Australia's interoperability challenge

Australia should consider a more technology-agnostic pathway towards rail interoperability - or usher in co-funding to subside the cost of technology mandates - according to Head of Technology & Transformation at Pacific National, Paul Williams.

Speaking ahead of the Rail Freight Conference, Paul highlighted that early definitions of interoperability were focussed on the alignment of safety and productivity outcomes but have since become more prescriptive and technology-specific.

He adds that, in Europe, the prescribed rollout of European Train Control System (ETCS) has led to time and cost overruns, claiming this financial risk could be avoided with the right approach.

“The problem with nationwide technology mandates is they rule out other technologies that could achieve the same safety outcomes,” he said.

“In rail, safety systems are designed to avoid passing a red signal at danger, or exceeding the end of a movement authority. ETCS achieves this by applying a brake automatically, even if the driver doesn't. It also ensures a train doesn't overspeed.

“But there are quite a few systems that can do that, and we need to be mindful of our budget - or enlarge it through co-funding.”

Paul also highlights a trap: when safety standards turn into mandates for specific technologies, they cease to be true standards. Instead of defining what must be achieved, they prescribe how.

“ETCS is not so much a standard as a very detailed specification. It says you need to locate yourself on the network by using wheel tachometers and going over Eurobalises.

"In contrast, modern systems like GPS and dead reckoning can locate a train far more accurately and cheaply using alternative features. In your motor vehicle, for example, you know exactly where you are, to within three metre accuracy. With some modern varieties, the GPS can even pin you down to a third of a metre.”

Affordability may be an issue

In Australia, Paul claims rail technology mandates also put undue pressure on rail budgets and highlights the cost of integrating ETCS across the standard gauge freight network.

For each rail network operator, like ourselves, it would incur around $10 million for every first in class retrofit integration, because you're not buying new locomotives - you're fitting it into existing ones. And then the onboard equipment is another $1 million per train.

Elsewhere, countries have tackled this expense through co-investment or state subsidisation. In Denmark and the Netherlands, governments pay 50 percent of the cost, while in Sweden and Germany, co-funding arrangements exist. The United Kingdom has not yet settled on a funding mechanism but has earmarked co-funding as the most likely option.

Without these arrangements, Paul is fearful of the economic and environmental fallout in Australia. He claims the absence of co-funding would pose a “big impost” on rail, harming its competitiveness against road, which is more carbon-intensive.

“Right now, with the decarbonisation agenda, we're trying to get freight off-road and onto rail – and that’s because rail is around 80 percent more carbon efficient per net tonne kilometre than a truck. One intermodal train double stacked can take 110 B-doubles off the road.

"So, even though you're still using a diesel electric motor, you're producing a whole bunch less carbon. Imposing an unfunded billion system mandate on interstate rail, will damage rail competitiveness and drive freight onto our interstate highways, exactly the opposite outcome government wants.

Two options

In light of these issues, Paul says there are two realistic options for rail interoperability in Australia.

“I guess the argument I'm making is, we either recognise that there are cheaper alternatives to ETCS with equivalent safety outcomes - or keep ETCS, but with government funding a decent proportion,” he said.

Sharing more on this line of thought and opening up debate on the floor, Paul Williams will present at the upcoming Rail Freight Conference, hosted by Informa.

Joining him in the room are Infrastructure Australia CEO, Adam Copp, ARISO CEO Alan Fedda, and Heather Bone, Director of Sustainability and Chair of The National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy.

This year’s event – held 29-30 July at the Park Hyatt Melbourne – will address themes such as efficiency, sustainability and innovation.

Learn more and register your tickets here.