Welcome to the New South Wales EPA

In the state of New South Wales rail operators are required to hold an Environment Protection Licence issued by the NSW Environment Protection Authority. The licence for interstate rail freight is held by the Australian Rail Track Corporation, in their role as track access provider.

But the licence includes restrictions on the classes of locomotive allowed to operate on the ARTC network in New South Wales.

L2 Noise limits

Note: It is an objective of this Licence to progressively reduce noise impacts from railways systems activities to the noise level goals of 65 dB(A)Leq, (day and evening time from 7am – 10pm), 60 dB(A)Leq, (night time from 10pm – 7am) and 85dB(A) (24 hr) max pass-by noise, at one metre from the facade of affected residential properties.

The licensee must obtain approval from the EPA prior to permitting operation on the “premises” of:

1. a class or type/model of locomotive, whether new or existing, that is not included in Condition E2; or
2. a locomotive that has been substantially modified since it was last used on the licenses premises.

A new class of locomotive type/model previously approved under Condition L2 may be brought onto the rail network without further approval provided that it is consistent with that type/model and EPA is notified at least 7 days in advance. Condition E2 will then be updated at the next opportunity.

Note: EPA approval for a new locomotive will be granted on the basis of compliance with the locomotive noise limits in Condition L2.5, L2.6 and L2.7 and will require submission of noise test results from a representative number of locomotives from that class or type/model.

A schedule of approved locomotives also appears, their inclusion via different approval paths:

• Locomotives which operated into New South Wales before the 1980s are permitted as they were “introduced prior to approval process”,
• Locomotives introduced during the 1990s were “approved under previous legislation”,
• Newer locomotives from the 2000s have underwent a EPA class approval process,
• And the modern plague of Downer EDI Rail GT46C ACe and UGL Rail C44aci locomotives are type approved, so their different class designations don’t matter from an EPA perspective.

But for rail freight operators there is still a stumbling block – encountered by interstate locomotives that never operated into New South Wales before the EPA rail noise regulations were introduced.

Enter the Queensland Railways 2800 class

The Queensland Railways 2800 class are diesel locomotives introduced in 1995 to run freight trains on the narrow gauge network in Queensland.

Photo by Pytomelon87, via Wikimedia Commons

But from 2003 Queensland Rail expanded interstate as QR National, and decided to put one of the 2800 class onto standard gauge.

But there was a problem – the locomotive didn’t meet NSW noise standards, despite noisier locomotives already being permitted under the legacy approval path.

Aurizon (formerly QR National) initially applied to operate the 2800 class locomotives in NSW in 2006. This initial application was made for the locomotive using the original (as-supplied) transition muffler and coffin muffler. At this time, permission to operate in NSW was refused on the basis of noise emissions.

Subsequently, modifications were made to the transition muffler, improving its performance, and Aurizon again applied to the EPA for permission to operate this class in early 2012. The locomotive was again refused permission to operate by the NSW EPA on the basis of low-frequency noise emissions.

So modifications were made to the exhaust – and the test passed.

The EPA has subsequently approved this locomotive class (rebadged as the 3200 class) for use in NSW, stating that “Based on the information provided, the EPA considers that the noise performance of the 3200 class locomotive is consistent with current best practice in NSW.”

With the three modified locomotives now able to operate in NSW.

And the one-off diesel GML10

GML10 is a one-of-a-kind diesel locomotive, built in 1990 for the Goldsworthy Mining Company to operate iron ore trains in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

J Joyce photo via Rail Heritage WA

In 1994 it was sold to Comalco to operate on their bauxite railway at Weipa in Queensland, then sold again in 2009 to Australian Locolease who resold it to Qube Logistics, who operate it on standard gauge freight trains across Australia.

But there was a problem – GML10 had never operated in New South Wales to be approved under the legacy approval path, and as a one-off locomotive, going through the onerous noise approval testing process doesn’t make financial sense.

So Qube’s solution – drag the locomotive dead attached through New South Wales.

A waiver to the published conditions in the ARTC Train Operating Conditions Manual is granted for the movement of GML10 from Broken Hill to Albury via Parkes and Junee ARTC network in NSW. GML10 to be dead hauled at all times.

Or turn off the locomotive before it crosses the border into NSW, and park it in the yard at Albury!

A tactic that bit Qube on their behind in 2017, when a failed train had to be rescued, and GML10 was the only locomotive available to assist.

As a result, Qube sought special permission from ARTC to operate the locomotive over the 2500 metres from the NSW/Victoria border into Albury yard.

A waiver to the conditions of the ARTC TOC Manual is issued for the movement of Locomotive GML10 from the Vic/NSW border into Albury yard under its own power.

Locomotive GML10 is required to be attached to a disabled grain train in Albury. There is no other practical method of movement.

Conditions of movement:

1. The engine of GML10 shall be run for the minimum practical time to SAFELY complete the relocation movement.
2. The movement shall be completed using power setting no greater than notch 2.
3. Movement shall be carried out in daylight hours, 0800 – 1800, to minimize impact on receptors.
4. Once attached to the train GML10 shall be shut down and hauled past the border prior to restarting.
5. Conditions of TOC Waiver 15113 shall re-apply after this movement is complete.

A comical situation, especially given unmodified diesel locomotives from the 1950s are allowed through New South Wales making as much noise as they please.

Footnote: the Border Railway Act

Another complexity on rail noise regulations is the broad gauge railway that crosses the Murray River at Echuca and continues north to Deniliquin in New South Wales.

The railway is operated as an extension of the Victorian rail network.

And is governed by the 1922 Border Railways Acts, with New South Wales passing control of the railway to Victoria.

Control and management of certain railways by Government of Victoria

The Government of Victoria shall, subject to the agreement, have the right to control and manage any railway in New South Wales referred to in the agreement, and the Victorian Authority may, in respect of such control and management, exercise all the powers which are by law conferred on the Victorian Authority in respect of railways in the State of Victoria.

Including what I see is authority to power to set their own rail noise regulations.

Schedule 1 The Agreement

The Government of New South Wales undertakes to vest in the Government of Victoria any authority necessary to sanction the working of any railway or railways under this Agreement in New South Wales territory, including collection and enforcement of fares and freights, and the vesting of the control and management of the lines in the State of Victoria.

So presumably a new-build broad gauge diesel locomotive could operate on the Deniliquin line without issue – assuming one was actually built!

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How we got there

The story starts the same was as Australia’s rail gauge muddle, where each colony started building railways based on their own standards, never thinking the systems would meet to form a national network.

But despite early trials on the Commonwealth Railways during the 1950s, the rollout of two-way radio systems was resisted by many Australian rail operators. Franklin Hussey, Crew Operations Manager for the National Rail Corporation, had this to say to the 2001 Special Commission of Inquiry Into the Glenbrook Rail Accident.

The introduction of train radio systems combined with track circuiting has been slow to develop in Australia, contrary to what occurred in the United States of America after World War II.

In Australia they were not contemplated until an incident in Victoria at Barnawartha in the 1982 when a freight train collided with the rear of the Southern Aurora.

He stated that New South Wales was the least developed of all the States until the development of the Metronet and Countrynet systems the mid-1990s.

So one might think the lessons of the past on rail gauge would lead to standardisation – but it didn’t.

Communications facilities and current call types have evolved due to the different safeworking practices of the rail authorities and their investment strategies. Each system has evolved to best meet the requirements of their operation and necessarily are influenced by the equipment capabilities which in turn depend on the level of investment. The differences between systems is a major inhibition to flexible locomotive operation on the interstate corridors.

And so each state-based rail operator adopted their own standards for radio communications.

And the mess

By the 2000s there were 20 different radio systems in use across Australia – most states using different radio systems for their suburban and country rail networks.

Australasian Railway Association diagram

To make matters worse, there was no single radio capable of supporting all 20 systems.

Whilst most areas are shown as requiring UHF radio, it should be noted that no single UHF radio can do the job.

The UHF radio used in the Perth Greater Metropolitan area is a trunked radio with narrow band operation. In general, radio transceivers that can provide the trunked radio operation cannot also provide the wide band conventional operation required for the rest of the country.

A standard, off-the-shelf conventional mobile radio can be used for the remainder of the UHF train control areas outside NSW. But in Victoria this radio is useless unless connected to a Motorola ASW or MDC600 unit.

In NSW, a special duplex radio is required for Metronet and Countrynet. There is only one source of duplex radio to our knowledge, although one can contrive a full duplex radio from two simplex radios.

Access to the Metronet system is limited to a particular brand and model of mobile radio. Although it is technically possible to implement the Metronet radio functions with other radio transceivers, the necessary information and approvals are not available.

Similarly, RIC is at present the only source of Countrynet equipment.

So a train travelling from Brisbane to Perth via Melbourne required six different radio receivers in the cab.

Rod Williams photo

Changing radio channels along the way.

Yet unable to talk to the driver of a steam train up ahead.

The driver of the suburban train running on the track alongside.

Or the driver of a parallel V/Line train.

In search of solutions

The formation of the National Rail Corporation in 1992 to take over the operation of interstate freight services on the railways of Australia provided an impetus to dealing with the mess of incompatible radio systems.

Weston Langford photo

They wrote in 1998.

Radio frequencies change frequently across the national track network, requiring complex radio equipment, and constant attention from drivers to ensure correct radio channels are selected for each task and area. The very large number of frequencies in use also places large demands on rail operators and track owners for provision of radio equipment and on controllers for attention to detail in its use.

So they patched over the problem with a system called AWARE – “Australia Wide Augmented Radio Environment“.

ATSB photo

It presented a single radio screen to the train driver, and managed a cabinet full of radio equipment, switching between them based on which systems were used at the current location.

ATSB diagram

But radios are still a problem

The inability for train crew from different operators to talk to each other in an emergency was a contributing factor to a number of rail crashes between trains during the 1990s and 2000s.

ATSB photo

At Glenbrook in NSW.

At 2 December 1999 a State Rail Authority interurban train collided with the rear of the Indian Pacific tourist train. The accident occurred because of a fault in an area of automatic signalling. As the signalling system was not functioning normally, control of train movements through the area was therefore managed by the signaller and drivers.

There is no single integrated system which enables communications between the various trains, signallers and controllers involved in operations on the rail network. In the case of this particular accident there were five different communications systems which were involved, namely, three different two-way radio systems (known respectively as Metronet, Countrynet and WB), dedicated line telephones at the bases of signals, called signal telephones, and mobile telephones operating on either the GSM terrestrial based network or by satellite.

Corio in Victoria.

On 1 October 1999 a freight train came to a stand at Corio station after an emergency brake application on the train. On investigation it was found that the train had separated, the rear portion of the train had six wagons derailed. The damaged wagons were fouling the Broad Gauge Line and the standard gauge line with severe track damage to both.

The report recommended that all locomotive drivers and train controllers to be instructed that immediately a train comes to a stand on a running line, the driver must inform the train controller who, in turn, must inform the train controller in charge of any parallel lines, so that all trains on the parallel lines can be warned.

Hexham in NSW.

On 12 July 2002 an empty coal train derailed at Hexham, fouling two out of the three adjacent railway lines. A short time later a passenger train collided with the fouling wreckage. The line that the passenger train was travelling on was track circuited but the track remained unbroken, preventing the automatic signals returning to stop. The crew from the coal train tried to contact the local signal box with no success.

And Chiltern in Victoria.

On Sunday 16 March 2003 a Pacific National freight train derailed south of Chiltern railway station on the standard gauge railway line. At about 1512 a V/Line locomotive hauled passenger train travelling from Albury to Melbourne on the broad gauge railway line, collided with wreckage from the derailed freight train. The collision derailed the locomotive and two carriages of train 8318

There was an about two minute window from the time train 1SP2N came to a stand, up to the time the driver of train 8318 applied the emergency brake, to try and stop train 8318 before the derailed train. In that time the drivers from train 1SP2N had repeatedly tried to warn train 8318, but were unsuccessful. The drivers also followed procedure by notifying ARTC train control but the message was delayed by four minutes before being relayed to the broad gauge train control (Centrol), not in time to prevent the collision.

And a solution

In 2007 the Australian Rail Track Corporation, announced that they would be developing a single National Train Communications System to be used on the interstate rail network.

Seventy-seven new Next G regional base stations will be built as part of an $85 million communications deal signed today between the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) and Telstra.

The agreement will see Telstra’s leading Next G network used to replace nine separate communications systems across 10,000km of rail tracks.

Replacing a series of old technologies, such as two-way radios and CDMA devices, the new network will provide telecommunications coverage for the interstate rail network – from Brisbane to Perth (via Melbourne and Broken Hill) and in the Hunter Valley. The agreement improves coverage in tunnels and across the Nullarbor Plain, introduces new communications equipment for more than 700 locomotives, and is backed up with Satellite if necessary.

Chief Executive Officer of ARTC, Mr David Marchant, said once completed all trains and train controllers would be able to use the one system to communicate with each other across the entire national rail network from Brisbane to Perth, as well as the Hunter Valley Coal Network, eliminating the inefficient nine different communications systems for train operators.

“ARTC is breaking new ground in Australian rail communications,” Mr Marchant said. “A single national communication system will greatly improve operational efficiency and reduce costs associated with managing multiple platforms.

General Manager Strategy Development and Chief Information Officer for ARTC, Mr Leon Welsby, said the new communications network will provide train controllers with real time GPS location of all trains, wherever they are between Brisbane and Perth.

Australian government funding under the Auslink National Transport Plan has been made available to provide this common communications system for the national rail network.

The new system supported four different data connections.

• Satellite
• GSM-R
• UHF (analog, digital)
• 3G (UTMS, HSDPA)

All controlled by a single ICE (In-Cab Communications Equipment) unit developed by base2 communications.

The rollout

One the new system had been proven in trials, it was time to roll out a new radio to every single train that operated over the ARTC network.

An ICE unit in every cab.

And new radio antennas on every roof.

V/Line’s fleet of VLocity trains didn’t miss out.

Gaining an array of new antennas.

Melbourne’s restored ‘Tait’ set also received an ICE radio.

And even steam locomotives didn’t miss out!

Gaining radio antennas on the cab roof.

Positioning of the ICE unit presented difficulties for some steam locomotives.

The radio equipment box on A2 986 ended up beside the coal bunker!

But in the end it was done – and the last of the legacy radio systems switched off in December 2014.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) officially switched off the last two of seven out-dated regional radio systems previously used on its network today, completing a seven year project.

“The ‘switch off’ of the old radio systems in NSW and Victoria means freight trains operating on ARTC’s national freight rail network now use a single, safer, digital radio system,” ARTC CEO John Fullerton said.

While the physical network including mobile communications towers and satellites has been in place since June 2010, the retrofitting and testing of ICE (In-cab Communications Equipment) units across the national locomotive fleet and multiple operators has now been completed.

Currently 900 trains with ICE units operate across the country, 704 units were supplied by ARTC as part of the NTCS project.

Around 1024 Telstra Mobile sites form part of the communications network along ARTC’s rail network. Telstra provided an additional 81 radio sites along the rail corridor comprising 70 macro base stations and 11 radio fitted tunnels.

The Next G system is for non electrified NSW, the Victorian tracks controlled by ARTC, SA, NT and WA tracks, excluding the PTA system.

Finally putting an end to a mess created during the 1980s.

Footnote: Victorian train radio systems

The original 1980s analogue radio systems in Victoria used Motorola Micor base stations and Motorola Syntrex radios, with the Motorola MDC-600 data system.

Suburban trains used the ‘Urban Train Radio System’ until it was replaced by the GSM-R based ‘Digital Train Radio System’ (DTRS) using Nokia-Siemens Networks equipment in August 2014.

Country trains used the ‘Non-Urban Train Radio System’ with which was finally replaced by the NTCS-based Regional Rail Communications Network (RRCN) from 2017.

Further reading

• Train Radio Systems of Australia – Australasian Railway Association (2005)
• Australia Wide Communications Systems for CargoSprinter – John Aitken (2002)
• Review of rail access regimes – Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities (2018)
• Optimising harmonisation in the Australian railway industry – Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (2006)
• Derailment of Pacific National Freight Train 1SP2N and the Subsequent Collision of V/Line Passenger Train 8318 – ATSB (2004)

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Track evaluation vehicle IEV100

IEV100 is a track evaluation vehicle that traverses the Victorian railway network to test track quality. Self propelled with a diesel engine, and with the option to use standard or broad gauge bogies, this Plasser & Theurer EM100 track recorder was acquired by V/Line in the 1980s, passing to VicTrack following privatisation the 1990s.

It was then overhauled by Metro Trains Melbourne in 2012, with the original mechanical measurement wheels being replaced by a modern non-contact laser measurement system.

IEV100 was once capable of measuring the overhead contract wires, but the pantograph was removed around 2015.

Overhead inspection carriage IEV102

IEV102 is an overhead inspection carriage used across the Melbourne suburban network, converted from a retired V/Line passenger carriage in 2010, following a spate of overhead wire failures.

From a glass cupola atop the carriage, staff and video cameras onboard the carriage monitor how the pantograph tracks along the overhead wire.

Initially the carriage was hauled around the network by a pair of Metro Trains Melbourne’s T class locomotives, but from 2018 Southern Shorthaul Railroad took over the job.

In October 2021 further changes happened, when a laser instrumented pantograph was installed atop the carriage, automating the collection of data.

‘AK’ track recording cars

The AK cars are a set of three specially equipped ex-NSWGR carriages fitted out for track inspection purposes. They are operated by the Australian Rail Track Corporation over their standard gauge lines behind hired motive power a few times each year.

Video cameras are mounted to the front of the train.

Wide inspection windows at the end of each carriage.

Laser track measurement equipment beneath one of the carriages.

And an accommodation carriage for the crew on their long journey across Australia.

Evaluation vehicle EV120 ‘Evie’

EV120 is a Geismar model RB2214TM locomotive hauled track and overhead inspection vehicle for the Victorian broad gauge rail network, acquired in 2021 to replace overhead inspection carriage IEV102 and track inspection vehicle IEV100.

It has laser track measurement equipment attached to each bogie.

A pantograph on the roof.

And forward facing camera fitted to locomotives that haul it.

Southern Shorthaul Railroad currently provides diesel locomotives and crews to haul it around the network.

Ultrasonic rail flaw detection

Speno Rail Maintenance Australia operates a fleet of hi-rail Ultrasonic rail flaw detection trucks, which appear in Victoria from time to time.

The hi-rail truck tows an ultrasonic sensor array, scanning the steel rails for microscopic flaws.

With a second crew following behind to mark any issues with paint.

LIDAR and ground penetrating radar

In 2019 and 2020 V/Line completed an ad-hoc survey of their network using a variety of hired test equipment strapped to a surplus diesel locomotive.

The first survey used LIDAR measure equipment, a NovAtel GPS receiver, and 360 degree camera equipment to create a digital map of the network.

And was followed up by a ground penetrating radar system supplied by Zetica Rail to measure trackbed condition, including ballast depth, fouling and roughness.

Further reading

• V/Line and Metro argue over IEV100 – The Age
• Lidar capture onboard the AK Cars – Cordel
• Rail Radar System, Trackbed Evaluation and Maintenance – Zetica Rail
• Onboard the AK Cars – RTSA SA Chapter newsletter
• Introduction to Rail Flaw Detection – Nordco

More photos

• IEV100 track evaluation vehicle
• Overhead inspection carriage IEV102
• ‘AK’ track recording cars
• Evaluation vehicle EV120
• Speno ultrasonic rail flaw detector
• V/Line corridor mapping project

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Built it up

Construction work on the Laverton Rail Upgrade project on the Werribee line has been a recent theme – we see that work on the third platform was almost done.

Along with the new footbridge.

Another project was the construction of a new station on the Craigieburn line at Coolaroo.

Served by a similarly large footbridge.

Nothing ever changes on the Albury line

Another project of the period was the North East Rail Revitalisation Project, which was converting the deteriorating Seymour-Albury railway broad gauge track to standard gauge, providing two parallel tracks at a cost of $500 million.

While this work was underway, V/Line services had replaced by buses since 2008.

A new platform was also constructed on the standard gauge track at Broadmeadows.

And V/Line was also busy upgrading trains for the return of trains to Albury.

It was intended for V/Line trains to return in late 2010 but poor track quality delayed it until June 2011.

Unfortunately nothing has changed in the decade since – 2012 saw a promise to ‘fix’ the track, but reliability of V/Line services to Albury has stayed in the toilet , despite the addition of a third and even fourth train set to run the service.

May 2018 saw the launch of the $235 million North East Line Upgrade project – will this finally solve it?

But plenty of change towards Sunshine

Ten years ago the view along the line between the CBD and Sunshine was very different.

Freight sidings filled the area between North Melbourne and Moonee Ponds Creek.

South Kensington station used to have trees on the platform.

Suburban and V/Line trains needed to share four tracks to Footscray.

And two tracks through West Footscray.

There was plenty of grass beside Sunshine Road.

And a rickety timber footbridge across the tracks at Sunshine.

All are now gone, to make way for the new Regional Rail Link tracks that separated suburban and V/Line services from 2015.

Blink and you’ll miss it

January 2010 saw the first Southern Spirit rail cruise run through Melbourne, on a journey from Adelaide to Brisbane.

Barely squeezing into the platform at Southern Cross Station.

The last Southern Spirit rail cruise ran in May 2012, with the concept was relaunched in 2019 as the Great Southern.

Things that are gone

I swung past Essendon station.

Where traffic queued up at the Buckley Street level crossing – removed in 2018.

City Circle Trams used to be maroon.

Since 2012 they have been replaced by the W8 class tram rebuilds, with the final one withdrawn in 2018.

And buses in Geelong used to be green.

The Benders livery replaced the blue Geelong Transit System brand from the 1980s, but has since given way to Public Transport Victoria orange.

At Lara station I captured a 1950s-era A class locomotive hauling a V/Line train towards Geelong.

In 2013 they were withdrawn, only to be returned to service in 2014, then finally withdrawn in 2018.

Another V/Line antique was the compartment carriages used on a once daily return trip to Geelong.

The set remained in service until August 2010, when the delivery of additional VLocity trains enabled it to be retired.

And finally, I captured The Overland headed out of Geelong bound for Adelaide.

Government funding for the service expired in 2015 was was renewed for three years, followed by a one year renewal in 2018, which has yet to be renewed at the time that I write this.

And the start of a plague

In 2009 VicRoads commenced the trial of ‘High Productivity Freight Vehicles‘ at the Port of Melbourne.

These B-double trucks with quad axle trailers were up to 30 metres long and 77.5 tonnes in weight, transporting four TEU of containers compared to the three TEUs moved by standard B-doubles.

In the years since trucks have now taken over the streets of Melbourne’s inner west, while the Port Rail Shuttle project that was supposed to move containers onto rail has gone nowhere.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.

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In the beginning

Melbourne’s first trains were short and steam powered, so there bridges didn’t need to be high above the track.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P1, item H 1123

But the introduction of electric trains from 1919 saw a need for increased clearances, to accommodate the overhead wires.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P4, item RS 0391

The 1953 Victorian Railways General Appendix gave the contact wire height as follows:

• Average height above rail: 16 feet – 16 feet 6 inches (4.48 m – 5.03 m)
• Minimum height under bridges (suburban area): 14 feet 6 inches (4.42 m)
• Minimum height under bridges (country area): 15 feet (4.57 m)
• Minimum height over sidings: 17 feet (5.18 m)
• Minimum height over level crossings: 18 feet (5.49 m)
• Maximum height: 19 feet (5.79 m)

Many footbridges already crossed the tracks prior to electrification, such this one in Moonee Ponds – constructed in 1890.

Ripponlea station – opened in 1912.

And Footscray station – rebuilt in 1901.

But these tight clearances remained for projects completed post electrification, such as Hawksburn station – rebuilt in 1914.

Camberwell – rebuilt in 1919.

And Middle Footscray – grade separated in 1928.

And later years

By the 1970s the clearance between trains and overhead bridges started to grow, with Yarraman station being one example – opened in 1976.

But it appears that exceptions were still permitted, such as West Footscray – rebuilt in the same year, 1976.

Enter double deck trains

In 1992 Melbourne introduced a trial double deck train – the 4D.

Weston Langford photo

As you might expect, a whole lot of infrastructure changes were required to accommodate a taller train – including the Swanston Street bridge at Flinders Street Station, and numerous overhead bridges along the Belgrave and Lilydale lines. The exception was the City Loop tunnels – designed with double-deck trains in mind, no modifications were necessary.

But still the 4D train was shorter than the double deck trains of Sydney – 4270 mm tall, compared to the 4380 mm tall Sydney Tangara train it was based upon.

It also also interesting to compare the height of the double 4D train, to Melbourne’s single deck train fleet:

WTT Network Configuration-Metro Rolling Stock (L1-CHE-MAN-016)

• Hitachi: 3759 mm
• Comeng: 3835 mm
• Siemens: 4141 mm
• X’Trapolis: 4214 mm

Turns out bolting air conditioning units to the roof of a train really eats up that vertical clearance!

Current standards

Metro Trains Melbourne standard L1-CHE-STD-011 “Overhead Line Electrification” gives the overhead wire heights as follows:

• Open route (nominal at support): 5.20 m
• Open route – slab track (absolute minimum): 4.46 m
• Open route – ballast & sleepers (absolute minimum): 4.61 m
• Open route (absolute maximum, excluding lead up to level crossings) 5.85 m
• Station platforms (nominal)5.20 m
• Station platforms (minimum): 4.94 m
• Level crossings (minimum): 5.64 m
• Level crossings (maximum): 6.10 m
• Pedestrian crossings (minimum): 5.00 m

Compared with the overhead wiring standards from 1953, only an extra 190 mm clearance is required under bridges – that’s less than one step! So why are such massive bridges being built?

Turns out standard L1-CHE-STD-025 “Transit Space Clearances” has the answer:

Section 9.2 shall apply to any new, or alterations to existing Infrastructure constructed or installed by MTM, or on behalf of MTM or PTV.

The minimum Vertical Clearance shall be 5.75m for new bridges or structures above the track. The Vertical Clearance may be reduced subject to the approval of the Chief Engineer, or delegate, following adequate demonstration of requirements in Appendix A – Reduced Vertical Clearance to Structures Requirements.

This explains the massive footbridges built in the past decades at rebuilt railway stations – such as Watergardens.

And Westall.

As well as the depth of rail underpasses such as Nunawading.

Gardiner.

And St Albans.

But why are some stations even taller?

If the climb out of the above stations seems bad enough, there are stations such as Sunshine where the ascent is even more formidable.

Metro Trains standard L1-CHE-STD-025 “Transit Space Clearances” alludes to the reason:

On tracks operated or maintained by Accredited Rail Transport Operators (ARTOs) or Rail Infrastructure Managers (RIMs) other than MTM, consideration shall be given to their minimum vertical clearances, particularly on Double Stacked freight corridors.

A double stacked freight train is far taller than any Melbourne train.

With the only Australian examples running through the ‘outback’ – between Adelaide, Perth, Darwin and Parkes.

But the capability to run double stack freight trains in Victoria is on the roadmap for the Australian Rail Track Corporation, operator of the interstate freight network in Victoria.

Tottenham to Albury (T2A) is one of 13 projects that complete Inland Rail. This section of Inland Rail is planned along 305km of existing rail corridor from metropolitan Melbourne to the Victoria-NSW border at Albury-Wodonga. This project will see enhancements of existing structures to provide increased clearances along the rail corridor. The enhancement works are required to accommodate double stack freight trains of 1,800 metres in length to be run on the track.

With their clearance requirements detailed in Section 7 “Clearances” of their Code of Practice:

New Structures on the Defined Interstate Rail Network (DIRN) and the Inland Railway Route

Unless otherwise formally approved by appropriate ARTC Executive General Manager, all new structures over mainlines and passing loops/sidings shall be constructed to give full plate “F” – i.e. this will give 7.1m clearance above rail.

In Melbourne the Defined Interstate Rail Network runs west and north-east from the Port of Melbourne, paralleling the following suburban tracks.

• Sunbury line, Footcray to Albion
• Werribee line, Newport to Werribee
• Craigieburn line, Jacana to Craigieburn

Which explains the massive footbridges found at West Footscray.

Laverton.

And Coolaroo.

As well as the Sunshine example from earlier.

Footnote – how long are the ramps?

I found this in a report by Opus Consulting regarding development concepts for Donnybrook station:

There is a preference for the provision of a footbridge for access across the tracks for the following reasons:
» The nature of the basalt ground conditions, along with anecdotal information regarding ground water and inundation conditions, suggests the use of a footbridge rather than a subway.
» Construction interfaces with the live train running lines make it more favourable to build a footbridge
» Footbridges are also preferred over subways because they provide a more favourable security environment
» It is expected that a footbridge will be more cost effective to provide

And the kicker:

Clearance requirements over the standard gauge interstate track is 7.1m which dictates:
» 128.8m of ramp length to ground level
» 15.9m of stair length to ground level

Clearance requirements over the broad gauge regional tracks is 5.75m which dictates:
» 97.2m of ramp length to ground level
» 13.2m of stair length to ground level

That 1.35 m of extra vertical clearance really makes a difference to the length of a DDA compliant ramp!

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