Skip to main content

Victorian government to implement high capacity signalling on new rail line

The Victorian government, Australia has awarded CPB Contractors and Bombardier Transportation the contract to deliver the US$790 million (AU$1 billion) Rail Systems Alliance in Melbourne, which includes the roll-out of a 55 kilometre long high capacity signalling (HCS) and communications system. HCS allows trains to safely run closer together, meaning they can run more often. The technology will enable trains every two to three minutes, creating a ‘turn-up-and-go’ train network for Melbourne. The signalling
July 18, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The Victorian government, Australia has awarded CPB Contractors and 513 Bombardier Transportation the contract to deliver the US$790 million (AU$1 billion) Rail Systems Alliance in Melbourne, which includes the roll-out of a 55 kilometre long high capacity signalling (HCS) and communications system.


HCS allows trains to safely run closer together, meaning they can run more often. The technology will enable trains every two to three minutes, creating a ‘turn-up-and-go’ train network for Melbourne.

The signalling will operate the 65 new high-capacity trains currently being built in Victoria, which will run on the Sunbury to Cranbourne-Pakenham line via the Metro Tunnel. Dedicated control centres will be built in Dandenong and Sunshine to support the new technology. The centres will be staffed by experts who will monitor trains on the new Metro Tunnel line.

Additionally, expressions of Interest will open this week to deliver the final major works package of Metro Tunnel, the Rail Infrastructure Alliance.

The US$790 million (AU$1 billion) contract will be to design and construct the eastern tunnel entrance in South Yarra, the western tunnel entrance in Kensington and associated works across the Sunbury to Cranbourne-Pakenham corridor, including upgrading track power and conventional signalling.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Rapid growth makes Texas an incubator for tolling innovation
    September 8, 2014
    As the IBTTA’s annual meeting and exhibition heads for Austin, Mitchell Beer, president of Smarter Shift, considers the role of Texas in the development of tolling strategies and technology. The State of Texas has always prided itself on being ‘larger than life’. From the sprawling geography of the state itself with its wide open skies, to its entrepreneurial ‘get-it-done’ attitude, Texas exudes an impatient restlessness that pushes businesses and public agencies to deliver faster, better results. More ofte
  • New opportunities in a data-rich future
    March 19, 2014
    Jason Barnes looks at where the detection and monitoring sector is heading. In the future, there will be no such thing as an un-instrumented road. Just a short time ago, that could have been a quote from a high-level policy document but with the first arrivals of vehicles with 802.11p connectivity – the door-opener to Vehicle-to-X (V2X) applications – it’s a statement which has increasing validity. The technology which uses our roads will also provide information on road conditions but V2X isn’t the only
  • Developing an integrated WIM/ANPR enforcement system
    July 31, 2012
    The weigh in motion market remains especially buoyant and technological development continues to reflect this. Although there are major differences in operating philosophies, particularly between developed and developing countries, both the numbers of countries using Weigh In Motion (WIM) technology and the numbers of systems that they deploy are on the increase.
  • Framework for trialling road freight ITS begins in Australia
    February 12, 2015
    The Victoria Government in Australia is sponsoring a new framework to trial technology on the state’s road network that will improve the operation of heavy vehicles and promote Victoria as Australia’s freight and logistics capital. Minister for Roads, Luke Donnellan, called on the heavy vehicle, freight and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) industries to develop innovative approaches to using intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and associated technology to improve the productivity and safety of ro