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Australian Rail Track Corporation Ltd (ARTC) has completed the NSW section of its new Centralised Train Control (CTC) system from Casino to the Queensland border removing the long delays caused by the pre existing 19th century staff working system on the important North Coast line.
“ARTC’s commissioning last night of the latest train control technology is a momentous development for the rail freight industry introducing important efficiencies to increase market share for rail on the important Sydney-Brisbane line ” David Marchant Chief Executive of ARTC said today.
“Around 45 minutes will be cut from the Brisbane- Sydney rail journey for freight trains on the completion of the final stage of ARTC’s Casino to Acacia Ridge (Queensland) CTC project by the end of this year.” Mr Marchant said.
ARTC’s new CTC system on the track between Casino and Acacia Ridge replaces the almost century old electric train staff method of safe working that required all trains to stop and exchange a metal token at each crossing loop to give it permission to proceed
onto that section of track regardless of whether the train was passing another train or not.
“The CTC project in itself delivers a significant reduction for train operators in transit times and in costs from the elimination of repeated train stopping on this lengthy section of the major interstate rail line” Mr Marchant said.
The new CTC system is part of ARTC’s $220 million Northern Improvement Rail Upgrade program on the North Coast Line. It also forms part of ARTC’s current $2.4 billion dollar upgrade investment across its interstate and Hunter Valley rail networks.
Four hours in transit time between Sydney and Brisbane are estimated to be removed for trains travelling on completion of ARTC’s major upgrade of the Main north line between Sydney and Brisbane in mid 2009.
The CTC project has been undertaken by ARTC in conjunction with its northern alliance partners Ansaldo – STS for the signalling and remote control portion of the works and the TEJV, a joint venture between Laing O’Rourke and Balfour Beatty for track and civil components.