Siemens Mobility is bringing its international expertise to the signalling sector of Australia’s rail industry to improve the whole network.
Siemens Mobility is a pioneer of the European Train Control System (ETCS) across the world.
Rail Express had the opportunity to meet Mick Spiers, Siemens Mobility’s chief operating officer for railway infrastructure in Australia and New Zealand, to learn more about how the company’s signalling technology can improve interoperability across Australia.
Spiers spoke about the infrastructure challenges Australia is currently facing with an escalation in costs and the need to increase services to help move people quicker to their destination. With the rail network in Australia using four different gauges and 29 different signalling systems, spread over great distances, the country needs to ensure its networks run efficiently, safely, and reliably for a positive customer experience.
The nation’s challenge is not unique and is faced by many countries around the world, especially in Europe and the United States.
“Our network in Australia exists similarly to how it does in Europe where each of our states is basically a separate country from the other,” Spiers said.
Europe has adopted ETCS technology and is harmonising its diverse rail networks under a unified, standardised signalling system. This shift is working to enhance interoperability across country borders, facilitating seamless train operations between countries and improving overall efficiency.
In Australia, Siemens Mobility was the first company to implement ETCS Level 1 in Adelaide.
Spiers said that while it can be difficult to switch from tried-and-tested methods to the new ETCS Level 2 system, rail operators can be assured that the efforts to improve and progress this technology will have lasting benefits for the network.
Improving the passenger experience through increased capacity
“The key to improving the connectivity between rail and other forms of transport will be data, and ETCS is data-rich, providing the insights and scope to enhance and connect mobility services,” Spiers said.
“If someone is more than 800 metres from a station, it gets more tempting to get behind the wheel rather than utilise the rail network.
“If we can get other mobility services, such as ride hailing and micromobility providers to work in unison with rail we could achieve the best of both worlds and get more vehicles off the road.” Ride hailing and micromobility cannot compete against the heavy lifting of rail, but it is prohibitively expensive to build a rail network connects everyone to where they work and live. We need integrated mobility.”
The ETCS Level 2 system also offers the
opportunity to increase network capacity. As
Australia has been investing billions on infrastructure, the evolution of ETCS Level 2 will enable more capacity and efficiency from that infrastructure and investment.
“ETCS improves service reliability and capacity. People get to move around their cities without delays; without disruptions; and with full confidence of a reliable and safe service,” Spiers said.
Spiers explained the ETCS Level 2 system in greater detail and how it works to improve the transport network.
“The ETCS system allows the European rail network to be better connected and more interoperable,” he said. “And through the evolution to ETCS Level 2, we have also increased the safety and efficiency through continuous supervision, improved capacity and punctuality to increase reliability of train services.
“The implementation of ETCS Level 2 in projects such as Finland will see a reduction in costs due to less trackside equipment, which also means fewer disruptions.”
Interoperability
The Australian government has established rail interoperability as a priority to maximise investments in rail by taking advantage of digital technologies to create an integrated national rail system.
Spiers explained Australia can feel like multiple countries with different operating systems and working requirements.
ETCS Level 2 allows the rail network to become standardised. This standardisation allows greater connectivity between all stakeholders working on the networks.
Spiers explained that the main difference between ETCS Level 1 and ETCS Level 2 is the transition from limited supervision to continuous supervision.
With this change, the implementation of Level 2 is a necessary improvement that Australia’s rail network needs to align with interoperability targets.
“By implementing ETCS Level 2, you are standardising the network,” Spiers said.
“You can have multiple vendors working across the same region and network. Each state has different requirements, and that creates challenges. However, ETCS standardises the network without overhauling infrastructure.”
Spiers explained that another benefit of the ETCS Level 2 system is realised as an improvement in through traffic on rail corridors. The system can enhance corridors to accommodate for more trains, which would generate greater passenger rail use as well as better co-existence with freight.
“ETCS is something that doesn’t just impact urban rail but freight rail as well. It has benefits for operators in both spaces,” he said.
“You look at most networks in Australia, you have different rolling stock already using the passenger network, and then you have freight operators that want to come through the same rail lines,” he said.
“To do that optimally, instead of providing a window in which freight operators can pass through a network, if they are all using ETCS Level 2, the traffic can be managed more efficiently.”
ETCS Level 2 can reduce the headway between trains, minimising disruptions freight trains can have on the passenger networks.
Spiers said many networks across Australia already have examples of multi-vendor networks working together.
“We can see that these collaborations work locally, but we have also seen the success of the ETCS Level 2 systems internationally, which shows that this collaboration can continue,” he said.
“Switzerland is a perfect example. Its rail system has nearly every signalling vendor on its network. The system can smoothly handover signals and data between each vendor. The success and innovation of this approach is what drives our determination to bring the learnings from international experiences like this to our local network.”
In 2023, Siemens Mobility signed a Memorandum of Cooperation aimed at enhancing rail interoperability throughout Australia and addressing long-standing legacy issues in the rail industry. The National Transport Commission has coordinated these signings between rail industry manufacturers, operators and Federal and State Transport Ministers to make rail more interoperable across Australia.
Technology like the ETCS level 2 will be instrumental in meeting these requirements.
Safety
Spiers explained that the continuous supervision of ETCS Level 2 has clear benefits, which can improve safety on the rail network.
“As opposed to existing systems where all you know is that the train is somewhere in the block, ETCS Level 2 can give you a clearer picture of where exactly the train is,” he said.
He explained that the system is now designed to augment the drivers’ skills and help them do their jobs – not replace them.
The ETCS Level 2 system gives the driver greater capability around optimal speed control and a clearer picture of their movement authority.
“With technologies such as DAS, you can determine the optimal speed of train rather than having a movement authority of 80kph and then the train having to stop,” Spiers said.
“But the system isn’t just improving safety by giving the driver greater visibility, it also has the capability to apply the emergency brake if the train has passed its movement authority.
“For example, if the driver is in an area with a temporary speed restriction and has missed it, the system can automatically reduce the trains speed.”
Spiers also explained that this system can help reduce the wear and tear on rolling stock.
“ETCS can reduce instances of complete stopping and reduce the speed instead,” he said.
“You will see a longer lifespan on rolling stock if there is less strain placed on the system.”
“Another benefit of ETCS Level 2, will be an opportunity for a single competency framework, as everyone is trained on the same technology.”
The existing rail competency framework is exceptionally complex and simplification is greatly needed.
International success ensures local success
Siemens Mobility’s success with these systems across Europe has set them up well to roll out the same system across Australia. Spiers said the rollout of the ETCS system is a step-by-step process. And as the states and rail operators continue to unite to achieve greater interoperability, the ETCS system can be the service that helps this succeed locally.
“The way we like to do these projects is to bring in experts and knowledge from our global counterparts,” Spiers said.
“We welcome overseas delegations to work closely with our team, which creates a hands-on learning experience for our local teams.”
Siemens Mobility will upgrade the first section of Finland’s rail network under the Finnish government’s “Digirail project”, which involves renewing the country’s train control system.
The contract was recently awarded and includes installing the ETCS Level 2 and the Hybrid Train Detection for the first time in Finland on the 191-kilometre stretch between Lielahti and Rauma-Pori.
Spiers explained that the key for Australia is that the handover between the systems is seamless.
“You do not have to do it all in one go, and make sweeping changes. It is a change that you can implement gradually,” he said.
“This means that a network that is currently operating conventional signalling or ETCS Level 1 can progressively upgrade to Level 2 over time.
“Trains operating through this section will seamlessly switch their operating principles as required.
“It is time for Australia to continue its investment in ETCS Level 2 as an interoperable standard and to maximise the capacity of our rail infrastructure.”
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