European Train Control System-L2 Preliminary Business Case in Victoria
Client: Major Transport Infrastructure Authority (MTIA)
Location: Sydney, Australia
Start date: 2022
End date: 2023
Duration: 9 Months
Services provided: Business Cases, Benchmarking, Option Appraisal, System Engineering & Integration, Change & Transformation Management
The Signalling Strategy Taskforce (SST) in the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority (MTIA), and the Department for Transport and Planning (DTP) explored the adoption of the European Train Control System (ETCS) as the primary signalling technology to be deployed on Victoria’s rail network.
Network Rail Consulting (NRC) supported MTIA to develop a Preliminary Business Case submission to investigate and consider:
- The approach and timing of deployment across the rail network;
- The initial deployment of ETCS technology on a portion of the metropolitan network, with the objective to identify and resolve network wide delivery and operational risks; and
- The development of an Inner Area Modernisation Plan, to address the long-term network enhancements required to deliver the planned future growth in the Inner area. Including what approach will be necessary to rationalise, remodel and replace signalling.
NRC provided Technical Advisory services to MTIA and DTP in support of the production of the:
- ETCS Level 2 Preliminary Business Case;
- Multi-Criteria Assessment of first deployment area options;
- Concept of Operations; and
- Concept of Maintenance.
NRC produced the following ETCS Level 2 documentation on behalf of the SST:
- Victorian ETCS Level 2 Target Operating Model; and
- Victorian ETCS Level 2 Migration Strategy.
NRC’s team of ETCS Subject Matter Experts helped the client to produce a Preliminary Business Case, identifying the benefits of implementing ETCS Level 2 in Victoria, including increased safety, capacity and reduced whole life cost. NRC also supported the client in the production of a Multi Criteria Assessment identifying the most suitable candidate lines for a pilot trial of this transformative technology, referencing NRC’s experience in the UK and New South Wales delivering ETCS pilot lines.
NRC also assisted the client to define the approach of producing a full business case and prepare technical material to communicate the migration from conventional signalling to ETCS Level 2 no signals, to stakeholders.
Through the production of a Target Operating Model capturing the future state of the railway network, NRC helped improve the client’s understanding of how ETCS Level 2 with modern Traffic Management will positively impact the Victorian railway, and what processes, people and technology are required to support this new operating model in future. This was followed by a Migration Plan, a high-level strategy for achieving this future operating model and achieving the benefits it can deliver.