Replacing the energy density and convenience of diesel fuel for locomotives in freight operations present considerable challenges. Design requirements are explored using train dynamics simulations to establish energy needs. The […]
The innovative Four Track Cantilever (4TC) overhead wiring structure is the first of its kind on the Melbourne metropolitan electrified railway network. This paper presents the design of 4TC slender […]
A pantograph-catenary system is responsible for powering an electric train traction system. Designing a pantograph-catenary system with better current collection quality and less contact wear is an important and challenging […]
Electric railway systems have become increasingly common worldwide due to their benefits such as higher speed, reliability and capacity, improved safety, and reduced emissions [1]. As of 2019, electric railways […]
This paper explores the partial electrification option for reducing the carbon emissions from freight train operations. A simulation is conducted using an existing Australian freight train for a specific route […]
Current auditory alerts for trains in Australia are subject to standards that only prescribe the maximum allowable sound pressure levels. The international standard, ISO 7731 (Ergonomics — Danger signals for […]
The latest Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) Better Life Index found that 34% of women do not feel safe when walking alone at night [1]. A 2019 report […]
The conventional wisdom was that the relative movement of overhead electrification components resulting from pantograph and wind forces caused mechanical wear – abrasion. Such “wear” was seen as the cause […]
It is increasingly difficult to develop lighting designs for railway station precincts that are compliant with the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport (DSAPT) requirements as well as industry best […]
This paper describes a methodology for conducting asset condition assessments (ACA) for railway electrical & mechanical (E&M) assets. ACA are to provide an overall health summary of the E&M assets, […]
Decarbonisation is a hot topic across the world right now with many industries looking to cut their emissions. Rail electrification with traditional full Overhead Line Electrification (OLE) is a proven […]
This paper details an incremental approach to the development and implementation of the HV remote isolation system as proposed by ART. The paper explores the many benefits of remote isolation; […]
The Byerwen facility is part of the Aurizon Abbot Point coal export system. It consists of a simple mainline junction and a balloon loop with coal loading facilities. It has […]
Arcing faults due to wildlife and branches are common on Aurizon’s overhead traction power lines, and rapid fault clearing by protection devices is essential to limit fault stress to the […]
This paper identifies how unwanted non-linear voltage-current (V-I) characteristics from some types of transformer/rectifiers incorporating interphase transformers can significantly increase average rail to earth potentials. Such increases can magnify DC […]
Welcome to a world where smart railways are here and now. Real-time monitoring, embedded sensors, driverless trains, automated signalling and train control, Internet of Things (IoT), instant travel disruption alerts, […]
Aurizon’s Central Queensland Coal Network is electrified at 2×25 kV, and has twenty connection points with the electric power transmission grid. The current drawn by electric locomotives has significant harmonic […]
Distance protection is the most commonly used scheme for protecting track feeders in AC electric railways. It operates based on measured impedance, which translates into distance to fault. This enables […]
Out of all the technologies emerging during the 20th century, the field of power electronics is set to have an unprecedented impact in our lives this century. Electrified railway technology […]
This paper describes the development and deployment of an axle-driven generator system for supplying power to permanently installed rollingstock instrumentation. The main application for this technology is to enable continuous […]
On the 20th July 2015 Auckland completed the transition from operating its passenger trains with secondhand diesel rolling stock, to running a new fleet of Electric Multiple Units (EMUs). This […]
A core requirement of a Heavy Haul Railway is the use of an operational telecommunications network to provide distributed control networks for signalling systems, traction power, and other SCADA derived […]
This paper presents the background, process and conclusions of an investigation into power supply interruptions that are apparently related to faults on the overhead line of Aurizon’s coal systems. In […]
Railways throughout the world have for decades used the AC single phase traction system to supply electric trains. The traditional method of supplying the traction network is via feeder stations […]
The prompt entry of emergency services into the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop (MURL), in the event of a major incident, is critical to effective incident control and management. To facilitate […]
Pantograph maintenance has been a long standing issue for overhead electric train networks. Damaged pantographs can cause overhead wiring tear-downs resulting in lengthy network delays, costly infrastructure and rolling stock […]
Electrified railway uses the rails as the return conductor for the current absorbed by the locomotives (traction current). Aurizon’s electrified coal network uses the 2×25 kV system. The traction return […]
Aurizon’s Blackwater and Goonyella coal haulage rail systems use 2×25 kV electrification. The majority of the faults on the traction power system occur to the overhead line along the track. […]
Queensland Rail is currently introducing Static Frequency Converters (SFCs) to the metropolitan network in South East Queensland, Australia. The SFCs will increase the overall reliability of the railway, improve flexibility […]
Track access time to maintain the railway has generally declined over time. Today, it is common practice for corridors to be shut down in order to be maintained. This tends […]
Auto tensioned contact systems typically employ a simple weight system with mechanical amplification (eg: pulley wheels) to apply a constant tension to the overhead conductors for the prescribed temperature range. […]
Aurizon’s Blackwater and Goonyella coal rail systems use 2×25 kV electrification. The overhead line can have small electrical clearances and the railway usually runs through bushland, paddocks and uninhabited areas. […]
Despite rail transport being known as the most energy efficient method of land transport, rail has mostly been losing its market share of general freight transport. Australian railways have an […]
The idea of intelligent infrastructure on the railway has been around for many years in various forms. Early ventures into real-time monitoring of rail infrastructure in Australia and many other […]
The Seaford Rail Extension is a fundamental component of the South Australian Government’s 10-year plan to revitalise Adelaide’s passenger transport system. The project, funded by the Australian Government under its […]
This paper compares and contrasts traction power connection configurations and technologies using recent case studies within Queensland’s rail networks. Whole-of-lifecycle comparisons are made considering that power systems investments need to […]
The voltage available from the overhead traction power system must remain above a certain limit to ensure proper operation of the electric locomotives. As in any power distribution network, also […]
Electric locomotives cause harmonic current injection in the traction power system. Equipment such as harmonic filters must be used to prevent the harmonic currents from causing excessive voltage distortion at […]
For an electric railway the loss of traction power supply can instantaneously paralyse part or all of the rail system with the impacts being felt a long way from the […]
Electrification has obvious advantages for rail in reducing operating and maintenance overheads while increasing reliability, safety and environmental performance in areas such as noise, particulate and greenhouse gas emissions. The […]
To ensure that the traction power system for Crossrail Central Section is compatible with UK Engineering Recommendation G5/4-1, a comprehensive study has been carried out to determine the permissible harmonic […]
This paper will discuss the development of an appropriate bulk and traction power supply solution for the Sunbury Electrification Project. This project extends the existing electrified Melbourne rail system from […]
Based on the longitudinal heavy haul train simulation results on two typical track routes in Australia, the train energy usages and the energy from dynamic braking are analysed. It is […]
In the QR National electrified coal rail network, wire gaps have been required at dragline crossings to allow access for oversized mining plants and at coal loaders / unloaders to […]
The aim of this paper is to examine a method that predicts contact wire wear by using the artificial neural network (ANN) approach. A prediction model using relevant input parameters […]
The current collector material presently used in urban railway systems in Australia consists of a bar of highresistivity carbon-based material with impregnated copper. In this paper we show that using […]
Innovative design, new construction techniques and staged construction saved both time and money and reduced the impact of construction of five bridges on heavily trafficked Auckland roads. The adoption of […]
