HEADS

The ATP Newsletter

Issue 1 May 2011

Welcome to the rst edition of Heads Up, the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) programs newsletter, that will give you a heads up on key ATP activities.
In this issue, we give a broad overview of the ATP system, outline its rollout strategy and the letting of its rst major tender, describe the consolidation of the Oscar train operating system (TOS), and show off the new ATP-enabled V-Set simulator at Petersham.

A word from our Chief Executive Rob Mason

Whats ATP?
ATP is a safety system that relays signal and other track information to trains. It provides a safety net to Drivers by preventing trains from signicantly exceeding track speed and by ensuring safe speeds when approaching signals at STOP. If a train does pass a signal at STOP without authority, the system will apply the brakes to stop it within the signal overlap ahead. Additionally, set speed restrictions are applied to some movements, such as propelling and unsignalled movements. The systems trackside transmitters send trains details of the track ahead including gradients and the track speed for each type of train. They also send details of signals aspects, and whether the next signal ahead could be at full clear, caution, medium or STOP.

The implementation of ATP on the RailCorp network and eet is an important strategic change for the organisation. ATP will deliver signicant safety benets to RailCorp, our staff, customers and the community. Additionally, the system will allow for future network capacity improvements and help us to reduce track maintenance costs. By fully realising the benets of ATP, we will become a more efcient, responsive and agile organisation. Already there has been a lot of hard work completed under the ATP Program. Lessons have been learnt and we have achieved some successes (as youll see below), which will continue as the program progresses. Our ambition is to implement ATP as seamlessly and efciently as possible into our organisation, and we believe we have all the elements in place to succeed.

A DMI in use during system trials

The track and signalling information is presented to the Driver on a touch-screen Driver machine interface (DMI), which also allows Drivers to enter train information and control system features. Safety critical information is announced by an audible tone or alarm, depending on its importance. There is a whole lot more to the system than can be explained here, see the projects intranet page (Under Business Groups Engineering and Projects Projects) for more details.

Why ATP?
The ATP Program was set up in response to the Waterfall enquiry, which recommended that RailCorp implement such a system within a reasonable time.
Approaching some trackside transmitters

A desktop survey of the systems available worldwide established that the European Train Control System was the best suited to RailCorps needs and operating environment. A number

The $65 million contract covers the supply of trackside equipment for 600km of track, including 1500 signals, between Wyong and Berowra, from Emu Plains and Richmond to Lidcombe, between Kiama and Waterfall and the Cronulla branch line, as well as onboard equipment in 98 Oscar and 225 Tangara cabs, and associated support services. Installation will commence in late A cab mock-up showing the ATP DMI on the left of a 2011, and the system combined TOS will be operationally tested before being used for normal of suppliers provide trackside and operations between Wyong and Berowra on board equipment for this system, in 2013. meaning competitive pricing and minimal customisation for RailCorps needs. Further tenders will be let in several stages, covering all post-Tangara train types and the remainder of the network, beginning with outer areas and working inwards to culminate in the installation of trackside equipment in the inner metropolitan areas. It is expected that the entire network and eet will be using the system in 2024. An additional feature of the initial contract is the installation of an area of Level 2 ATP equipment on the Cronulla branch line. Level 2 ATP uses radio signals to transmit signalling information to trains in real time. Depending on the results of this pilot scheme, it is possible that future tenders will incorporate its functionality.

ATP simulator
RailCorp recently upgraded its V-Set simulator at the Petersham Training Centre to include ATP functionality. Included in the upgrade was the installation of a DMI and associated wiring in the cab, many kilometres of newly modelled track, and all of the technical wizardry that enables the simulator to process ATP-related information. Several members of the ATP program team are now trained in its use so simulator scenarios can be developed to test operational rules, the effects of the system on Driver performance, and later provide training to Drivers. Similar to RailCorps other simulators, the ATP simulator allows faults in onboard and trackside equipment to be presented to Drivers so that degraded situations can be evaluated as well as normal running.

Whos involved?
The ATP Program team is drawn from several areas of RailCorp, among them Signal Engineers, Rollingstock Engineers, operations professionals, human factors experts, safety risk and business risk analysts, training developers and project managers. Capability has also been built by the hiring of discipline experts from overseas and the Australian private sector. In addition to the full-time team, the program has intensively involved stakeholder working groups to investigate and resolve potential issues, and to provide technical and user level verication that the project is on track. The input from a range of Drivers, Guards, Network Control Ofcers, engineers, and other subject matter experts has been essential to the successful progress of the program. Stakeholders, particularly Drivers, will also be deeply involved in further testing and ne-tuning of the system elements to ensure that RailCorps ATP system is world class in both functionality and useability.

The ATP simulator in action

Oscar TOS Consolidation

Because of the need to install DMIs in Drivers cabs and the limited amount of available space in the cabs, it will be necessary to combine the functions, excluding the speedometer, currently managed by Oscars two TOS screens into a single TOS screen. A multi-disciplinary taskforce has investigated the issue, and the combined input from Drivers, human factors experts and several different breeds of engineer has come up with a result that is intuitive, gives the same information as the old two screen TOS, and allows good positioning of the new ATP DMI.

Find out more

More details of the ATP Program and how the system works are available on the ATP intranet page; simply follow the links from the Business Groups homepage to Engineering and Projects, then to Projects and then to ATP. The intranet page also gives the contact numbers for key project personnel. These newsletters will also soon be available on the RailSafe website at www.railsafe.org.au

First tender awarded

The rst tender for the supply of ATP equipment for RailCorp track and eet has recently been awarded to Alstom.