Rail and Tram Signalling Case Studies
We’ve worked with a number of clients throughout Australia and overseas, completing a number of essential design and installation projects.
Torrens Rail Junction
Client: Laing O’Rourke & SA Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure
Project Outline
The existing junction required modification, as freight trains were being stopped and held to allow passenger trains priority through the junction point. With many freight trains consisting of numerous freight cars, these trains would often extend back through the Torrens Road and Hawker Street level crossings, holding up traffic and contributing to congestion.
The solution was to create a rail underpass within the existing railway corridor to eliminate the need for freight trains to stop at this junction. This was also an opportunity to improve pedestrian connections and railway safety.
Railway Construction Industries were commissioned to undertake the installation of new signalling in accordance with the approved designs, including installation of:
- Galvanised steel troughing
- Wiring and modifications into existing and new locations
- New 650v and 110v power cable
- Signalling and communications cables
- AWS, Balise and axle counters
- 16 new signals
- Pit and pipe via excavation and vacuum excavation
This project also required:
- Identification of existing cables and joints as per approved signalling standards
- Testing of existing signalling and communications cables
- Provision of three test teams to perform test and commissioning works in approved shutdown
- Correlation of existing circuits and bonding plan
- Complete earth grids for all locations
These major rail lines are positioned in a narrow rail corridor and more than 1km of new track was installed up to 8m below grade. This presented several challenges with site access and installation, requiring multiple stage works and small shutdown windows so as not to delay trains using the existing tracks.
We mobilised a multi-faceted team, working in conjunction with Laing O’Rourke Civil construction staff, to co-ordinate round the clock shifts to complete work and minimise disruption to rail movements. Laing O’Rourke’s signalling manager felt the project would have struggled to have been completed on time and to budget without our services.