L1-CHE-STD-067 SIGNALLING PRINCIPLES - AXLE COUNTER APPLICATION

Transcription

1 Engineering Standard Signalling L1-CHE-STD-067 SIGNALLING PRINCIPLES - AXLE COUNTER APPLICATION Version: 1

2 ENGINEERING STANDARD SIGNALLING PRINCIPLES - AXLE COUNTER APPLICATION L1-CHE-STD-067 Version: 1 Effective from: 1 st July 2018 Approval Name Position Signature Document Endorser Louisa Waymouth Manager Standards Approving Manager Phil Ellingworth Chief Engineer Amendment Record Approval Date Version Description 20/06/ Rebadge VRIOGS Signalling Principles - Axle Counter Application. No change to the technical content. Approving Manager: Chief Engineer Approval Date: 20/06/2018 Next Review Date: 20/06/2021 PRINTOUT MAY NOT BE UP-TO-DATE; REFER TO METRO INTRANET FOR THE LATEST VERSION Page 2 of 17

3 ENGINEERING STANDARD SIGNALLING PRINCIPLES - AXLE COUNTER APPLICATION L1-CHE-STD-067 Version: 1 Effective from: 1 st July 2018 PREFACE This Standard replaces VRIOGS Signalling Principles - Axle Counter Application. The contents of this Standard were prepared by the Victorian Rail Industry Operators Group (VRIOG). This VRIOG Standard has been rebadged as an MTM document due to the retirement of VRIOG Standards as of 30 th June This Standard will be managed under the Engineering Standards Development Procedure (L1-CHE-PRO-032). As documents are uncontrolled once printed, it is imperative to check the currency of the Document on The Depot or the MTM s Document Portal which is available externally at All MTM Standards and Specifications are periodically reviewed, and new editions are published which incorporate learnings and Technical Notes (formerly known as Design Practice Notes). Technical Notes are issued between editions which correct any errors or ambiguities contained in an MTM Standard/Specification. Standards and Specifications may also be withdrawn and/or replaced. In the event of conflicts or discrepancies between different types of technical documents, refer to the order of precedence as defined in Chief Engineer s Guideline Engineering Standards Listing (L1-CHE-GDL-005). Note: Any clarification described in a Technical Note or Design Practice Note shall take precedence over the impacted clause or clauses in the associated MTM Standard/Specification. In the event a clause within a Standard/Specification is not achievable a waiver will need to be raised, please refer to the Engineering Waiver Procedure - L1-CHE-PRO-001. Note: MTM does not have the authority to grant waivers on any Standards/Specifications or clauses within a Standard/Specification which relate to Government Regulations or Legislation, e.g. Disability Discrimination Act. Referencing this document Clauses and subclauses of this document should be referenced using the following format style L1-CHE-XXX-YYY Clause Z.Z.Z. Referencing the VRIOGS document number is not required. Approving Manager: Chief Engineer Approval Date: 20/06/2018 Next Review Date: 20/06/2021 PRINTOUT MAY NOT BE UP-TO-DATE; REFER TO METRO INTRANET FOR THE LATEST VERSION Page 3 of 17

4 ENGINEERING STANDARD SIGNALLING PRINCIPLES - AXLE COUNTER APPLICATION L1-CHE-STD-067 Version: 1 Effective from: 1 st July 2018 THIS PAGE IS INTENDED TO BE BLANK Approving Manager: Chief Engineer Approval Date: 20/06/2018 Next Review Date: 20/06/2021 PRINTOUT MAY NOT BE UP-TO-DATE; REFER TO METRO INTRANET FOR THE LATEST VERSION Page 4 of 17

5 Victorian Rail Industry Operators Group Standards VRIOGS SIGNALLING PRINCIPLES AXLE COUNTER APPLICATION Revision: A Issue Date: 16/12/2009

6 ii VRIOGS Revision A VRIOGS SIGNALLING PRINCIPLES AXLE COUNTER APPLICATION Revision A Issue Date: 16/12/2009 APPROVAL STATUS APPROVER STATUS DATE QUALIFICATIONS Document Developer VRIOG Steering Committee Approved All Sections Accredited Rail Operator Metropolitan Train (Metro Trains Melbourne) Intrastate Train (V/Line) Interstate Train (ARTC) Tram (Yarra Trams) For any queries please contact vriogs@transport.vic.gov.au.

7 VRIOGS Revision A iii PURPOSE OF THE STANDARD The Standard has been created through the collaboration of members of the Victorian Rail Industry Operators Group (VRIOG) for the purpose of establishing standards which, if implemented throughout the Victorian Rail Network, will facilitate the interoperability of infrastructure. The use of the Standard is not prescribed by law but, if adopted, conformity with the provisions of the Standard is mandatory in order that the purpose of the Standard be achieved. DISCLAIMER The Standard is published by the Director of Public Transport for information purposes only and does not amount to any kind of advice. Each person is responsible for making his or her own assessment of all such information and for verifying such information. The content of this publication is not a substitute for professional advice. The Director of Public Transport and VRIOG accept no liability for any loss or damage to any person, howsoever caused, for information contained in this publication, or any purported reliance thereon. COPYRIGHT STATEMENT Director of Public Transport This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act. Where information or material is so used, it should be used accurately and the Standard should be acknowledged as the source of the information.

8 iv VRIOGS Revision A TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1.0 CONVENTIONS... 1 SECTION 2.0 DEFINITIONS... 2 SECTION 3.0 SCOPE AND GENERAL Scope Application... 3 SECTION 4.0 AXLE COUNTING SYSTEMS Background Axle Counter Applications... 4 SECTION 5.0 APPLICATION PRINCIPLES FOR AXLE COUNTERS Layout arrangement Axle counting system state System reset requirements - General System reset requirements Reset after fault event System reset requirements Reset for track vehicle operation... 8

9 VRIOGS Revision A 1 SECTION 1.0 CONVENTIONS 1) Words or phrases that appear capitalised out of context are defined within the Definitions section of this VRIOG Standard. 2) The word SHALL is to be understood as mandatory. 3) The word SHOULD is to be understood as non-mandatory i.e. advisory or recommended. 4) Uncontrolled Standards may not be referenced within the VRIOG Standards. These include former PTC Standards, Franchisee Standards, Franchisee Subcontractor Standards and Infrastructure Lessee Standards. 5) Controlled Standards, including Australian Standards and other VRIOG Standards, may be referenced but only if: The referenced item can not be adequately explained with an amount of text that could not reasonably be inserted into the body of the Standard. The reader is not referenced to another Controlled Standard necessary for the item to be adequately explained i.e. one document link only. The referenced document is a Figure or table and could not reasonably be included in the appendices of the Standard. 6) The format employed in the VRIOG Standards is compatible with Australian Standards, and will be used from this point on. 7) The numbering system for the VRIOG Standards is chronologically sequential from the point of introduction, and is not based on any form of interpretive system. 8) The VRIOG Standards contain engineering information necessary to operate a safe Railway. VRIOG Standards will not contain any information that can be construed as a work instruction, procedure, process or protocol. This information forms the basis of each individual entity s Safety Accreditation Certification, and, as such, is outside the scope of VRIOG Standards.

10 2 VRIOGS Revision A SECTION 2.0 DEFINITIONS Terminology used and/or applied in this Standard is defined as follows: Term Accredited Rail Operator (ARO) Infrastructure Manager Authorised Person Isolated State Material Change Track Vehicle Track Vehicle operating sections Type Approval VRIOG Description A Rail Infrastructure Manager or Rolling Stock Operator who is accredited under Part 5 of the Rail Safety Act The Manager for the Infrastructure as nominated by the ARO A person authorised by the Accredited Rail Operator or its agents to enter onto and cross rail tracks at an Operations Crossing. State where intentional disconnection of an axle counting track section from the interlocking has occurred. Change to the accredited activities (including operational or technical standards) of the Accredited Rail Operator and Tram Operators requiring approval by Public Transport Safety Victoria. Any vehicle that can be put on the track or removed from the track within a track section. These vehicles include Road Rail, Track Machine and Non Track Circuited Vehicles Sections over which a track vehicle may be cleared for traversing by the signaller, and is defined between any two home signals. A formal process to obtain accreditation for use on the Victorian Railway network. Type approval may be for Metropolitan, Rural or Interstate lines or a combination of any of the three. It may also be for mainline, branch line or siding operation or a combination of any of the three. The Victorian Rail Industry Operators Group comprising the following members: Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) Metro Trains Melbourne VicTrack V/Line Passenger Yarra Trams Public Transport Division of the Department of Transport (PTD) Table 1 - Terminology

11 VRIOGS Revision A 3 SECTION 3.0 SCOPE AND GENERAL 3.1 Scope This Standard identifies the principles for axle counting applications within the Victorian Railway Network. The principles provided in this document are subordinate to the requirements provided in VRIOGS Standard for Signalling Design and Documentation. 3.2 Application This Standard applies to the application of axle counting systems for the purpose of train detection. It does not cover the installation, testing or maintenance aspects of axle counting systems.

12 4 VRIOGS Revision A SECTION 4.0 AXLE COUNTING SYSTEMS 4.1 Background An axle counting system is a failsafe system that detects the presence or absence of a train within given track sections. The principal components of an axle counter system are: a) Axle counting head(s). These are the track side interfaces of the axle counter system; typically mounted on or near the rail. The locations of the counter heads define the physical extent of the relevant track sections. b) Evaluation computer. This device detects the track occupancy states of the relevant track sections through the counting heads. The occupancy data is then conveyed to the signal interlocking system. When a train passes a detection head a count of the number of wheels passing the head will be recorded. This count is compared to the count of the detection head at the end of the section. If the two counts are not the same, the section is indicated as occupied. When the counts are the same (count in equals count out) the section is indicated as vacant. 4.2 Axle Counter Applications Axle counting systems may be used for train detection in place of any conventional track circuits. The choice of train detection technology depends on safety risk, operator requirements, maintenance requirements and cost, amongst other considerations. Axle counting systems are preferred where the application of track circuit detection may tend to increase the safety risk or where the application of a conventional track circuit is problematic. If any of the following situations exist, axle counters shall be considered to treat the area concerned: a) Areas with very low ballast resistance b) Areas with highly variable ballast resistance c) Areas with high humidity d) Areas with high levels of non-conductive contaminants e) Areas with steel sleepers f) Areas where rail shorting is considered a plausible outcome g) Areas prone to excessive track borne electrical interference h) Areas with low rail traffic volume1 i) Where long continuous block sections are required 1 If consecutive 48 hours of no rail activity is likely, the area could be deemed to have low rail traffic volume.

13 VRIOGS Revision A 5 Axle counting systems should only be used where the rolling-stocks and track vehicles required to be detected adheres to the following: a) Maximum speed does not exceed 350 km/h b) Wheels composed of materials compatible with detection mechanism c) Wheel diameter equal to or greater than 300 mm d) Wheel width equal to or greater than 115 mm The designer should consult with the Infrastructure Manager on the possibility of vehicles not conforming to these limits being operated on the proposed infrastructure.

14 6 VRIOGS Revision A SECTION 5.0 COUNTERS APPLICATION PRINCIPLES FOR AXLE 5.1 Layout arrangement Designer shall determine the most effective way to allocate and distribute the axle counting heads and evaluation computers given the axle counting system s maximum operating limits. The designer shall jointly minimise the number of axle counting heads and the number of evaluation computers required, while satisfying other design requirements. The following variables shall be considered: a) Number of axle counting heads supported per evaluation computer. b) Number of track sections supported per evaluation computer. c) Maximum distance from evaluation computer to counting head. d) Available modes of inter-evaluation computer communication. e) Maximum distance between adjacent axle counters, for a given mode of inter-evaluation computer communication. Where there are more than one evaluation computer required at a site the designer shall endeavour to allocate tracks to provide a degraded operational path, for example, in a double track area, allocate tracks for one line to one computer and allocate tracks for the other line to the other computer. The following design parameters shall be followed: i. Axle counting heads shall be treated as equivalent to insulated rail joints for the purpose of placement at signals, fouling points and restricted spaces such as bridges. ii. Safe access by maintenance staff o The track side equipment should be, as far as practical, installed on the side with direct maintenance access (i.e. where there is no need to cross the track, or position the maintainer with back turned to a danger zone). 5.2 Axle counting system state The designer may expect the axle counting system to have a minimum of two permissible reporting states for each track section: a) Clear b) Occupied The axle counting system may also provide a third optional Undefined state. The designer may expect the following relationships between the reported states and physical events: Reported state Clear Occupied Undefined (if implemented) Event relating to track section Track section is not occupied Track section is occupied Table 2 Track section state Track section has been isolated Track section is in failure mode

15 VRIOGS Revision A 7 If the Undefined state is not implemented by the axle counting system, the designer may expect the related events to be reported as Occupied. If the Undefined state is not implemented by the proposed interlocking, the designer shall treat the Undefined state as equivalent to Occupied. 5.3 System reset requirements - General The designer shall provide a functionality to reset the axle count to zero, to be used for clearing the track occupancy, after either a fault event or track vehicle entry or departure. The reset function shall be designed such that the reset can only be performed via the following methods: a) A co-operative reset involving concurrent actions by the Signal Maintenance Technician and the Signaller. Refer section 5.4. b) A reset actioned directly by the Signaller. Refer section 5.5. This functionality shall comprise of the following user interfaces: c) Each relevant interlocking shall detect a V7P reset keyswitch, co-located with the interlocking. This keyswitch shall have a spring-to-normal action. d) Control panel shall be provided with both Initiate Reset and Execute Reset commands for each axle counted track section. e) Control panel shall be provided with an indication to show that the Execute Reset command can be issued. The designer shall consult with the Infrastructure Manager as to any further or specific system requirements to support and protect the reset procedures. 5.4 System reset requirements Reset after fault event The designer shall implement the following logic within each relevant interlocking for the reset functionality: a) The Signaller may select any axle counter track section for reset. b) The Initiate Reset command (issued by the Signaller) initiates the reset process, and shall be latched for 30 seconds. c) The reset keyswitch (operated by the Signal Maintenance Technician) confirms the reset process, and shall be latched for 30 seconds. d) Upon the interlocking detecting the track section as vacant or the expiration of the 30 seconds latch period, the axle count reset conditions shall be normalised. e) Once the Execute Reset command has been called for, the interlocking shall prove: i. The Initiate Reset latch is active. ii. The control panel and keyswitch latch are in correspondence. f) Subsequently, it shall take the necessary actions to reset the axle count to zero for the selected track section. g) The interlocking shall not permit the reset keyswitch to latch prior to the reset process being initiated from the control panel.

16 8 VRIOGS Revision A 5.5 System reset requirements Reset for track vehicle operation Track vehicles such as Hi-rails will operate axle counters in the same manner as trains. Should a Track vehicle be placed on track in the middle of an axle counter track section, that track section will report a negative axle count when the Track vehicle exits the track section (counted out but not counted in). Or vice versa if the Track vehicle is on the track and passes an axle counter and exits in the middle of the axle counter track section that track section will report a positive axle count (counted in but not counted out). Under these circumstances, the track section will continue to show occupied even though there the track section is vacant. This system reset requirement allows the Signaller to vacate the affected track sections within the signalling system, without the aid of a Signal Maintenance Technician. To put the reset requirements into context, the safeworking procedures relating to Track Vehicle entry are described here in general terms: a) The operating section for a Track Vehicle is defined between two home signals. b) Track vehicles must obey signals and normally require proceed aspects to pass signals. c) The following events should occur as a matter of procedure: i. Signaller clears the entry signal ii. iii. iv. Track Vehicle enters the section protected by the signal from the trackside Section is now actually occupied, but is not detected as such yet. Signaller enables the Track Vehicle block associated with the entry signal. v. The entire operating section is now treated as occupied by the signalling system; the signalling system is now in its safe state. vi. vii. viii. Upon crossing the next axle counter, the relevant track section will be reported as occupied, on account of a non-zero axle count, even though it has been vacated. The Track Vehicle may then traverse through a number of automatic sections, with the axle counters working correctly. When the Track Vehicle exits the rail system, the axle counter section that counted it in will not count it out, leaving the axle counter reporting the section as being occupied, even though it has been vacated. In order to support and protect the Track Vehicle entry procedure, this Signaller-only reset functionality requires the Track Vehicle block to be set for at least 5 minutes prior to clearing the track section (i.e. marking it as vacant within the signalling system). This is implemented with the Track Vehicle block timer. The 5 minute lock out is a safety feature to protect against a Signaller clearing a track section in error or attempting to clear a fault without a Signal Maintenance Technician present.

17 VRIOGS Revision A 9 The designer shall implement the following logic within each relevant interlocking for the reset functionality: d) The Signaller may select any axle counter track section for reset. e) Once the Initiate Reset command has been called for, the interlocking shall prove: i. The corresponding Track Vehicle block has been in place for at least 5 minutes. ii. Track section is detected as occupied. f) Subsequently, it shall latch for 30 seconds. If the above conditions are not met, the axle count reset conditions shall be normalised and the corresponding Track Vehicle block timer shall be restarted. g) Upon the interlocking detecting the track section as vacant or the expiration of the 30 seconds latch period, the axle count reset conditions shall be normalised. h) Once the Execute Reset command has been called for, the interlocking shall prove: i. The Initiate Reset latch is active. i) Subsequently, it shall take the necessary actions to reset the axle count to zero for the selected track section.