the 100 Flexity LRVs to its customer, creating a new milestone for Melbourne’s much-loved tram network.

“In Australian rolling stock terms, this is a truly iconic fleet – the Flexity was made in Melbourne, for Melbourne – and Alstom is proud to be part of this story for Victoria,” he said.

“Alstom has been providing sustainable infrastructure solutions across Australia for more than 100 years and currently employs about 1600 people across 25 sites that include engineering centers, manufacturing facilities, project delivery offices and maintenance depots and workshops. Alstom’s installed base of LRVs in Australia exceeds 250 vehicles.

Cheltenham Station building to be preserved

These original buildings were constructed in 1882, making them almost 140 years old.

A Victorian-era wooden building that previously stood on the citybound platform of Cheltenham Station in Melbourne’s south-east has been donated to a railway group to be preserved for future generations.

The Mornington Railway Preservation Society, which has been running steam trains on a tourist line from Moorooduc to Mornington since 1999, has taken possession of the building to stand on its main platform at Moorooduc to provide much-needed shelter and facilities for its passengers and 130 volunteers.

Cheltenham Station’s buildings were dismantled, flat packed and stored under the supervision of qualified consultants to make way for a modern station and forecourt in 2020. It was part of work to remove two dangerous and congested level crossings on the Frankston line at Park Road and Charman Road.

Victoria’s Level Crossing Removal Project team worked closely with the building’s owner, VicTrack, and the Kingston City Council to successfully manage the delicate operation.

These original buildings were constructed in 1882, with additions made in 1899 — making them almost 140 years old. Modern fire safety standards at the Cheltenham Station site meant it was not possible to incorporate the wooden buildings into the station redevelopment without extensive alterations that would have harmed their heritage value.

Donating the city-bound building to Mornington Railway ensures this important piece of Victorian history will be lovingly restored to its former glory and looked after for generations to come. The move also sees the structure continue to be used for its original purpose as a train platform building.

The components of the dismantled building were trucked to Moorooduc in August. The group’s president Andrew Swaine said the building will be reassembled by Mornington Railway volunteers, with the offer coming at the perfect time.

‘Most of the people in our organisation know of the Cheltenham building, they have either been through it or caught the train there at some point—so everybody was very excited,” he said.

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News

New Zealand

New locomotives for South Island fleet Fifty-seven brand new low-emissions locomotives will boost KiwiRail in the South Island, provide more reliable services for current customers and attract new customers from road through better economics.

KiwiRail Group Chief Executive Greg Miller said KiwiRail and Stadler Rail Valencia have signed a binding contract for the delivery of the locomotives, which will be made in Spain and begin arriving and enter service in New Zealand between early 2024 and 2026. The contract price for the new fleet is NZ$403 million (€228 million).

Miller said there had been a robust international procurement process which attracted the world’s top four locomotive builders.

“These are the latest-generation locomotives, which will set up KiwiRail’s South Island freight business for many decades ahead,” he said.

“For rail to play its proper role in New Zealand’s freight system, we need our services to be on time, every time. Right now, our 65-strong South Island locomotive fleet has an average age of 47 years.

“Our machines have been used for 17 years, on average, beyond their economic life.

“Some of our machines have had three complete rebuilds over their lives, at significant expense. And we’ve still been using 1970s technology in those rebuilds.

“The dual-cab locomotives Stadler Rail are building for us are state-of-the-art. Not only will they meet the European Union world-leading emissions standards and see significant reduction in our fleet’s exhaust emissions, they will be fuelefficient and equipped with a range of onboard technologies to optimise energy use, including a system that can switch off the engine when the locomotive is idling.

“Each new locomotive will also be significantly more powerful and efficient than our current machines. There will be less need to use multiple locomotives to pull heavy trains – reducing fuel use and potentially reducing fleet carbon emissions by 20–25 per cent. It also means KiwiRail is futureproofed for the freight growth expected in the

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Engineering.

Consulting.

Operations.

The locomotives will meet world-leading standards and reduce the KiwiRail fleet’s exhaust emissions.

decades ahead by having locomotives that can pull larger trains.”

Stadler Executive Deputy Chief Executive Officer Ansgar Brockmeyer said the company was fully committed to a long-term partnership with KiwiRail.

“With our wide portfolio of modular and customised vehicle solutions, green traction concepts, digital solutions and tailored expert support services, we indeed see the opportunity to provide further value to New Zealand mobility beyond the delivery of the first project,” he said.

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Australasian Rail Industry Awards

Rail achievements recognised Even as the rail industry delivered an essential service safely and efficiently during a challenging year, it continued to innovate and deliver impressive projects.

Many of the outstanding achievements in rail over the past year were recognised at the annual event, which demonstrated the determination and dedication of the people working in rail, during a critical time.

Winners included the North Western Program Alliance, which won the Rail Sustainability Award for pioneering the delivery of Reservoir Station in Melbourne. It was the first station in Australia to receive a five-star sustainability rating by the Green Building Council of Australia, making it the benchmark for future level crossing removal projects.

Sydney Trains won two awards, for Safety and Customer Service. Its Sydney Harbour Bridge Rail Deck Upgrade project encompassed a decade of planning on one of the busiest sections of the network. It was also first time this critical piece of rail infrastructure was refurbished since the bridge opened in 1932.

ARA Chief Executive Officer Caroline Wilkie said despite 10 days of continuous construction, Sydney Trains received 98 per cent positive feedback from the community.

“Carrying out major works on the Sydney Harbour Bridge is a once-in-a generation job and Sydney Trains managed to do so with minimal impact to customers, making them a well-deserved recipient of the Customer Service Award,” she said.

Sydney Trains’ Platform Gap Filler project earned the Safety award, sponsored by RISSB, after reducing falls between the Circular Quay platform and train from an average of 33 per year to zero.

RISBB Chair David George said the Sydney network encompasses trains and platforms from different eras, parts of which are over 100 years old. “Developing a one-size fits all approach was not an option, so engineers developed a costeffective and efficient solution made from flexible non-slip rubber filler that bends on contact with trains,” he said.

“The safety solution is now being activated across the network and we are delighted to recognise Sydney Trains for their hard work.”

Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) won two awards for employee engagement, with a range of new initiatives focusing on protecting the mental health of their 6500 staff during months of lockdowns.

It was commended for keeping employees safe in the world’s most locked down city.

Rio Tinto Principal AutoHaul Lido Costa won the Signalling and Systems Engineering Award.

IMAGE: WA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The rail industry has celebrated the 13 winners of the Australasian Rail Industry Awards in a virtual ceremony livestreamed across Australia and New Zealand.

TrackSAFE Foundation Executive Director Heather Neil said transforming all face-to-face activities into virtual programs was not only a success, it guided MTM staff through difficult circumstances.

“MTM’s programs received a 30 per cent increase in engagement to the year prior and we acknowledge the wellness team for taking employee mental health seriously,” she said.

Arc Infrastructure received the Freight Rail Excellence Award for delivering a 12-month construction project in only 98 days. The Hampton Intermodal Terminal in Western Australia now employs 30 new train drivers, uses 150 locomotives and wagons and supports new growth opportunities.

GHD won the Workforce Diversity Award for its commitment to improving marginalised groups’ visibility in the industry. A range of initiatives created lasting community benefits and increased the diversity composition of senior staff.

3D digital shields developed in New Zealand by KiwiRail, Downer and Aurecon are keeping workers safe and trains running near the nation’s capital.

Virtual ‘no-go’ zones protect overhead power lines and sensitive areas by locking the controls of excavators when the machine touches the digital shield.

The technology has led to other developments such as virtual reality experiences for children to increase rail safety awareness, and was a worthy winner of the award for Innovation and Technology.

ARA Chair and awards judging chair Danny Broad said the submissions and others highlighted the importance of rail in the community.

“The judges were impressed by how the rail industry uses technology, sustainability and diversity measures to modernise the rail industry,” he said.

“It highlights how flexible rail is to adapt to deliver exceptional projects and initiatives for people using the rail network.”

Former NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance with the gap fillers.

The outstanding achievements of individuals were also highlighted, with JMDR Senior Signals Manager Trevor Moore receiving the prestigious career achievement award. For half a century Trevor has shaped railway signalling, from encouraging innovation to revolutionising how trains move around the country.

CPB Contractors Project Manager Melanie Bowden was presented with the PWI Young Achiever Award for her exceptional leadership and management of a major infrastructure project for Sydney Metro.

Sydney Trains Program Manager Mary Nguyen won the Railway Technical Society of Australasia’s (RTSA) Young Rail Professional Award.

The Rail Track Association Australia (RTAA) confirmed Monash Institute of Railway Technology Research Engineer Nithurshan Nadarajah as the winner of its Emerging Rail Specialist Award.

Rio Tinto Principal AutoHaul Lido Costa took home the Signalling and Systems Engineering Award sponsored by IRSE. IRSE Chair Georgina Hartwell said Costa has been at the forefront of transportation delivery projects that have moved millions of people and tonnes of freight safely and efficiently.

“His relentless drive for improvements, innovation and safety has given Australia a world first and numerous high-tech features,” she said.

“Rewarding Lido for 35 years of commitment and dedication was a pleasure and a privilege for the IRSE.” The Australasian Rail Industry Awards are supported by the Australasian Railway Association, Institution of Railway Signal Engineers, Railway Technical Society of Australia, Rail Track Association Australia, the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board, the Permanent Way Institution (NSW) and the TrackSAFE Foundation.

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LEADING THE WAY TO GREENER AND SMARTER MOBILITY IN AUSTRALIA

AusRAIL PLUS 2021

AusRAIL PLUS offers many opportunities for networking with peers.

Rail conference back after two years The green light has been given for the southern hemisphere’s largest rail conference and exhibition.

Sydney will play host to AusRAIL PLUS at the ICC Sydney on Monday, 28 February to Wednesday, 2 March 2022.

The event — hosted by the Australasian Railway Association — had been originally scheduled for Brisbane in late November 2021, but the change of course was necessary as a result of current Queensland border restrictions and the ongoing uncertainty about when these would be lifted.

As the east coast reopens for interstate and international business, AusRAIL PLUS will provide the first major opportunity for the rail industry to come together since the pandemic.

ARA chief executive Caroline Wilkie said organisers were looking forward to celebrating the achievements of the industry over the last two years at AusRAIL PLUS. “Rail organisations worked so hard to maintain essential services through the pandemic and this will be the first opportunity to get together and discuss the key issues the industry is facing,” she said.

“After so much time spent apart, we expect AusRAIL PLUS will be better than ever and will provide a much-needed opportunity to network, share information and take advantage of the outstanding program on offer.”

KEY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS The AusRAIL PLUS program features three days of keynote addresses, specialist streams and insightful panel discussions.

After a pre-event welcome reception on Sunday 27 February, the conference program commences with keynote presentations from economist Saul Eslake and project updates on Inland Rail and Cross River Rail, before Aurizon managing director and chief executive officer Andrew Harding talks about innovating rail freight supply chains.

Additional keynote and project updates over

the following two days include presentations from Queensland Rail, Rail Projects Victoria, Suburban Rail Loop, Infrastructure Australia and Alstom, with a special international keynote from Arup’s Global Transport Leader, Isabel Dedring, who will speak about how rail can pivot to drive COVID-19 recovery and a transition to net zero.

Australia’s first ever female Chef de Mission for Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and winner of the 2020 International Olympic Committee Women in Sport Award for Oceania, Kitty Chiller AM, will share her insights and important take home-messages about leadership, diversity, change management and delivering cultural change.

Nick Marchesi OAM and Lucas Pachett OAM, founders of Orange Sky Australia, the world’s first free mobile laundry service for the homeless, will discuss their journey on creating a safe, welcome and supporting environment for people who are too often ignored by the community.

deliberated by senior personnel from Sydney Trains, Transport for NSW, ARA, Roads Australia, Arup, John Holland, Wabtec, Hitachi Rail, 4Tel and many more.

BREAKOUT STREAMS Whether your interest lies in asset management, passenger rail, freight, track, signal, safety and rolling stock amongst many others,AusRAIL has you covered.

In addition to those streams, new sessions around hydrogen, sustainability, people, skills and workforce development will make sure that delegates come away from the event with a new ideas and knowledge to take back to the field or office.

Insightful panel discussions include: • What can rail learn from aviation?

• The need to change procurement in infrastructure • How do we meaningfully tackle diversity in the rail sector?

• Re-engaging customers in a post-COVID • environment These are just some of the topics of planned panel discussions at AusRAIL PLUS that will be

INNOVATION HUB AND EXHIBITION The large-scale trade exhibition features more than 200 exhibiting organisations. Sponsors and exhibitors include Alstom, SYSTRA, John Holland, McConnell Dowell, Loram, Thales, to name but a few.

One of the more recent additions to the AusRAIL program and exhibition is the Innovation Hub, which is sponsored by Jacobs and will feature live presentations from invited technical papers and market updates from industry specialists, together with sponsored updates from suppliers and manufacturers.

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES Nothing beats making in-person connections and networking with your peers, and that’s what makes AusRAIL PLUS a must-attend event in 2022.

To ensure the best networking possible, AusRAIL PLUS will feature several social events.

Along with the conference breaks in the large exhibition and the aforementioned Welcome Reception sponsored by Shoal, AusRAIL PLUS also features the Exhibition Networking Drinks, sponsored by McConnell Dowell, the RTAA Yellow Dinner, sponsored by Alstom, and the Gala Dinner on the final night of the event.

Each dinner will be emceed by a highly respected entertainer, with Claire Hooper at the RTAA Yellow Dinner and Shane Jacobson at the Gala Dinner.

BOOK YOUR PLACE TODAY Registrations are open at ausrail.com with discounted rates available for ARA member organisations.

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Condition Monitoring

Cloud-based yet down to earth Siemens Mobility has combined its condition monitoring technology with cloud-based analytics to offer users a more accurate picture of their rail assets.

Condition monitoring is key to risk reduction, and ensuring rail operations run efficiently. To curtail unexpected downtimes and fix problems, it is necessary to detect sources of error at an early stage.

Most systems employ point monitors to gauge track performance, but what if this data could also be linked to real time, cloud-based fault diagnosis?

Mobility expert Siemens has developed just such an innovation, consisting of a scalable and customisable monitoring system allied to internetbased information accessible any time, any place.

Rail Express speaks to Port Melbourne-based Siemens Mobility product lifecycle management head Stephen Baker about the new Siemens Condition Monitoring system, developed and finessed in Australia for Australian conditions, and is set to make a big impact in the rail sector.

THE REAL THING “The system provides real time data acquisition and analytics to enable the railway operator to monitor assets, and to schedule need- based and preventive maintenance,” Baker said.

“The system can be divided into local monitoring and cloud-based analytics.

“Local monitoring is a stand-alone system for data acquisition, storage and display. It allows operators to set customised thresholds and duration alarms. It generates warnings for potential degradations and failures, allowing users to attend to issues before they result in degraded equipment.

“The cloud-based analytics is a service that reads the data from local monitoring and analyses it for fault diagnosis and performs failure trending and predictions.”

The system consists of Siemens industrial loggers and sensors which are typically placed in existing location cases or dedicated housings, and a central server usually connected to a local private network.

The monitored data is permanently stored on the central server, where it is sent from the loggers.

“The loggers — which are connected to the rail asset via sensors — are based on Siemens ET 200SP PLC architecture. This is an industry standard platform with an extended product life expectancy to provide assurance with the continuous challenge of obsolescence and supply,” Baker said.

The monitored data is sent to the central server via sftp (over a Siemens proprietary secure encrypted VPN utilising the Siemens SINEMA RC) immediately (when possible) and buffered on the logger as a backup. The Siemens SINEMA Remote Connect is the management platform for

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The system consists of Siemens industrial loggers and sensors.

remote networks, which provides a secure encrypted platform for data transfer and remote management.

So a single asset up to the whole railway can be monitored easily. The central server can simultaneously monitor multiple loggers, while each of them can collect data from multiple assets.

These loggers work with sensors which detect, for example, motor currents, ambient temperatures, vibration or displacement.

To view the data from local monitoring or cloudbased analytics, or to set alarms, users can access a visualisation tool, which is available both as a web application and mobile application: essentially any PC or portal device using the internet or intranet.

The great advantage for operators is the fact that real time data is accessible any time and any place. The tool can be used to view historic data and specific events on a simple dashboard.

“The cloud server is an optional service and provides advanced analytics, such as trending, fault identification and time to failure predictions. It is based on Siemens Railigent, which is connected to MindSphere, the underlying Siemens IoT operating system,” Baker said.

“The data analysis is performed by a dedicated team of back office analytics experts.”

The system is also based on standard industry platforms, unlike bespoke ones which employ software and equipment that could be obsolete in a few years’ time. The flexibility of the system is of real value for the customer.

GET OFF OF MY CLOUD Baker stressed the importance of data privacy and security.

“Data sovereignty is important for many railway operators,” he said.

“Our system is developed so that it can be offered as a locally based system so the clients

can host it themselves, or we can host it for them locally here in Australia.

“Though they have their central analytics platform here, with local monitoring and local maintenance, we have these hooks going back to the cloud where analytics can be carried out.

“So we can still carry out the data and alarm aggregation and run analytics over that data, and then start mining it for clues and behavioral factors that can be used to improve performance.”

FACE VALUE Another advantage of the system was its consistent Human Machine Interface (HMI) across all the Siemens platforms.

“Some systems have different-looking HMIs so if there’s a crisis situation, precious time can be lost while operators try to figure out what’s going on by looking at the variations in design,” Baker said.

“Siemens uses a consistency of visualisation, so that in an emergency mode, data information can be taken in quickly from a screen.”

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE “We’re really a one-stop-shop for condition monitoring in the railway system,” Baker said.

For example, apart from point monitoring, Siemens can monitor: • track vacancy detection systems • level crossings • on-board systems for trains • wheel wear • interlockings The Siemens Condition Monitoring system has been praised by Siemens CEO (Australia and New Zealand) Raphaelle Guerineau.

“With this system, real time data from the rail asset is accessible at any time, any place, to minimise unplanned downtimes,” she said.

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Condition Monitoring

One step ahead with voestalpine In the rail industry, the use of efficient diagnostic and monitoring systems is essential to ensure commuters and freight are transported quickly and safely.

Global condition monitoring technology leader, voestalpine Railway Systems, uniquely provides both rolling stock and railway infrastructure monitoring systems, with proven solutions for metro, mixed traffic, heavy haul and high speed networks.

The company boasts 150-plus rolling stock and 600-plus infrastructure condition monitoring sites throughout Australia’s railway networks, and tens of thousands more worldwide.

Rail Express speaks to senior vice-president of voestalpine Signaling’s Australian branch office, Daniel Crisp, about some of the company’s large portfolio of products.

ROLLING STOCK CONDITION MONITORING In the past, the detection of rolling stock defects has traditionally relied upon manual inspections in a depot.

But today new technologies such as those offered by voestalpine Signaling provide more innovative ways of monitoring the rolling stock, without the need to have vehicles out of service for such inspections.

• Thermal Monitoring HBD/HWD/CWD/HMD/HGD Classical hot box and hot wheel detection (HBD/HWD) systems have been in use for decades to monitor temperatures of wheels and axle bearings.

“voestalpine’s HBD/HWD systems, not only reliably measure and alarm on abnormal component temperatures, but go beyond that by providing users with complementary “smart data” to diagnose rolling stock defects,” Mr Crisp said. “voestalpine HBD/HWD systems can provide detection of cold wheels/brake disks (to identify poor brake performance), distinguish locked axles from locked brakes (based on analysis of temperature profiles) and identify temperatures from high friction bearing seals.

“With traction motor (HMD) and gearbox temperature (HGD) measurement systems already deployed in freight and passenger networks in Australia, Spain and North America, voestalpine is now also taking this proven technology to another level.”

• Cracked Rim Detection (CRD) In the wake of the recent ATSB investigation into a derailment in Western Australia due to a broken wheel, it is a timely reminder that broken wheels or shattered rims can have catastrophic consequences.

“Unfortunately, cracks in wheels can often initiate at the outside edge of the wheel tread, where they are not detected by traditional wheel defect detection systems,” Mr Crisp said. “voestalpine’s Cracked Rim Detection (CRD)

function is designed to detect these cracks before they propagate into the running surface of the wheel.

“In order to detect the forces generated by these cracked rims, a specially developed voestalpine Railway Systems track panel (with a wider gauge) forces passing train wheels to run on the outer area of the tread.

“A set of sensors – based on voestalpine’s proven fibre optic sensor for wheel defect detection - clamped under the rail then precisely monitor the outer rim of the wheel.

This technology has been quite successful in the North America in detecting cracks in rims, in many cases even before camera vision based technologies.”

• Acoustic Monitoring AMS voestalpine’s Acoustic Monitoring Sensor (AMS) is a complementary technology-to-hotbearing detection, that can provide rolling stock operators with earlier detection of roller bearing faults.

“The AMS system analyses sounds emitted by the bearings, diagnoses the fault by using established sound patterns and then classifies the fault by comparing the sounds with an established database,” Mr Crisp said. “voestalpine’s engineers have over 20 years of experience in AMS technology.”

RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE MONITORING Increasing demands on infrastructure and the requirement for up to 24/7 availability mean that train operators are being confronted by unprecedented challenges worldwide.

Mr Crisp said that because rising maintenance costs are often the result, in order to survive in competition with other modes of transport, optimised life cycle costs are essential.

voestalpine’s HBD/HWD systems measure and alarm abnormal component temperatures, and provide complementary “smart data” to diagnose rolling stock defects.

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• ROADMASTER ROADMASTER offers a fully digitalised and intelligent monitoring system for infrastucture assets that can be individually adapted to the customer’s needs. All categories and functions are available within an integrated software platform.

“By using various sensors, measured variables are quantitatively recorded in order

to determine the performance and ‘health’ of the monitored asset,” Mr Crisp said.

“The use of non-invasive technology allows a completely risk-free measurement. Hardware with flexible options that were developed specifically for railway applications, processes the information from the sensors.”

“Special database servers analyze the recorded information and generate performance statistics for all assets, which are the basis for decisions on an availability-based maintenance strategy.”

“Non-invasive sensors monitor the track circuit and send the data to a central server, where it is analysed using specialist software.

“The software is equipped with preset multiband alarm levels, to detect when the operatation of a track circuit starts to deteriorate.

“Alarm events are sent to designated users who can react immediately and initiate necessary corrective actions in a timely manner.”

• Train Detection Monitoring (ROADMASTER: TDM) The various methods of train detection (including track circuit or axle counter) are a vital part of many signalling systems.

Maintaining their performance is fundamental to the safe operation of the rail network.

“TDM reliably identifies deterioration in performance and creates alerts to allow maintenance before failure occurs,” Mr Crisp said.

• Switch Condition Monitoring (ROADMASTER: SCM) Turnout system faults are normally the most frequent cause of costly delay minutes.

By using intelligent switch diagnostic systems, imminent faults are detected at an early stage before the railway operations are negatively affected.

“In this way the necessary measures can be initiated promptly, failures can be avoided and maximum availability can be ensured,” Mr Crisp said.

• Track and Rail Monitoring (ROADMASTER: TRM) Rail movement and changes in rail temperature can have a significant impact on the performance and reliability of the track, installed assets and rail expansion joints.

“Our TRM solutions can reliably monitor track movements, rail breaks as well as changes in rail temperature,” Mr Crisp said.

“The measured values obtained in this way provide valuable data both for the reliability of track systems and for the structural integrity of bridges, and thus allow a comprehensive long-term analysis as a basis for efficient maintenance.”

“Sensors continuously record vertical and lateral movements, rail breaks (using ultrasonic pulses through the rail) and temperature differences and transmit these values to a server.”

“The data is evaluated and compared with corresponding reference data to enable early fault detection.”

Rolling Stock and Manufacturing

Moving with the times As travel patterns change due to COVID, urban transport systems based on rail are expected to play a major part in easing congestion and meeting environmental targets.

Leading the way to greener and smarter mobility worldwide, Alstom develops and markets integrated systems that provide the sustainable foundations for the future of transportation.

And much of the way it does this is by resolving the “data challenge” faced by operators, maintainers and transport passengers, using artificial intelligence and visualisation tools.

According to Alstom commercial director Todd Garvey, predicting future passenger flows to ease congestion and ensure a healthy fluidity continue to pose a significant issue, particularly during a pandemic which has irrevocably changed the way people commute.

“It’s a challenge for authorities and transport operators in urban metropolises around the world, as is meeting the environmental targets necessary to protect a fragile planet,” he said.

“The solution to these challenges can be found in a mobility approach that positions rail as the backbone of urban transport systems, interconnected with a diverse range of first- and last-mile solutions.

“For this type of multimodal system to be truly effective, operators must work together to both orchestrate and optimise their services through a transparent system of data sharing.”

RAIL AS THE LYNCHPIN Garvey said rail alone cannot solve every urban transport problem, and that it was increasingly important to understand how other forms of transport link into the local ecosystem.

“While rail may be the beating heart of collective mobility, it must be connected with first- and last-mile solutions, enabling seamless transfers for door-to-door travel,” he said.

“For this to happen, operators need the right tools to both anticipate and adapt to demand.

“Orchestrating mobility means integrating traditional forms of collective transport, such as trains, metros and tramways, with new means of transport, such as bike and taxi shares.”

Garvey said that as citizens move away from private vehicles to more sustainable forms of travel, Alstom is shifting its focus to a global mobility offer, at the centre of which is rail, the greenest and safest mode of transport.

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Alstom recently signed a $470m contract with Victoria’s Department of Transport to locally supply 25 six-car X’trapolis trains for Melbourne’s suburban rail network.

By opting to take collective transport instead of using a personal vehicle, passengers reduce road congestion while actively lowering their carbon footprint.

ORCHESTRATING MULTIMODAL MOBILITY Passengers need multimodal mobility services that are consistent and reliable, especially in terms of the time taken to get from one point to another every day.

If the length of a commute varies by a large margin each day and is unpredictable, passengers may be reluctant to take collective transport.

“One key to reliable transportation is dependable and affordable first- and last-mile transport options, such as scooter and bike shares,” Garvey said. “Another is easy access to accurate information on all the transport options in a passenger’s city.

“Currently, operators may provide multimodal information on mobile applications, but it is usually partial, pieced together by third parties from publicly available information, and is not always relevant.

“For multimodal mobility to work effectively, commuters need easy access to reliable information on all the transport options in their city. This requires local operators to work together to consolidate and share data.”

In other words, to enable truly seamless transport, operators, telecommunications

companies and local authorities must consolidate and share data effectively.

Without this cooperation, no single operator can provide passengers with the level of reliability they need to use public transport day to day. A whole range of information, from ticketing, track and train sensors to weather reports, news, social media and CCTV can all power the data-driven analysis that will allow passengers to see the full range of transport options and capacity in real time.

OPTIMISING COLLECTIVE TRANSPORT Quality data can help manage the flow of passengers into a system, but only if the system is flexible enough for operators to adjust their services to both demand and external factors.

“Accurate, consolidated information is just one part of the battle of ensuring seamless journeys on collective transport,” Garvey said.

“For data to be considered reliable by the passenger, it must also be optimised, enabling transport supply to be adjusted to meet demand.

“For example, data from bike share operators can help a metro operator predict how many extra passengers may use its service on a rainy day rather than cycle to work (and viceversa). However, if the operator is unable to accommodate a surge in passengers in real time by running more trains, and passengers need to wait to get on trains that are more

crowded than usual, the two transport systems are orchestrated but not optimised.”

Garvey said seamless mobility involves two key elements.

The first is reliable information about the available transport options, based on shared information from all operators. The second is a technologically advanced system of data analysis and artificial intelligence that adjusts supply to meet demand.

PREDICTING FUTURE MOBILITY In addition to enabling operators to adapt to real-time changes in their networks, data can help simulate and predict future passenger flows. This kind of data analysis has become especially important since the pandemic has changed travel patterns around the globe.

“Many people are now working from home, while others have changed their work schedules to avoid rush hour travel,” Garvey said. “By compiling data from technology such as signalling systems, flow management systems and centralised operational control

centres, operators are able to see the impact of certain events – from the pandemic to daily influences such as weather, sports matches and traffic – on passenger flows.

“Advanced AI solutions are then able to suggest solutions to operators for reducing congestion and redistributing resources during these events. By predicting influxes and adapting to them before they take place, operators are able to ensure a seamless journey for passengers.”

DATA’S A BIG DEAL Alstom is making a big investment in data science, hoping to double the number of data scientists at the company in the next three to five years.

It offers an international community that recognises the importance of data science and the opportunity to work on sustainable mobility solutions that have a real impact on people’s lives.

The company welcomes candidates from different back-grounds, from physics

to electronics engineering to power supply engineering, with skills in software engineering, analytics, machine learning, and statistics, to name a few. Above all, Alstom is looking for an entrepreneurial spirit in applying all those skill sets to solving problems.

Alstom employees make a difference in people’s daily lives and can see a connection between what they’re working on and how their city is improved. Real-time data for 69 fleets – about 1060 trains internationally – is collected every three seconds, a total of more than 20 terabytes of data.

Working closely with engineering and field teams, data scientists use this information to provide safe and reliable products through predictive maintenance, to ensure energy efficiency by matching demand with capacity, and to improve the passenger experience.

Alstom’s vision of the green mobility era is to reduce road congestion, reduce the carbon footprint of collective transport and increase the fluidity of travel across cities.

Rolling Stock and Manufacturing

Lubricants success runs in the family More and more rail operators are turning to PANOLIN’s range of environmentally-friendly lubricants for their operations.

Rail infrastructure specialist Martinus Rail has joined the large number of rail companies to switch to PANOLIN lubricants.

The family-owned and operated Martinus is headquartered in Sydney and has offices located across Australia, New Zealand and Chile, with its main workshop located in Brisbane.

Backed by experienced civil, track, overhead wiring and signalling teams, Martinus Rail is committed to investing in Australian manufacturing, construction and maintenance.

Since taking on the rail infrastructure tasks for the Carmichael rail project in the Galilee Basin in central Queensland, the company has invested more than $40 million in specialised rail construction plant and equipment, with six pieces of machinery on site: three tampers and three regulators all working around the clock.

Several factors had to be considered before taking on such a challenging task, such as the remote location, the high ambient temperatures and the environmental requirements set by owners Bravus Mining & Resources.

One of the main factors for this is the demand to use environmentally friendly lubricants in the equipment. That’s where PANOLIN comes in.

PANOLIN, also a family-owned and operated company with its headquarters and production facility in Switzerland, was established in 1949 and have been the market leaders in

Environmentally Considerate Lubricants (ECLs) for more than 35 years.

PANOLIN has a very well-known and outstanding relationship within the rail industry, incorporating some of the most highly regarded approvals in the market, such as the flagship relationship between PANOLIN International and Plasser and Theurer. All new machines coming from Plasser in Austria are filled with the signature HLP Synth biohydraulic fluid.

PANOLIN’s Australian distributor, Imperial Oil & Chemical’s Sales Manager, Adrian Macdonald, said PANOLIN HLP Synth was not just an ordinary hydraulic fluid.

“It is a world leading (ECL). HLP Synth has one of the highest rates of biodegradability at over 70% within the first 28 days, high operating temperature capability of up to 130° C and a life span up to five times that of a standard mineral oil, with many customers achieving results of up to 35,000 hour service intervals,” he said.

“All of these characteristics are huge factors in helping decide which hydraulic fluid to use when the decision is made to convert a piece of equipment to an ECL.” When Martinus Rail placed its Plasser tampers on the Carmichael rail project, all of the above factors made the conversion to HLP Synth an easy one.

“Just being able to extend the drain interval by so much has enormous benefits all round,” Macdonald said.

“Less downtime for the machine, allowing it to operate far beyond the ‘normal’ operating hours means lower maintenance costs, saving on the consumption of additional fluids, lowering carbon emissions, less waste oil, less labor costs and increased sustainability.

“This is all possible by the use of PANOLIN’s oil monitoring systems. By regularly sampling the condition of the oil, the customer is able to determine whether it is still performing within its acceptable parameters or if it’s time for the oil to be changed, ensuring that the hydraulic system is always running at optimum efficiency.”

Imperial Oil & Chemical, the third familyowned and operated company in this collaboration, has been the Australasian distributor for PANOLIN for more than 15 years.

With a team of highly qualified and experienced sales engineers and the support from PANOLIN’s state-of-the-art laboratory and testing facility, Imperial Oil & Chemical helps customers make the right choice and ensure on-time delivery of premium PANOLIN ECLs from one of its many warehouses, strategically located throughout Australia.

The result is a great example of how three family-owned companies have worked together to achieve greatness.

Martinus Rail uses Plasser tampers on the Carmichael rail project to ensure the track is correctly aligned and has a smooth level along the rail.

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il Ra ork ion g tw Ne n Re f r o sy este rte W cou nd ge les a a Im Wa

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Bentley’s rail solution enables teams to perform surveys, site visits, and signal sighting reviews at significantly less cost, without the need for anyone to leave their office or home.

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© 2021 Bentley Systems Incorporated. Bentley, the Bentley logo, and OpenRail are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated, or one of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Rolling Stock and Manufacturing

CRRC’s successful hydrogen fuel cell train.

Chinese hydrogen fuel cell hybrid shows way for rail transit With climate change and emission control proving to be major challenges for the rail industry, stakeholders continue to seek more sustainable fuel options, including the use of hydrogen as a train fuel.

The first hydrogen fuel cell hybrid locomotive made in China has successfully completed its on-line trial operation.

Manufactured by CRRC, this new type of hydrogen fuel cell hybrid unit first ran offline in January this year.

The locomotive boasts the following main technical parameters: • Gauge: GB146.1(1A,3) /Adjustable • Continuous power: ≥700kW • Max operating speed: 80km/h • Bogie arrangement: Bo-Bo • Axle load: 17т • Max ambient temperature: -300C to ~ +400C • Weight: 68t • Starting traction force: ≥250kN • Lithium battery capacity: 294.4kWh • Altitude: ≤2500m ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY According to the company, the locomotive uses the hybrid power mode of a batterydriven hydrogen fuel cell for power supply, which can realise zero emission and recycle the braking energy.

“Compared with the traditional shunting locomotive, it is more green and energysaving,” it said.

CRRC said hydrogen fuel cell hybrid

28 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2021 | RAIL EXPRESS

locomotives also generate lower noise.”

The locomotive adopts CO2 refrigerant air-conditioning, which is safe, stable and non-combustible, thereby improving the environmental protection performance.

“The energy management strategy makes hydrogen fuel cell systems work economically, improves energy utilisation efficiency and reduces operation cost,” the company said.

DRIVING COMFORT AND SAFETY The cab has sufficient space to accommodate at least three people in addition to the driver.

“The cab uses cold and hot airconditioning, and is equipped with foot and knee heating stoves to provide a comfortable driving environment for drivers and passengers,” the company stated.

“The driver control personnel can clearly observe the locomotive running road conditions and coupler information through the video monitoring display screen, which is convenient for the driving and control of the crew.

“Drivers and passengers can pass through the locomotive safely through the outer corridor.”

MODULARISATION PLATFORM A modular design is employed, with the power system able to be customised and developed according to user needs.

The types of power system configuration modes are: • Battery plus diesel power pack • Battery plus hydrogen fuel cell system With carbon emissions a major environmental concern, many countries and governments have enforced strict standards on environment protection.

“Enterprises have to address the emission issues sooner or later,” CRRC said.

“Clean energy will be the best choice, compared to the huge costs needed to solve pollution problems.”

CRRC said its hydrogen fuel cell hybrid locomotive has set a successful example for the future of the rail transit field.

ENERGY SAVING AND OPERATING COSTS Braking feedback energy is absorbed through lithium batteries to “realise energy savings’” in the operation of the locomotive.

See page 2 for more information about purchasing from CRRC.

STRAILastic green track systems as unique as your city More information can be found at www.strailastic.com.au

Ecological awareness has grown strongly in recent years.

¬ insulates stray current

Green tracks contribute to the reduction of fine dust pollution and to improvement of the microclimate in inner-city areas.

¬ quick and easy installation possible, can be installed during on-going Operation

STRAILastic protects the superstructure from stray current. In addition, noise emissions are considerably minimised.

¬ available for all superstructure types by encapsulating the rail, the primary airborne noise is considerably ¬ reduced compared to an open construction method

Less installation time track damping systems grooved rail damping systems are available for both sleeper tracks, continous support and are suitable for all track types ¬ easy and fast installation > no bonding required due to self-clamping elements ¬ reaching up to the top of rail (TOR) > joint sealing is not necessary ¬ High mechanical strengths ¬ UV-light and ozone resistant

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saves you money

Rolling Stock and Manufacturing

Sensors help keep wheels rolling Small in size but the basis of all rolling stock, train wheels must be maintained regularly to ensure maximum efficiency on the tracks.

According to reports provided by Australasian Railway Association (ARA), the value of the rail industry to the Australian economy has grown by $3.7 billion since 2016. Particularly, in 2019, the industry contributed more than $30 billion to the economy.

As rail services provide a safe alternative transportation route that helps keep roads free of congestion and pollution, the demand for rail transport is set to grow over time. For instance, passenger trips are expected to witness a surge of 19% by 2026.

To keep up with the surge in demand, rail operators need to ensure year-round availability of the rail tracks and the rail vehicle. Therefore, it is increasingly important to implement proper maintenance of the railway network to ensure a well-functioning transport system.

To operate trains at a high level of reliability, quality inspection on key subsystems such as wheels must be performed regularly.

As wheels run along the tracks, contact between the wheel flange and railhead can cause accelerated flange wear. When the flange wears excessively, wheels become less stable and more likely to derail from the tracks.

A scheduled timely maintenance of the wheels can be performed to ensure that they are secured to the tracks and to identify the wear and tear on the wheel flange. However, the operators should be able to identify whether the wheels or flanges are worn before the maintenance can be performed.

Conventionally, wheels are inspected by visual methods to identify wear such as spreading of the rim, thermal cracks, broken flange, and other defects. The visual method is no longer feasible economically as it can be tedious, inefficient, and poses too many factors of human’s error.

More and more industries have implemented automation in their system to reduce the impact of human reliance and gradually easing their way of transforming to the industry 4.0.

Through the rise of industry 4.0, rail industry can now be more prepared to avoid surprise downtime. This transition has been possible due to the increasing availability of sensors to

30 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2021 | RAIL EXPRESS

provide real-time data.

For wheel wear monitoring, displacement and distance measurement can be translated to the diameter and abnormalities on the wheel.

A combination of single point laser triangulation and laser line scanner system can provide this information to the user.

These non-contact sensors eliminate the disturbance to the object and can be easily set up and automated depending on the requirements.

Bestech Australia specialises in supplying high precision sensors and data acquisition systems to cater for these challenging industrial measuring requirements.

The company works with global sensors supplier Micro-Epsilon to supply its high precision laser sensors and laser scanner to support the measuring requirements of the rail industry.

A test bench setup featuring the optoNCDT laser triangulation sensors and scanCONTROL laser profile scanner has been previously developed to determine the wear and tear of the rail wheels.

This test bench can be set to measure the wheel profile of an entire train. This modern test-bed setup collects and documents treads data that saves time as compared to manual wear measurement.

The profile data acquired through measurement forms the basis for determining the maintenance dates for reprofiling.

The setup comprises three troughs that are embedded in the track bed one behind the other at right angles to the direction of travel.

For measuring the wheel diameter and the position of the wheel-tire simultaneously, two optoNCDT laser sensors are installed in each of the troughs 1 and 3. These sensors are compact and have an integrated controller that enables easy mounting and wiring.

Two scanCONTROL laser profile sensors are housed in trough 3 to measure the wheel profile.

The scanCONTROL profile scanners are amongst the highest performing laser profile sensors which make them suitable to detect,

A long range scanControl laser profile scanner with 200mm range.

measure and evaluate profiles of train wheels.

The laser scanners also have an integrated controller for automated profile evaluation and the users can also write their own program through the integrated SDK With the help of evaluation software, the gathered data can be used to detect the deviation in the target profile, and the maintenance operator can schedule repair activities if the tolerance limit is reached.

Aside from wheel wear inspection, these high resolution laser sensors have been used in other rail applications such as co-planarity and flatness measurement in R&D, rail inspection, condition monitoring and quality control in rail manufacturing.

Bestech Australia has previously collaborated with the local rail industry to implement turnkey measurement systems that improve the efficiency of their regular maintenance activities.

For example, as rails are subject to constant wear either due to corrosion or due to friction during use, effective rail track maintenance is vital to avoid disruptions.

Maintenance engineers seek automated inspection solutions to overcome difficulties that are faced in the manual inspection of rail wear.

Such a system can be designed by integrating advanced measurement sensors.

Bestech not only supplies sensors and the required measurement system to the industry, but says it also provides full local technical support to ensure smooth integration and commissioning.

Our Fugro RILA solution offers a safer, faster and more affordable way to gather accurate, up-to-date rail infrastructure data and analysis, with limited disruption to service. Survey once - use many times.

Rolling Stock and Manufacturing Turnout installation in the Netherlands.

Hybrid polymer sleepers for TasRail Tasmania’s rugged rail network needs tracks that can withstand the challenging environment. Transport provider TasRail has chosen sleeper materials which use recycled polymers that bond with reinforced steel.

With an upgraded, fit-for-purpose rail freight network, TasRail is one of the largest transport service providers in Tasmania, connecting industry and commerce to major shipping ports and freight hubs across the State.

The network is a single line, narrow gauge (1067 millimetre) transport system, which has 613 kilometres of operational track including more than 1.3 million railway sleepers.

While Tasmania is known for its natural beauty, its climate often provides some challenging conditions for TasRail engineers and operational personnel to deal with, such as including wide temperature ranges, high winds and a corrosive environment.

In terms of below rail infrastructure maintenance, TasRail continues to actively look for smarter and more productive ways of ensuring the integrity and safe operation of the network.

The effectiveness of the below rail

32 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2021 | RAIL EXPRESS

maintenance strategy continues to improve, with the requirement for unplanned maintenance reducing year on year due to a proactive approach to asset management.

As part of this drive for reduced maintenance and to ensure a more sustainable and environmentally friendly network, TasRail has included composite rail sleepers in its network strategy, allowing it to select sleepers that are best suited to the application and which provide an extended life span with the lowest life cycle cost.

The availability of good quality timber for sleepers is a known major issue and the life span of timber sleepers has dropped considerably over recent years due to the lack of good quality hard wood.

Alternatives had to be considered.

Hybrid polymer sleepers fill this gap as they have similar characteristics to timber but have a 50-year life span. These sleepers

are not as rigid as concrete and the load transmitted to the ballast is reduced, creating a very similar track stiffness compared to timber.

TasRail has installed composite sleepers previously, but when this contract expired, it elected to issue a new tender to ensure it had the most suitable product on the market.

In the first quarter of 2021, TasRail issued the tender to local and international suppliers for the supply of sleepers over a three-to-five-year period for maintenance and capital works. It requested full details to ensure offers met the required technical standards, best product costs, supply chain capability, supply reliability as well as details of the sustainability of the product.

Link Asia Pacific, the Australasian regional representative for Lankhorst Engineered Products, worked closely with Lankhorst to provide a comprehensive offer for its KLP

range of sleepers to TasRail.

KLP hybrid polymer sleepers are produced in The Netherlands and are today in use on various main lines, bridges and turnouts in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Gabon, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand and Russia.

According to Link Asia Pacific technical director Steven Baum, the KLP sleeper is a hybrid polymer sleeper which uses recycled polymers that bond with reinforced steel.

“This clever combination, using the strength and low thermal expansion coefficient of steel, coupled with the dampening characteristics of the polymer, provides a strong but flexible sleeper,” he said.

“The steel provides longitudinal and lateral stiffness to maintain track gauge under all load and climate conditions while the recycled polymer simultaneously acts as an effective impact absorber and sound damper.

“The steel reinforcement is strategically

The KLP polymer/steel combination.

placed and does not interfere with the installation of fastening systems.

“Hybrid sleepers combine the best characteristics of conventional sleepers – the lower bending and compressive rigidity of timber and its more compliant surface hardness along with the consistency and lifespan of concrete.”

Another advantage of the KLP sleepers is that they handle just the same as timber sleepers without the need for any specialised

equipment, allowing installation crews to adapt to the new product very quickly.

There is no glass fibre in the polymer as the steel provides the required strength, so no respiratory protection or other PPE is required when working with the sleepers.

Link Asia Pacific business development director Gerhard Klooster said minimising the carbon footprint was part of TasRail’s consideration in the selection process.

“KLP sleepers easily satisfied these requirements as they are made from 100% recycled polymers and are fully recyclable again after their long life. The used polymer is sourced by a subsidiary company of Lankhorst to ensure raw material quality is maintained,” he said.

More information on KLP sleeper solutions is available at www.linkap.com.au.

Sample sleepers will be displayed at the AusRAIL PLUS conference in Sydney, 28 February-2 March next year.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 33

Operations and Maintenance

Powering ahead at Gawler When it came to choosing the primary equipment supplier and installer for the ambitious Gawler electrification project in South Australia, the decision was easy.

The electrification of the rail network through Adelaide from the suburbs of Gawler to Seaford is the biggest rolling stock project in South Australia for years. The Australian and South Australian governments are jointly funding the $715 million modernisation of the Gawler rail line to deliver a faster, cleaner and more reliable service.

The State Government is delivering the project as part of an alliance with Acciona (formerly Lendlease Engineering), meaning a collaborative approach will be taken to complete the works.

With a project of this magnitude, the contractors had no hesitation in picking overhead hi-rail electrification specialists Manco Rail for the bulk of the works.

Boasting 15 categories of electrification and construction maintenance equipment and uniquely bespoke solutions, the company is renowned for providing customers with the very best equipment and protection for achieving their projects.

Manco Rail National Fleet Manager Rob Di Naccio said the company had been engaged in the project for the past 12 months, supplying equipment as well as the electrical cables to transmit electrical energy to locomotives for the 42 kilometres of rail.

“Through decades of experience, our knowhow has provided projects with the perfect rail electrification equipment. Manco Rail Hire has the competence to provide full turnkey solutions all tailored to suit the project demands,” he said.

“At Gawler, Manco Rail has provided a number of Elevating Work Platforms (EWPs), including boom lifts, bucket trucks and scissor lifts.

“We use specialised line tensioner units to feed the length of the track, with the overhead lines primarily catenary contact systems.”

Catenary wires are kept in mechanical tension because the pantograph – the apparatus mounted on the roof of an electric train to collect power through contact with the overhead line – causes mechanical oscillations in the wire, and the wave must travel faster than the train to avoid producing standing waves that would cause wire breakage.

Tensioning the line makes waves travel faster, and also reduces sag from gravity.

“We have a big fleet of specialised gear at the site to carry out and maintain this project to its completion,” Di Naccio said.

“This includes flat bed crane trucks, forklifts and various transporters.

“Manco Rail Hire is a one-stop shop for any rail project. Our solutions not only cover equipment

Manco Rail has supplied specialised line tensioner units for the project.

but solutions for the operation of the equipment that ensures its operation at the highest level for hire term.”

The scope of works entail: • electrification of the Gawler rail line and Dry Creek Railcar Depot • pedestrian level crossing enhancements • acquisition of 12 additional three-car electric trains (introduced in stages following completion of the electrification works) • replacement of the signalling system (including Automatic Train Protection provision) • fencing of the rail corridor for improved safety.

Originally planned to be completed by the end of the year, the process has been hampered by COVID. The Government has prioritised frequent engagement with community and industry for the project and said it would facilitate information sessions as much as possible to enable face-to-face communication.

While the completion of the project is up in the air – it is now expected to be in early 2022 – one thing that is certain is that Manco Rail will be there for the duration.

“We’re here to ensure the electrification goes off without a hitch,” Di Naccio said.

This includes being part of the testing process, in which the equipment is turned on and operated as part of the installed system.

This involves switching on the technology which detects trains approaching level crossings and stations, and generally manages safe train movements and electrical power supply.

Test trains are used to ensure the system

is operating safely. This is the final phase of work completed before passenger services can recommence.

This process is required to ensure the system is correctly configured and the integrity and correct operation of the safety critical systems is assured.

The different stages include: • connecting the new substations to the rail network to provide power for the electric trains • testing and switching over control of the new signalling system, that will control the network • testing the power feeds to the electrification infrastructure.

The testing and commissioning works will occur with small crews accessing equipment within the rail corridor, with Di Naccio’s team monitoring the performance.

The Gawler rail line will be energised ahead of the return of passenger services, which means all electrification infrastructure, including overhead wires and their fittings should be considered live and carrying electrical current before the line opens to passenger services.

The Gawler project is just one of many that Manco Rail is involved with in Australia.

The biggest profile job in recent times was its contract to provide specialised equipment for the two rail tunnels being built under Sydney Harbour as part of the Sydney Metro project.

Di Naccio said that other projects Manco Rail was involved in across the country included the Melbourne Level Crossing Removal project, the Cross River Rail line in Brisbane, and various other pantograph and maintenance works in Sydney.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 35

Major Projects and Infrastructure

The power of local procurement The concept of supporting local businesses has been pushed hard by all levels of government to rejuvenate an economy affected by COVID. The benefits of “buying local” have been spruiked by governments and industry stakeholders for decades, but never more emphatically than during the past 18 months, as Australian businesses try to stimulate the Australian economy back to its pre-COVID levels.

The country is basking in an infrastructure boom which has involved a plethora of rail projects, while grappling with a pandemic which has raised questions about the future of resource procurement and the way organisations run their supply chains.

With billions of dollars currently invested into building and infrastructure, and little sign of industry operations weakening throughout lockdowns, there is a renewed focus on making local businesses the leading choice for government contracts.

Rail Express speaks to Leslie Chung, Infrastructure Director with Donald Cant Watts Corke (DCWC), about the importance of local procurement for various projects involved in the rail industry’s big spend.

As the country’s leading provider of independent end-to-end project services — including quantity surveying, engineering costings, contracts administration and management, and construction advisory — the nine-office firm collaborates with government, private and public organisations to budget-cost and deliver a multitude of developments and ventures.

Chung himself has been involved with rail projects such as the Melbourne Metro Tunnel Rail PPP Project, the Geelong Line Upgrade Project, and the Victorian Level Crossing Removal programs.

LOCAL HEROES Notwithstanding the impact that COVID travel restrictions have had on access to skilled workers and experts from overseas, Chung said attitudes to offshoring should be changed as, in many cases, it’s possible to source products and services locally.

He said DCWC strongly believes in the “use local” philosophy. “All our staff are local, and even within each state, we try to use the personnel there; we truly believe in that because it provides stability,” he said.

Putting together pools of locally-based professionals for various projects is also advantageous because the team would have first hand knowledge of local conditions.

“That’s a real good reason why we can’t offshore our profession to other countries or even other states. Everything really needs to be assessed on its own merits, its own circumstances,” Chung said.

“You can’t achieve that through getting in, for example, an engineer from Malaysia because he would never have seen the types of conditions out in Australia. We’ve seen projects from other companies which have failed because they brought in personnel from overseas or other states who had no idea about conditions closer to home.

“But we’ve got the local knowledge in each state, and we engage with our state offices and network to bring in the expertise to ensure we deliver and execute the respective infrastructure projects.”

For this reason, Chung also advocates investment in training resources to beef up local knowledge.

Having an in-depth understanding of procurement procedures is an important part of putting together a winning strategy.

36 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2021 | RAIL EXPRESS

“Combined with international best standards, the programs let participants learn and practice in our local environments,” he said.

“We are hiring graduates and students that are coming through the ranks to obviously deliver on that local knowledge front.”

On a broader level, research has also shown that the economic multiplier from buying local is up to four times higher than buying from a nonlocal source.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENT Another important factor to consider is that various governments now have procurement rules that govern how entities buy goods and services designed to ensure taxpayers get value for money.

“State authorities have procurement guidelines that emphasise their own “buy local” policies, supplemental to the federal rules,” Chung said.

“This may include a local benefits test for all significant procurement or local participation policies, or considerable weighting given to the mandatory use of local content in tender evaluations.

“In essence, if you satisfy the minimum numbers of local industry personnel, then you get favoured and win points on securing the particular state government project.”

Chung said that having an in-depth understanding of procurement procedures, which can comprise 30 per cent or more of each tender evaluation, is an important part of putting together a winning strategy.

“The problem is that local procurement rules can sometimes be hard to follow, possibly confusing, and inconsistent across the states. As experts in handling government contracts for capital projects, DCWC is firmly across all these regulations,” he said.

THE STATE OF SUPPLY A big benefit of using local is that it’s easier to build up meaningful business relationships with local suppliers than those from overseas.

While Teams or Zoom meetings have made global communications a simple task, negotiations are more likely to succeed if conducted in person, and any issues or queries can be quickly resolved because everyone is in the same time zone, often leading to speedier turnaround of projects.

On the sustainability front, a shift towards buying local is a quick, easy way for procurement professionals to reduce their organisation’s carbon

footprint. Delivery and transportation times will be significantly reduced, as will the frequency of corporate travel.

But there is also a downside.

“It’s great that buying local is driving circulation and investment into the local economy, but it’s also driving a shortage of materials and expertise, an increase in price and premiums, which then of course affect budgets and projects,” Chung said.

“The consequence of this is we can say we may have shot ourselves in the foot in a way, as there’s no longer now an easy way out to source parts and services elsewhere, which could be a lot cheaper.”

One solution DCWC is focusing on is encouraging more local talent to come through the ranks, by opening cadetships in educational facilities, and developing and mentoring key talent to turn out more industry specialists such as civil engineers.

“So as students go through to high school and finish, they’re ready to move on to the next big projects, whether it’s on the suburban railway loop or airport rail link,” Chung said.

“From a labor point of view, there is now a big drive to not only relocate and redeploy people, but re-teach as well.

a'v"'.

HARRYBILT

ENGINEERING

“People who have perhaps lost jobs in traditional manufacturing sectors are being moved into more plant-based operations jobs such as excavation, compacting and grading. The Government is offering many types of certification degrees in TAFE and also allowing free courses to encourage participation.”

Meanwhile, where government and environmental authorities had previously stopped quarry operators from aggressively escalating and producing ballasts and crushed rock, they’re now trying to increase more production of the raw materials to stimulate the market.

“Also, they’re trying to encourage sustainable investments, and we’re starting to see a lot more alternative products such as alternative recycled plastic sleepers, for example, or plastic replacements for asphalt pavement constructions,” Chung said.

THE STANDARD BEARERS DCWC is also committed to making a positive difference across Australia, at the local community level as well as more broadly. It supports a range of educational, medical research and low socio-

economic programs, through monetary donations, scholarships and volunteering.

“We offer cadet opportunities to talented students who wish to complement their tertiary education with a comprehensive practical program. Many of our cadets have become industry leaders within our firm and in the wider construction industry,” Chung said.

“As well, the DCWC scholarship enables a student to pursue their studies, knowing they have the financial support to help them achieve their educational goals.

“We also invest in the CareerSeeker program, where overseas people from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as refugees, are helped to forge a new career for themselves.”

The ultimate aim is to ensure that staff are trained up to strict professional levels for working in the infrastructure industry.

“We truly believe in the values of upholding exceptional standards, because we work in what we call high value high risk projects, very high risk environments,” Chung said.

“Maintaning standards provides assurance and accountability, ensuring we provide a high level of confidence to taxpayers’ money.”

WE'LL KEEP YOU ON TRACK ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL YOUR RAIL NEEDS

P: 03 5339 4859 E: info@harrybilt.com.au W: www.harrybilt.com.au

Harrybilt Engineering is a family owned Australian manufacturing business. Their reputation has led them to become the supplier of choice all over Australia and internationally for Road Rail Trucks, Excavators and Trailers, along with a wide range of Rail Maintenance Attachments and Work Tools. All equipment is built to withstand the toughest conditions and with an in house Mechanical Engineer, the team are always improving and increasing their product range to keep pace in this specialised industry.

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RAIL GUIDANCE SYSTEM - can be fitted to Wheeled Excavators, Backhoe Loaders, Trucks and Light Vehicles. Providing a stable and safe platform for the base vehicle to operate efficiently on Broad and Standard Gauge or Narrow Gauge rail lines.

Harrybilt Engineering have developed a customised Rail System; the RGS Hi Ride is a Standard Gauge set-up, uses a Friction Drive mode to travel over train stops & some train platforms.

HI RAIL SYSTEM - adapts to Track Excavators and Trucks. This rail system is triple gauge changeable and is propelled by hydraulic motors installed within the rail system.

S SERIES RAIL MACHINE - built for the operator to withstand the most severe working conditions while remaining safe, versatile, efficient and simple to operate.

HI BRID RAIL SYSTEM -Australia's first Wheeled Excavator for Standard and Narrow Gauge.

RAIL TRAILER - perfect for carrying work tools and general rail mainte­ nance gear for rail application. The range includes sleeper top, flat top and a 2 wheel A frame rail trailer with a choice of sizes.

RAIL MAINTENANCE ATTACHMENTS Harrybilt Engineering manufacture high quality and extremely durable Rail Maintenance Equipment for use on machines such as Excavators and Backhoes. Attachments range from Fork Grabs, Rail Threaders, Rail Tampers, Sleeper Grabs, Buckets and more. The product range also includes Lightweight Attachments to suit smaller excavators.

The RGS Hi Ride is AS7502 compliant, braking with integrated disk service brakes & fail-safe tread brakes on the rail wheels.

In 'work mode' the system is Rail Guidance (direct drive) for superior stability, pulling & stopping performance with a revised load chart & a compliant twist mechanism for each configuration.

Signalling Solutions

Working with multiple interfaces for maximum outcome Global technology leader Thales is involved with numerous rail projects in Australia.

Understandably, there are many factors to consider when aiming for a successful outcome.

In Australia, the Thales name is everywhere. Sydney Metro, Sydney Trains and Parramatta Light Rail are some key projects within the transportation sector.

Thales works with a multitude of external contractors and agencies to achieve its goals. This requires a systematic and organised approach to ensure all participants work from a common page.

The person tasked with ensuring this is Julien Terrochaire, Ground Transportation Systems Engineering Manager for Thales Australia.

Terrochaire, with about 14 years of experience in the metro industry, specialises in Signalling and Integrated Communication and Supervision (ICS).

“In mega transportation projects, the challenges are diverse and lay demand on all parts/functions of an organisation – engineering, procurement, project management, documentation, legal and finance,” Terrochaire told Rail Express.

“The challenge is to successfully deliver systems on complex projects that have multiple external interfaces to other systems which are not necessarily aligned in terms of schedule and requirements.”

As an example, Terrochaire put forward the Thales signalling CCS (Central Control System, also named as SCADA) and communication systems used in both greenfield and brownfield environments.

“Thales has significant, diverse experiences in this domain as a provider of integrated turnkey mission critical systems for rail,” he said.

The systems comprise signalling, communications and supervision, and are used all over the world. But for the purpose of discussion, Terrochaire focussed on a project closer to home - the ongoing extension of the Sydney Metro with the City (greenfield) and South West (brownfield) sections.

“Thales systems are installed in every area of the metro, from the Operations Control Centre to the stations, the tracks and corridors. Thales is one of the few companies that can lay claim to this within the Sydney Metro project,” he said.

“On a daily basis, Thales co-ordinates between 19 external interfaces and 17 external contractors – each focussed on different aspects of the project. It takes tremendous flexibility and adaptation skills to operate successfully in such a complex, dynamic environment.”

Dealing with multiple contractors, almost naturally, means dealing with multiple new interfaces. Every new interface must be uniquely

38 | ISSUE 11 - DECEMBER 2021 | RAIL EXPRESS

An illustration of various interfaces Thales works with.

defined and managed (even if this new interface is from the same contractor).

Terrochaire emphasises this means that the same type of interface is redefined at least 17 times (sometimes even more) because one external contractor can own a specific interface for multiple locations and Thales must deal with a different person or entity within this contractor company.

• Challenge 1 - Schedule misalignment Terrochaire cites technical debt as the most unfortunate consequence of not doing it right in the first instance, due to misalignment of schedules of different contractors, the tendency to base design on assumptions and not signing off as per design review processes.

“The technical debt generates a series of events that results in a challenging relationship between all parties – mismatched priorities, frustrations for the contractors, additional pressure on the engineering and design teams, and pressure on the scheduling team to constantly rework, update and baseline the delivery program,” he said.

• Challenge 2 - Design consistency Maintaining system design consistency and compliance across all interfacing parties is key and critical to ease the process.

While small adaptations may seem legitimate to undertake, in reality, it is almost impossible given the number of factors involved.

• Challenge 3 - Overhead management Multiple coordination meetings, tools to exchange information, efforts to avoid technical debt, implementation and facilitating adequate stakeholder engagement add up quickly. Overhead management becomes critical.

“It takes tremendous resilience from the configuration officers and a strong commercial effort to keep across the numerous revisions in documentation, changes and variations which, if unresolved, lead to commercial disputes and tension between the various stakeholders,” Terrochaire said.

THE SECRET TO SUCCESS How then does Thales consistently achieve project success and excellence in such a complex and dynamically evolving environment?

Terrochaire will reveal all in a presentation at the forthcoming AusRAIL PLUS conference.

“I am honoured to be speaking on Thales’ extraordinary ability to deliver quality outcomes in complex projects,” Terrochaire said. “I look forward to presenting an in-depth look into the challenges Thales faces and the various solutions we employ to minimise disruption, resolve these challenges and manage all the external factors implicated in this multi-layered environment.”

AusRAIL PLUS will be held at the ICC Sydney, from 28 February to 2 March, 2022.

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Research and Development

In-house laboratory spearheads research in welding technology As a global pioneer in flashbutt welding technology, Holland produces thousands of innovative products each year, and all of them are designed and built in its own in-house state-of-theart laboratory.

Holland has been a leader in progressive and comprehensive solutions spanning the rail industry for 85 years.

The US-based company is also the industry leader in the field of flash-butt welding across the globe, including Australia. Not only does it excel in terms of available resources, but also in experience and dedication to continual development of new technology that enables it to adapt to the evolving requirements of the railroad community.

Holland’s Intelliweld Control System provides an unmatched degree of accuracy and quality in the production of rail welds. With the largest mobile flash-butt rail welding fleet in the world, the company prides itself as a pioneer in developing flash-butt welding technology that continues to provide high-quality and costeffective solutions.

Indeed, most of Holland’s innovative welding solutions and industry-leading technology are designed and developed within a dedicated laboratory on-site at the Illinois facility, which houses a highly-skilled team of engineers and machinists who are responsible for the creation, manufacturing and refurbishment of rail welding equipment.

As Holland’s Weld Quality, Research and Testing director Nicholas G Martino explains, having such an in-house workshop was absolutely necessary to produce the hundreds of thousands of state-of-theart welds every year.

“We wanted to be capable of analysing swiftly and be in control of our product to produce an even better weld. This allowed us to have a better understanding of the flash butt welding process,” he said.

“We research normal weld qualifications, our process capability and investigate any weld defects that may occur. When these weld defects occur, this

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Welds being cut in the Holland Rail Services Australia workshop for testing.

allows us to better document and manage a library of the processes we learned from them and improve processes and operator training.”

Martino acknowledges that it’s rare to have the luxury of an exclusive laboratory, along with a dedicated research and development team.

“Some of our competitors pay outside labs and don’t have internal processes/teams,” he said. “A third party lab can be beneficial but are generally used to just analyse incidents or products brought to them.

“We can go above and beyond. We can go to the next higher level and ask how we can change or improve things.

“We’re in control and we have the capability of understanding a weld from start to finish.

“This also allows us to talk with our operations teams, and interface with teams who physically made the weld to talk through weld issues.”

Some of the testing and research topics include Heat Affected Zones (cut, polish, and etch), hardness profiles, microstructure evaluation (cut, mount, polish, and etch), slow bend tests, non-destructive testing (NDT), ultrasonic test (UT), magnetic particle (MP), dye penetrant (DP) and more.

“Not only do we do multiple types of testing, but we can also change parameters ourselves to get desired effects,” Martino said.

“Because Holland controls the entire building and management of its operating fleet and teams, we get very close to predictive analytics with welding inputs and desired outcomes.

“Labs can test specific welds, but they don’t know

the equipment like we do or how to manipulate to get a certain outcome.”

Martino said there was little problem in translating the North American experiences to Australian specifications and qualifications.

“Certain rail structures can have different alloys, which helps us determine how to tweak our “recipe” to make the best Holland weld,” he said.

“Our lab supports the team directly and walking through issues that may occur out in the field. We also track all the inputs and outputs of the welds happening in Australia.

“While there are more grades of rail available than there has ever been before, we can learn to perfect the weld for each kind.”

Of interest also is that Holland may well also build a dedicated testing laboratory in Australia.

According to Holland Rail Services Australia managing director Kevin J Piefer, the Australian branch currently uses a third party testing company with very high-end capabilities, with reports sent to the US team to analyse and review.

“We’re very happy with what we have been receiving for support thus far, but having our own lab in Australia would be very beneficial,” he said “We want further control of the speed that we can deliver results and make changes in real time to our systems.

“We believe that can be done successfully if we have our own lab set-up locally. Although with the amount of work to be done, we will definitely still need support from the other labs as we grow.”

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Research and Development

Harrybilt track solution riding high It’s now easier to carry out maintenance work around train stops, thanks to an innovative design from Harrybilt Engineering.

A commonly-used train safety feature is the Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS), first developed by British Rail.

TPWS automatically applies the brakes of any train that has passed a red signal, or that is travelling too fast on the approach to a red signal, speed restriction or buffer stop. It is designed to reduce the consequences of a signal passed at danger by stopping a train that passes through a red signal (within the signal’s safety overlap and before it can come into conflict with any other train).

Vital components of this system are sensors on the tracks, or so-called train stops, which are devices used to trigger the braking system on trains in the event of emergencies.

But while they serve as a benefit, they can also be an obstruction for machines which need to carry out maintenance work on the lines.

After listening to feedback from its rail industry customers, the Ballarat-based Harrybilt Engineering team thought that producing a feature to lift a rail machine clear of train stops when travelling would be a huge benefit and increase productivity.

And the idea is now reality. According to Harrybilt Engineering finance and marketing

manager Beth Martino, the company has developed a customised rail system that solves the problem of working around train stops.

“The RGS Hi Ride System is a standard gauge set-up, and uses a friction drive mode to travel over train stops and some train platforms,” she said.

“It is AS7502 compliant, using integrated disk service brakes and fail-safe tread brakes on the rail wheels.

“The system employs direct drive rail guidance for superior stability, boasts pulling and stopping performance with a revised load chart and a compliant twist mechanism for each configuration.”

The travel lift is high enough to clear most train stops for wheeled excavators.

The Hi Ride is already being used by one client, and more are expected in production.

And as Martino says, the development of the system is a testament to Harrybilt’s philosophy of providing highly-specialised and customised solutions to local and national customers. It excels in smart innovative design solutions and technology for rail infrastructure projects.

Everything is built in the Ballarat workshop, with a doubling of floor space required two years

Harrybilt has designed a customised rail system that can lift a rail machine clear of train stops to make maintenance work easier.

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ago because business was expanding so rapidly.

Martino said the Hi Ride — like its wide range of rail maintenance attachments — could well be incorporated into the company’s turnkey solution packages, where everything is provided for the client from scratch. This includes buying machinery, installing the rail system, building the rail maintenance attachments, as well as supporting registration for any networks around Australia.

“The turnkey solution is registered for networks around Australia and ensures any machine is rail ready when it leaves the workshop,” she said.

“We can handle the purchase of the machine and installation of the rail system. Importantly, we manage all aspects of the rail machine rather than a customer having to go through different companies. We can manage the whole thing.”

BUSINESS GROWTH Martino reiterated that it been encouraging to see the market was undaunted by the pandemic.

“We have noticed in the last couple of years, that the market has been expanding for us and our customers have kept coming back,” she said.

“It has been great to see their businesses growing as well.

While customers are mostly based in Australia, Harrybilt also does business in New Zealand and Indonesia.

SECRETS TO SUCCESS Martino said acting on response and comments from clients was a key reason for the company’s success.

“The development of the Hi Ride system is a prime example of us listening to our customers’ feedback,” she said. “We are happy to work with them to make customised products.”

Another example of this was the Hi Brid Rail System, which allows a wheeled excavator to run on both standard and narrow gauges.

“We seek to keep in touch with the industry and adapt according to its needs,” Martino said.

She said with the surge in rail projects around Australia, the outlook for growth was positive.

“Lots of our customers are buying not just one machine from us with attachments, they are buying a few,” she said.

“Everyone seems to be getting ready to make sure they have enough product to keep up with the rail maintenance demands all over Australia.”

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Safety and Standards

Next step in systems integration With many commuters using more than one mode of transport on their journey, it is important to use a common, simple and effective way to display mixed transport information.

With the Smart pi ECOsystem, audio and visual passenger information systems are seamlessly incorporated.

The next level is offered with the Smart pi EYE - Multi Agency, which offers the ability to integrate not only audio and visual signals from a single transport system, but also multiple systems.

Multi Agency offers an enhanced experience for the traveller, as it is very common for people to need to use more than one mode of transport on their journey. It also offers multiple transport providers a simple, effective way to display mixed transport information. tm stagetec systems has worked over many years with manufacturer Smart Pi to develop this modular, networked passenger information system that can be easily customised to the demands of transport operators.

As one element within the broader Smart pi ECOsystem, the Smart pi EYE technology enables real time, accurate information to be part of the new norm for customers who use multiple modes to complete their journey.

There are many key advantages of using the Smart pi EYE (Digital Information/Signage System): • With Google AI, real time text is used and any live audio can be converted into text • Using Google AI means it is always at the leading edge of Voice to Text conversion • Customised templates show real time information and overlay real time text announcements for a pre-configured amount of time • The system is integrated with Smart pi DVA with linked meta data • The Show Hearing Loop logo is displayed on screens whilst announcements are playing • It is designed to select different accents, languages and pronunciations (for example Australian English).

SYSTEMS INTEGRATION tm stagetec systems general manager Mark Lownds said not only is it common for passengers to use multiple modes of transport on a journey, it is also common for many of these transport

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Multi Agency offers an effective way to display mixed transport information.

hubs to intersect. “Think a train exchange where passengers change from suburban to country lines. Think a train station connected to a bus interchange, or a ferry terminal, and so on,” he said.

“Previously these transport providers have grown organically to have separate systems that were not integrated. Smart pi EYE Multi Agency offers these providers the opportunity to integrate their passenger display information.”

Smart pi EYE Multi Agency passenger information systems offer the ability to have multiple General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) and General Transit Feed Specification Realtime (GTFS-R) data feeds combined into a single system and displayed on digital screens.

This technology is offered with the bonus of not having to drastically overhaul the individual systems of the different transport operators.

Multi Agency also offers: • Custom Display types used to display mixed information on a single screen to give the ability to easily read and digest transport times and information (for example multiple bus companies, buses and ferries, trains and buses).

• No limit to how many feeds can be used, and new feeds can be added as the system grows.

• Screens which can include all available information, such as GPS location, delays, load data, etc.

• The use of Dante networking as needed.

The benefits of Multi Agency display for both passengers and transport providers are many, the most obvious for transport operators being a simple, effective and scalable way to display travel information to passengers in one place.

MULTIPLE TRANSPORT PROVIDERS tm stagetec systems are using their experience within the field of passenger information to enable these connections between various transport

providers and their various components of audio and video technology.

The Smart pi ECOsystem is built upon the principles of open architecture, scalability, and reliability. The first principle was that the system had to be built on an open architecture, Lownds said.

“We hired a software development company called DeusO, who were involved in building the standards for audio and video communications protocol Open Control Architecture (OCA),” he said.

“With OCA we’re not just using it externally, we’re using the same protocol internally, even in the same device when we need to hand over information internally. It’s a big decision and investment to do it this way but it meant that we can be completely open, completely standard compliant and pretty fast to market.” tm stagetec systems managing director Treva Head said an advantage of using the OCA was that it enabled the second principle that the Smart pi ECOsystem is built upon: scalability.

“This is especially important in terms of the Multi Agency concept as new transport feeds may be added to integrated systems over time, as transport networks grow and change with the needs of society,” he said.

“Why we decided to use OCA is because it’s scalable and it’s transport agnostic, so you could use it over TCP/IP or USB or WiFi or whatever you want to use it with. So, we’ve made sure that we can scale from very small to very big.”

The final principle in the Smart pi ECOsystem was reliability. With the company’s experience delivering audio technology for rail networks, tm stagetec systems knows that conditions are not always ideal.

Therefore it also aimed to limit the load that the technology would place on the network, especially when combining multiple transport providers.

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Safety and Standards

Don’t get left behind Standardising the way materials in the rail industry supply chain are identified and marked will bring industry-wide efficiencies, and the I-TRACE project is leading the way.

Project i-TRACE, the standardised barcoding system to collate data on assets and materials used across the rail industry, has been in development now for almost five years.

Participating organisations use it to meet global data standards and support the growing use of automation in rail, to better leverage data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence to drive new efficiency gains and cost savings in their business.

The industry-wide initiative resulted from a collaboration between global standards specialists GS1 Australia, the Australasian Railway Association and participating organisations to develop an inventory management program aimed at reducing costs and improving the quality of materials management processes.

And as GS1 Freight, Logistics and Industrial Sectors account director Tony Repaci explains, the demand for standardised parts and components identification has increased dramatically over the past couple of years.

“There are so many rail projects underway at the moment,” he said. “There’s been a ramp-up of momentum behind the program, and it’s primarily come from the increased activity of the rail operators working with their suppliers.

“It makes it so much easier for operators to know they can access part and component information which guarantee they meet required standards.

“For example, if a rail operator must order more of a particular part, they may not always have the necessary information available, so they might have to go back to engineering diagrams or look at the parts of the track that they’re working on, and in most instances they’ll re engineer a

solution for that length of track.

“Whereas if they had components tied to a GS1 product identification number, then they can just order that product and they know that it’s suitable and fit for purpose. It’s engineered, approved and suitable to be used.

“I think the overwhelming consensus has been that if rail suppliers can mark their product in a consistent way no matter where, whether they supply that product to Sydney Trains, Queensland Rail, V Line, METRONET or other major rail operators, they increase their chances of the product being correctly purchased.”

GETTING ON BOARD Standard identifiers and data capture technologies developed by GS1, including barcoding and RFID (radio frequency identification) tagging, are fundamental components of Project i-TRACE. “Efficiency is heavily reliant on effective supply chain management practices to assure material availability of the right quantity, the right quality, at the right place and time with minimum effort and cost,” Repaci said.

“Manufacturers, operators and contractors alike agree that a collaborative industry approach to improving the inbound materials supply chain to the rail industry will have significant, positive bottom-line effects for individual organisations and for the industry as a whole.”

Appropriately, using rail analogies, the Project i-TRACE journey can be broken up into several stations. So far, businesses should have progressed through the first four: project overview, rail guideline, supplier workshop, and business case.

Identification elements include locations, logistics and transport units, serial numbers, production dates, and expiry dates.

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GS1 Freight, Logistics and Industrial Sectors account director Tony Repaci.

“Suppliers to the rail industry should now have left station 5: join GS1 so they can start assigning globally unique identifiers to parts, components, and assets,” Repaci said.

“Adoption of a common language offers consistency, cost savings and lays a solid foundation for the automation of the rail industry supply chain.”

The primary identification elements that have been agreed by industry are: • Locations • Trade Items • Assets • Logistics and Transport Units Additional information such as serial numbers, batch and lot numbers, production dates, expiry dates and other relevant information can be captured within a consistent framework. This means that information can be more easily exchanged regardless of different stakeholder enterprise systems.

Standardising the way materials in the rail industry supply chain are identified and marked will bring industry-wide efficiencies.

“Systems integrators and solution providers will have clear direction as to the industry’s requirements in relation to identification codes and data capture technologies to aid successful implementations,” Repaci said.

“The industry as a whole will benefit by lowering its overall cost base making the industry more competitive and more profitable. Removing unnecessary cost and waste in the way it manages materials and assets, is critical to the long term health of the Australian rail industry.”

By adopting these supply chain digital data standards, rail and network operators will have a universal baseline for identifying parts and components when they are received from suppliers, enabling improved inventory management which will translate into lower cost of doing business and better quality asset management practices.

Manufacturers will have a common, agreed

industry standard to work with in relation to barcoding and tagging their parts and components, eliminating ambiguity of requirements from customer to customer and providing certainty of a return of investment as it can be leveraged across multiple stakeholders.

Contractors will be better placed to capture and provide accurate maintenance history of assets to both customers and suppliers, as an agreed standard will enable information upstream and downstream much easier to get and to provide.

For operators, Repaci said the initiative would deliver better control of inventory, saving time and money.

“It will also allow for automation and an improved customer focus. GS1 standards are technology agnostic and therefore not dependent on any specific software platform,” he said.

“While changes may be needed to a system, they are likely to be cost comparable to changes that would be made to the system anyhow.

Major software vendors such as SAP, Oracle and Microsoft have built in support of GS1 standards in their solutions.”

Repaci said GS1 standards are the most comprehensive and widely used supply chain standards in the world.

“They are open, global, industry and technology neutral providing wide choice of available technologies and confidence that any investment based on GS1 standards will be scalable and future proof,” he said.

GS1 is a global organisation with direct representation in 112 countries. The national GS1 Australia office has 156 staff based in Melbourne and Sydney supporting multiple industries including the rail sector. It provides a range of services to assist industry with their GS1 related projects.

END OF THE LINE … AND BEYOND Looking to the future, Repaci said that laying the correct foundations for the industry will mean that more advanced supply chain and asset management processes will be easier and more cost effective to achieve.

“The industry needs to move forward, and suppliers using the system do not necessarily have

to retroactively start barcoding all the products that are already installed,” he said.

“We encourage them to start barcoding from a certain date, as soon as possible, so that their products are correctly marked and able to be managed over the next 20 or 30 years.

“Australia is geographically very large and our rail infrastructure network is extensive: the task to digitise is large but the rail industry has proven to be up to the task, as it is innovative, forward thinking and a global leader in this sector.

“Simplifying the identification of parts and components will enable tracking or components and asset management systems to more easily integrate information across organisational boundaries – connecting the end-to-end value chain for the benefit of the entire industry.

“So if you’re a manufacturer, make sure you jump on the Project i-TRACE Express .. and don’t get left behind.”

GS1 will be presenting more information about Project i-TRACE at the AusRAIL PLUS conference in Sydney, from 28 February to 2 March, 2022.

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Light Rail Solutions The vulcanised rubber material used on this green track in Birmingham, UK, provides protection from temperature extremes.

Tough tracks pass temperature test Track specialist STRAILastic is using vulcanised rubber to ensure light rail tracks are not severely affected by temperature conditions.

Temperature variations often place stresses on infrastructure, particularly if it’s in exposed environments. In many cases this includes tram and light rail tracks.

Whether set in asphalt, concrete, or earth as in the form of a “green track”, light rail tracks face stresses from rapid temperature change as the surrounding materials expand and contract.

Unlike heavy rail structures, where the ballast foundations allow for some contraction and expansion, the nature of light rail, being embedded in a surface, means thresholds are much lower.

The good news is that polymer sleeper specialist STRAILastic has developed a chamberfilling solution that helps mitigate the problem.

Australia operations director Andreas Göschl said the system is used in areas where there are big temperature variations.

Produced in a similar way to STRAILastic’s level crossing systems, the chamber filler avoids the use of bitumen joints by being level with the railhead. The fillers are designed to withstand the wear and tear of traffic crossing the rail line.

While chamber-filling elements are common to many light rail networks, not all are created equal. A common material not used by STRAILastic is polyurethane.

“The polyurethane products are more like plastic, so they expand when it’s warm and they shrink when it’s cold,” Göschl said.

“The systems that STRAILastic offers are instead made from vulcanised rubber.

“We don’t have this issue of expanding and contracting with our systems, as we have a temperature range between -40°C and plus 90°C. “Because of our temperature stability, our system has a glass transition point – the point under deep temperature when a system

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breaks – of -55°C. Common systems have a glass transition point of -27 to -30°C. While this temperature is only reached in very cold countries, that shows how the system can move and how stable it is.”

While these temperature ranges are extreme, the stability of the STRAILastic system at such a wide range of temperatures means that for normal operating conditions, the product offers a more reliable solution.

The benefits of the vulcanised rubber solution extend beyond its rigidity. While made from 95 per cent recycled rubber, the outer cover of virgin rubber ensures that the systems can withstand the elements.

“Vulcanisation has several benefits as it is more UV and ozone- resistant. As we use a virgin rubber cover sheet, we have a higher density than polyurethane-bounded systems,” Göschl said.

The design of the system also means that the chamber-filling element fits to the rail like a hand into a glove.

“We do not need any glue or adhesive – the system is self-clamping – due to the seat profile of our systems,” Göschl said.

Not only does this promote the longevity of the track structure due to less wear and tear, but the intrusion of foreign particles is reduced.

“Due to our very small tolerances and very small movements in the track, we avoid gaps between the rail and the chamber filler. A gap is the worst thing that you can get in a light rail track, as it’s through these gaps that water, sand, sediment and dirt come in,” Göschl said.

“Over time the rail is then lifted up a little bit and when you have a lot of moisture inside there you also get electric problems, and these combine to corrode and destroy the rail web which is the weakest point of the rail.”

DESIGNED FOR CITY NEEDS STRAILastic has introduced a unique naming system for each of its products in the track damping range.

“Our systems are called Type Berlin, Bremen, Bielefeld, Zurich, and so on. All light rail authorities in various countries have a special way of track building or track construction, so what we do is we create tailor-made solutions for them,” Göschl said.

Once complete, these solutions are then standardised so that future networks that are similar can use a standard product. Installed over 30 times in cities around Europe, the system has often been put to the test over the past 20 years in comparison with polyurethanebonded products.

After only a year, the difference can be seen clearly, with gaps visible to the naked eye in the alternative products. In contrast, in cities where the STRAILastic product has been installed, the solution is continuing to measure up after 10 years.

To ensure that authorities gain the maximum value for the products, in each new city where the STRAILastic system is installed, a member of the team will oversee the installation.

“For all first installations in all cities and areas we send at least one engineer to help and guide the installation,” Göschl said. “We’ve done that also in Australia, for our noise-attenuation products.

From next year on we will have people in Australia who are trained for the track damping products.”

The design has also been optimised to reduce any variation during installation, while retaining the ability to be modified on site with regular tools.

The lack of glue or adhesive means that removing or replacing the chamber filler is simple, reducing maintenance complexity.

Together, the product provides a reliable and sustainable solution to keeping trams running, no matter the weather.

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Industry Associations

Value of rail cannot be underestimated There is a need to encourage greater use of rail in Sydney to ensure the sustainability of a freight network that makes the best of all modes of transport.

The New South Wales Auditor-General’s performance report on Rail freight and Greater Sydney confirmed the vital role rail will play in ensuring the efficient movement of freight through the city.

The need for rail to play a greater role in meeting the state’s requirements has been known for some time.

Transport for NSW’s (TfNSW) Future Transport 2056, released in 2016, highlighted the need for rail to meet predicted increases in demand for freight, particularly around Sydney’s metropolitan transport networks.

With those networks expected to facilitate twice the current volume of freight by 2056, rail will be essential to busting congestion on already-busy city roads and enhancing the liveability of the city over time.

This theme is reflected nationally. The Australasian Railway Association’s (ARA) Value of Rail Report 2020 confirmed the national freight task is set to grow 41 per cent from 2016-2030 – equivalent to the payload for almost 900,000 B-Double trucks per year.

Rail is expected to meet 72 per cent of this growth in demand – a significant contribution to support the nation’s growth and development.

Greater use of rail will be essential if we are to support the long term strength and sustainability of a freight network that makes the best of all modes of transport.

The importance of this task is particularly acute in metropolitan regions.

One short haul port train can carry the equivalent payload of 41 B-Double trucks, freeing up city road networks to support commuter traffic.

Rail freight also generates 16 times less carbon pollution compared to road, offering long term sustainability benefits for the cities and communities that achieve greater use of rail.

Despite these clear benefits, the task of

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increasing the use of rail has been met with persistent challenges.

For Sydney, a failure to meet this challenge could have significant implications on the transport network as the city grows and competing demands on the road network increase.

In 2016, a total of 194 million tonnes of freight was already moved through the Greater Sydney region.

About 80 per cent of freight moved through the city was facilitated by road, with only five per cent of all rail paths on the Sydney Trains network dedicated solely to freight.

Acknowledging the need for greater use of rail to meet future demand, NSW set a target to increase its use of rail at Port Botany from 17.5 per cent in 2016 to 28 per cent by the end of 2021.

With that deadline fast approaching, the report confirms the state will struggle to meet that target.

This is despite that fact that meeting increasing demand for freight in the state will be difficult to achieve if greater use of rail does not occur.

The Auditor-General found transport agencies do not have clear strategies or targets in place to improve the freight efficiency or capacity of the metropolitan shared rail network.

They also do not know how to make best use of the rail network to achieve the efficient use of its rail freight capacity.

A key part of this challenge is a lack of information to support the analysis and reporting required to drive more efficient outcomes.

This means rail networks shared by both passenger and freight rail cannot always be used in a way that maximises freight capacity, without compromising passenger rail services.

Caroline Wilkie, chief executive, Australasian Railway Association.

One of the long-term areas of focus outlined in Future Transport 2056 was to provide greater separation of passenger and freight movements to increase capacity and improve safety outcomes.

This is an important area of focus, but further steps will need to be taken in the short term to ensure rail can help meet rising demand.

Transport for NSW is advancing four freight-specific strategies to address these issues, based on contemporary industry data.

These strategies will be a crucial part of confirming the path forward for rail freight.

The first of those strategies – a review of NSW’s Freight and Ports Plan 2018-2023 – is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

We look forward to the outcomes of this review and the work to follow on the development of the remaining three strategies.

As this critical work developing freightspecific strategies continues, the AuditorGeneral’s report confirms the need for clear timeframes, targets and key performance indicators in their development.

It has also recommended improved collection and sharing of data to provide better visibility of train movements to support future planning and decision making be implemented in 2022.

The ARA is committed to supporting solutions to help achieve the best possible outcomes for industry and the community.

The report’s recommendations provide important insights to guide this process and support greater use of rail freight in the state in years to come.

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I S S U E 11 | D E C E M B E R 2021

W W W. R A I L E X P R E S S . C O M . A U

Powering on at Gawler Project When it came to choosing the primary equipment supplier and installer for the ambitious Gawler electrification project in South Australia, the decision was easy – PAGE 35

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AU S T RA L I A’ S L E A D IN G B U S I NESS TO B U SINESS RAIL PU B LICAT ION

Industry Associations

Supply chains are a ‘people business’ The next generation of transport workers will need new skills in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence, data manipulation, and ‘softer’ skills that enable humans and machines to become effective co-workers.

ALC CEO Brad Williams

Skilled workforce shortages were a problem pre-pandemic, but the closure of international borders has further impacted the ability of employers to recruit staff in areas ranging from truck driving to the engineering skills necessary to deliver sophisticated infrastructure.

The freight and logistics sector is evolving and with it are the needs and skills of its workforce.

While more than 600,000 workers are currently employed, this will need to increase to service growing populations and rapidly increasing consumer demand.

However, the end-to-end supply chain faces a looming talent shortage, with demand for skilled professionals expected to outstrip supply by six to one by 2023, according to work done by Deakin University1.

COVID-19 challenges including international border restrictions affecting skilled migration, a sharp increase in e-commerce and disrupted training programs have exacerbated labour shortages, placing the industry under real pressure.

However, the broader structural challenges have pre-dated the pandemic.

Truck drivers have certainly been the focus both here and globally. Dominated by an ageing

workforce, less than 15 per cent of the trucking industry are under the age of 30, and because the average age of a commercial truck driver is 53, many are retiring faster than younger drivers can be hired.

Truck driver shortages have also dominated global supply chain headlines this year. Britain reports a shortage of 100,000 drivers, while the US reports needing 80,000. In Australia, anecdotally, we know there are thousands of vacancies across the supply chain for heavy vehicle drivers.

It’s not just on the road where we have a problem: rail freight has recruitment challenges as well with shortages of drivers, signalling engineers, maintenance workers and broader roles to meet construction projects that expect to peak in 2025.

Data management and data literacy form newer skill sets that have emerged to meet evolving supply chain needs.

As the supply chain continues to digitise, these skills are essential to support an increasingly automated environment and mitigate growing cybersecurity risks.

As organisations continue to evolve we are witnessing a swell in demand for new skills in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence, data manipulation, and ‘softer’ skills that enable humans and machines to become effective co-workers.

Meeting these skills shortages is a challenge but also an opportunity to build on some of the momentum and visibility the supply chain has generated through COVID, to showcase what a great career choice the sector can be.

Research commissioned by Wayfinder and undertaken by Deakin University’s Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics (CSCL) Talent and Capability Laboratory2 found that there were some recurring themes when it came to recruitment challenges in the freight and logistics sector including a poor image, education gaps and difficulties of attracting staff to the regions or outer urban areas.

Organisation leaders have been proactive in setting up programs to promote career pathways and attract more diversity into the workforce.

Initiatives including the Inland Rail Skills Academy and digital career maps such as Wayfinder have gone some way to address labour needs.

There’s more to do and governments have a role to play.

To address workforce shortages and at the urging of the Australian Government, the Transport and Logistics Industry Reference Committee (IRC) is proposing a new Heavy Vehicle Driver Apprenticeship in response to calls to professionalise the Heavy Vehicle Driver occupation.

The apprenticeship is a medium-term solution that will hopefully address driver shortages across Australia, create career pathways and ensure the safety of workers and all other road users.

Additionally, Infrastructure and Transport Ministers have supported the creation of a National Rail Skills Hub to improve access and pathways to the current and future rail skills needed to build and operate the national rail network.

Other initiatives that supply chain participants are pushing for include: • Apprentice level training programs to assist smaller operators with access to trained staff for data and cybersecurity requirements • Establishing infrastructure as a stand-alone category in the Global Talent Visa Program, to help technical road and rail construction shortfalls • Recognising truck drivers as a shortage on the Priority Skilled Occupations List will also provide businesses with access to an international skilled talent pool.

As an industry we can also work to build on the sector’s image and the visibility generated through the pandemic – to promote the breadth of career opportunities and pathways, as well as the growing diversity of the workforce.

Investing in our future skills will yield benefits beyond local economic growth, ensuring our supply chain will remain resilient and globally competitive.

[1]https://www.deakin.edu.au/research/research-news-and-publications/articles/new-tool-combats-talent-shortage-in-australias-supply-chain-sector [2] https://wayfinder.org.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/70/2021/10/Workforce-challenges-in-supply-chain-and-logistics.pdf

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Industry Associations

Get on board the Learning Express RISSB has launched a program featuring brand-new short online courses ideal for people new to the rail industry, or those wanting to upskill or improve their knowledge of rail safety and risk.

The RISSB program is called Learning Express, consisting of the following foundation courses: RAIL SAFETY WORKER OBLIGATIONS The Rail Safety Worker Obligations course provides details of the elements of a Safety Management System (SMS) and the obligations a rail safety worker has for each of these elements.

This course has nine modules covering all 29 elements of a Safety Management System and what your obligations are as a rail safety worker for each element.

This course should be undertaken after completing the Introduction to Rail Safety online course.

It is aimed at providing course attendees with an understanding of: • What rail safety work is • What makes up an SMS • The obligations of a rail safety worker across all elements of an SMS FUNDAMENTALS OF RISK MANAGEMENT The Fundamentals of Risk Management course provides participants with an understanding of the basics of risk management in normal, degraded and emergency situations to enable a participant to apply the skills and knowledge to their role in the rail industry.

This course has nine modules designed to explore the basic elements of a risk management process and covers the key elements of risk management such as: • Identifying hazards and risks • Assessing the risks • Controlling the risks • Monitoring and reviewing • Reporting INTRODUCTION TO RAIL SAFETY The Introduction to Rail Safety course provides participants with an understanding of the approach to rail safety in Australia, including the key organisations involved in rail safety, relevant laws (particularly the Rail Safety National Law), details of what is defined as rail

safety work and your basic obligations as a rail safety worker.

This course has three modules, designed to give you an understanding of: • Module 1 - rail safety and the key organisations that are involved in rail safety in Australia • Module 2 - the laws and rules relating to rail safety that you must comply with in Australia • Module 3 - rail safety work This introductory course, aims to provide course attendees with an understanding of: • Why rail safety is important and key terms such as co-regulation and SFAIRP • Which organisations are involved in rail safety and their roles • The laws and rules relevant to rail safety • The basic elements of a Safety Management System • What rail safety work is • The basic obligations a person has as a rail safety worker with a focus on fitness for duty obligations SAFETY CRITICAL COMMUNICATIONS FOR PROTECTION OFFICERS This online course builds on TLIF0008 Apply Safety Critical Communications (SCC) In The Rail Environment and contextualises it to the role of the Protection Officer (PO).

While students completing this course may already be experienced in the role, it teaches/refreshes: • The specific SCC skills that POs need to help them fulfil their role and meet requirements for track protection • Communicating, providing timely and accurate rail operational information and responding to unplanned situations or events appropriately • How to avoid, but also identify and resolve issues in SCC to ensure that communications are effective • How to set up a cycle of continuous improvement.

This training is the result of rail transport

The Rail Safety Worker Obligations course provides an understanding of the obligations of a rail safety worker across a Safety Management Syetem.

operators recognising the essential need for high quality SCC for POs working in the rail industry.

Over the course of this online training, students will cover: • The importance of SCC within safeworking • The application of the Australian Network Rules and Procedures • The PO’s duties • The importance of planning • What constitutes a SCC • What can lead to ineffective SCC • Strategies for ensuring high quality SCC Learning Express courses can be completed within one to two hours, can be accessed from anywhere in the world on demand, and can be undertaken in your own time and at your own pace, making them ideal to complete around work and/or family commitments.

For more information about each course, send an email to training@rissb.com.au with the name of the course in the subject line.

WWW.RAILEXPRESS.COM.AU | 53

Contracts, EOIs, Tenders

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Signal specialists sought The WA Government is calling on signalling and system experts to submit Expressions of Interest to help deliver METRONET’s High Capacity Signalling Project.

It will replace the rail network’s ageing signalling and control systems with a modern integrated communications-based train control operation.

The new system will continuously send real-time train data to the control centre, which will use it to monitor the speed and location of every train, to future-proof and utilise the existing network more efficiently by allowing trains to safely run more frequently.

The contract for a new state-of-the-art METRONET public transport operation centre, which will be built to house the control centre, was recently awarded to ADCO Construction.

The High Capacity Signalling Project will be delivered in stages to minimise disruption to operations, with the rollout expected to be carried out over 10 years.

The contract to design, supply, build and maintain the High Capacity Signalling is expected to be awarded mid-2023.

All information on the Expressions of Interest can be found on TendersWA. Aboriginal engagement An exciting new partnership on WA’s METRONET Lakelands Station project is improving the project’s ability to engage with Aboriginal businesses and employees.

Project contractor ADCO Constructions have engaged Alliance Projects & Consulting (APC), a new Noongar-owned business which specialises in Aboriginal procurement and employment solutions, to help facilitate engagement with the local community.

APC Managing Directors Noel Morich and Dominic Panaia are working with ADCO to implement the project’s Aboriginal Engagement and Participation Plan, building a healthy relationship with the traditional custodians of the area and engaging local Aboriginal people to provide monitoring services onsite.

ADCO’s work with APC is important as part of the Gnarla Biddi Strategy, which sets requirements for Aboriginal employment and procurement on each METRONET project.

The partnership is already leading to

54 | ISSUE 11 - D E C E M B E R 2021 | RAIL EXPRESS

favourable outcomes with an experienced Aboriginal Engagement Lead now working on the project, and business engagement and staff cultural awareness underway.

NEW SOUTH WALES Diesel electric evolution

CIMIC Group’s UGL has been awarded a contract to design, manufacture and supply new fuel-efficient diesel electric locomotives for long-standing client, Pacific National.

The contract will generate revenue to UGL of about $297 million over seven years and solidifies UGL’s position as Australia’s only manufacturer of freight locomotives.

The C44 Evolution locomotives will be the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient, and environmentally compatible diesel electric locomotives in Australia and will be designed and manufactured in Newcastle, NSW. CIMIC Group Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Juan Santamaria said Pacific National had a strong focus on improving the efficiency of its locomotives and its environmental performance.

“We’re pleased to support this strategy by delivering locomotives that lower emissions and operating costs, with improved productivity, reliability and availability,” he said.

UGL Managing Director Doug Moss said UGL’s unique position as Australia’s only manufacturer and maintainer of Australianmade locomotives allows the company to ensure a strong home-grown supply chain and ongoing local employment.

Airport project takes off The Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project has reached a major milestone with third and final planning approval granted for the project.

The green light has been given by the Australian Government for work to be carried out within the boundary of the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport.

This follows NSW Government planning approval received in July 2021.

The final approval is in relation to 3.3 kilometres of twin rail tunnel and two kilometres of surface track alignment within the airport boundary, as well as two stations.

Tunnel boring machines will be in the ground in 2023, with the tunnelling contract expected to be awarded by the end of this year.

The 23 kilometre driverless metro will service western Sydney and the new airport, delivering a vital boost to the Australian and NSW economies, with the new metro line expected to support about 14,000 jobs, including 250 apprentices.

The Australian and NSW governments are jointly delivering the metro railway and six stations between St Marys and the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and have a shared objective of having the project operational when Western Sydney International airport opens for passenger services.

INTERNATIONAL Dubai coup for Thales Thales has been appointed by French Japanese consortium Keolis-MHI, to maintain some signaling and communications equipment of Dubai Metro, the world’s longest automated metro line.

Thales will provide corrective and predictive maintenance, on-demand system enhancements, repairs and spares for the red and green metro lines and the Route 2020 extension.

In March 2021, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) selected Keolis-MHI to operate the metro and tram networks for next 15 years.

As a leader in automated trains, communication and ticketing systems, Thales was selected by the consortium to optimise the maintenance and performance of the Metro’s signaling and communication system.

Thales has a longstanding relationship with the RTA, working with the authority on the Dubai Metro to improve urban mobility and provide the latest enhancements to solutions that are already in service.

The company has equipped the driverless trains on the red line, green line and Route 2020 extension with a range of solutions, including SelTrac signalling technology, integrated supervision, telecommunications, passenger services, security and automated fare collection systems powered by Thales’s Transcity Up solution and PG600 gates.

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