Wabtec Corporation has announced a new digital solutions agreement with the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), with the two companies collaborating on developing an approach to address rail interoperability systems in Australia.
The company will investigate the capabilities of ARTC’s Advanced Train Management System solution, or ATMS, while Wabtec will also develop the interoperability standard between ATMS and European Rail Traffic Management System Level 2.
The ARTC and Wabtec will work together with the relevant stakeholders to outline the concept of operations and define the standards to realise the interoperability solution.
“ARTC recognises the complex challenge of solving interoperability, and we are pursuing multiple pathways to find a feasible solution that will help to make rail safer and more competitive across Australia,” ARTC CEO and managing director Wayne Johnson says.
“We are excited to partner with Wabtec to actively pursue one of the options. Wabtec was selected to support this project as a rail industry leader with a proven track record of implementing a safety critical train control solution for the entire freight network in the United States spanning more than 100,000kms and over 21,000 locomotives.
“The Australian federal government recognises the importance of rail interoperability as a priority, and we will continue to work with government and other key stakeholders to deliver systems and software solutions that enhance the nation’s rail system.”
Wabtec digital intelligence president Nalian Jain says the project will be a “key building block” enabling the ARTC to transform Australia’s freight rail network.
“The proposed solution will provide software, systems and services for the ARTC to unlock productivity, advance sustainability and enhance the safety of its operations network spanning approximately 8,500km,” Jain says.
“Furthermore, the system’s interoperability provides the option of integrating with locomotive digital solutions like the energy management and scheduling optimisation technologies that Australian railroads use in their operations.”
Wabtec says ATMS is part of the next generation of train management and safe working systems using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and public cellular networks to connect track infrastructure, locomotives and network control.