Conference Day One: Tuesday, 27th August 2019
8:50 am - 9:20 am CONFERENCE REGISTRATION AND WELCOME COFFEE
9:20 am - 9:30 am Opening Remarks by IQPC and the Conference Chair
9:30 am - 10:10 am Case Study Presentation: Using Virtual Reality at LINX Cargo Care Group for Innovative Employee Safety Training
LINX Cargo Care Group commenced rolling out their VR Safety Training in April this year. Not only does this create consistent training across all levels of the group of companies, but demonstrates their commitment to sending 4000 people home safely every day. Supporting their staff to carry out the training demonstrates how they look after their people which means offering their customers services that are delivered safely, efficiently and competitively . Discussing their journey with the project, Michael will explore:
- How LINX Group developed staged training across a number of scenarios for an immersive experience to identify risks and hazards as if in a real life environment
- Looking out for our people: How the VR training ensures we can continue offering customers services safely, efficiently and competitively
- Understanding how it can be incorporated into existing training and expanded in the future to help identify specific improvements to critical risk controls
10:10 am - 10:50 am Creating an Integrated and Coherent Approach to Rail Digitalisation to Give Optimum Value Across the National Rail Network
Across Australia, one legacy of state-based rail network development remains in the diversity of control and safeworking systems that remain in use on the major intra- and interstate networks (excluding metropolitan networks):
- At least 11 different signalling and train control systems are in used across Australia; these are primarily variants of signalling and train order working. Some corridors in regional Victoria still retain Staff and Ticket working.
- Within the 11 different systems each state or jurisdiction typically has its own distinct safeworking rules – meaning that there are at least 17 distinct safeworking systems in use across Australia.
A number of railways are now moving to adopt new network control systems in order to maximise the value (capacity, efficiency, safety) of their rail asset. An integrated and coherent approach to these new network control systems has the potential to provide many benefits to all sections of the industry, and to the economy. Conversely, a disjointed approach will have consequences that will last for many years, including higher costs and lower competitiveness for rail transport.
The Australian rail industry has a number of features that add complexity to the challenge of developing an integrated and coherent approach:
- Outside of the major metropolitan centres, the rail industry across Australia is vertically separated, with above-rail operations typically separated from below rail. A key characteristic of the new systems is the need for both trackside and onboard components. Thus, to implement these new systems will require cooperation and integration between rail operators and rail network owners/managers.
- Most rail trips are not to a single network but typically span several networks, with each network operating as an independent business. Cooperation and integration will also be required between adjacent rail networks in order to develop a coherent strategy.
- The characteristics of different rail networks are diverse, ranging from densely operated suburban networks to the most marginal regional corridors. A single network control system is unlikely to meet the business requirements for all circumstances.
The presentation will describe the challenges and opportunities that this Digital Rail revolution presents, taking a national perspective. This includes work done to understand develop a coherent national strategy for network control systems on the interstate rail network; this strategy was developed in conjunction with major rail network owners and operators.
10:50 am - 11:20 am Speed Networking Session
An effective structured interactive session designed to help expand your network through one-to-one focused conversations. Bring your business cards!
11:20 am - 11:50 am MORNING TEA AND NETWORKING BREAK
11:50 am - 12:30 pm Digital Radio: The Next Five Years and Its Impact on Safety
12:30 pm - 1:10 pm CASE STUDY: More than just technology – how TfNSW’s Digital Systems Program will transform the Sydney rail network
The Digital Systems Program will replace legacy signalling and train control technologies with modern, internationally proven intelligent systems. The NSW government has invested more than $800 million towards the first stage of the Program. The Program’s three main elements are:
- Replacing trackside signalling equipment with the latest ETCS Level 2 technology
- Implementing Automatic Train Operation to assist drivers – who will still remain in control – and provide faster and more consistent journey times
- Introducing a Traffic Management System (TMS) for more effective incident management and service regulation across the network.
These elements will enable the increase in network capacity that is crucial to satisfying current and future demand, as well as benefiting customers with more reliable services, reduced journey times and enhanced, real-time information. This technology will also allow for safer and more efficient operation and maintenance, lower capex and opex costs and lower energy consumption.
The Program’s deployment will be as revolutionary to Sydney’s rail network, and the people who work on it, as the network’s change from steam to electrification in the 1920s and 30s. To succeed, major brownfield transformational projects like Digital Systems must simultaneously and successfully manage change for people and processes while implementing new technology.
In this presentation, Stephen and Warwick will discuss meeting this transformational challenge through the Program’s innovative and rigorous approach to lessons learned, collaboration and principles.
1:10 pm - 2:10 pm NETWORKING LUNCH
2:10 pm - 2:50 pm INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDY: Expanding the Shinkansen Network at Central Japan Railway to Bring Safety and Comfort to Passengers: Learnings from Japan’s High Speed Rail
Japan launched the first class of their bullet trains in 1964 and over the past 50 or so years, has continuously updated models and technology advancements. The network now reaches almost 37 per cent of the country’s population through the high-speed rail alone and only continues to expand. With fast-rail and high-speed rail also on the agenda for Australia’s future rail networks, Yoshikazu will share the innovations and lessons learned from Japan’s high-speed rail without compromising the safety and comfort for daily passengers.
- Insights into the development of next generation shinkansen that will deliver highspeed performance, safety, comfort, low energy use and become environmentally friendly
- Tests to increase speeds to 500km/h from the current 200km/h through magnetic levitation technology (maglev) to slash travel time between major cities by half
- How high-speed rail fleet has worked closely with automatic train control technology, resulting in zero fatalities in the over 50 years of service
Yoshikazu Nishida
General Manager, SydneyCentral Japan Railway Company [Japan]
2:50 pm - 3:30 pm CASE STUDY: How to Deliver CBTC and ETCS Projects for Reliable Performance Increase
All four biggest cities in Australia have selected the technology for their next generation of railway signalling. Some railways go with CBTC while others use ETCS in enhanced Level “2+” variants. Now the challenge is to deliver actual projects with those new technologies. Without relevant reference projects within Australia, lessons learned from pitfalls of comparable international projects is a best practice method for avoiding the repetition of known mistakes. International case studies presented in this session include:
- The best choice: Reasonable procurement steps into delivery disaster
- Wagging the dog: Bespoke product customisation versus global mainstream
- She’ll be right: The complacency risk of taking anything for granted
- Walk the talk: Lessons learned beyond shortterm promises
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm AFTERNOON TEA AND NETWORKING BREAK
Closing Champagne Solutions Clinic
Solutions Clinics are designed to give participants strategies and tools to deal with their most pressing challenges and discuss their learnings throughout the day.
At the close of the first day, delegates will form three small where each table member will share their biggest challenge around their chosen topic, before collectively deciding which issue to investigate in more detail.
The table will then elect a facilitator/note taker who will record the topic being explored and the ideas of the table. After 20 minutes of discussion, the facilitator of each table will then report back to the rest of the audience on their problem and the potential solutions.
Table One
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm CUSTOMER EXPERIENCEWhat technologies, services or applications should Australia’s rail networks leverage to further enhance customer service and increase global competitiveness?
Table Two
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm CHANGE MANAGEMENTHow can we equip next-generation rail professionals to adapt quickly to the rapid digitalisation of rail networks?