Train control system gets green light

Signals turned green yesterday on Auckland's $1 billion-plus rail electrification drive, as KiwiRail signed a hefty contract to provide long-suffering passengers with an ultra-modern train control system.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce insisted the Government was fully committed to the cause this time following several false starts.

"We are on our way," he said after witnessing the signing of a $90 million deal between KiwiRail and Westinghouse Rail Systems Australia for an upgraded signalling system.

That will control a fleet of fast electric trains running at 10-minute frequencies by the end of 2013.

"It is a real commitment by me and the Government - you couldn't be any more committed."

Mr Joyce said the contract was the Government's first opportunity "to show in practice that we are fully committed to proceeding with the electrification of Auckland".

"So hopefully that gives confidence to those who were a little bit cynical, that we are definitely going ahead."

He acknowledged the new signals would markedly improve the running of any rail fleet, whether diesel or electric, "but there will still be electric trains".

Westinghouse Rail Systems managing director Phil Ellingworth said the train control technology his company was importing from its European arm surpassed anything being used on Australia's established network.

It will include the replacement of all existing points machines and signals lights with a fully computerised system to control all Auckland rail movements from within the region, although with a full back-up facility able to be operated from the national centre in Wellington.

Copper-based track circuits now used to detect where trains are on the network, with varying degrees of reliability in a "fail-safe" mode, will be replaced with fibre-optic technology able to count carriage axles to determine when tracks are clear for the next train.

Westinghouse will also supply an automatic train protection system not used anywhere else in New Zealand, to intervene if an engine appears to be travelling too fast towards a red "stop" signal, and to bring it safely to a halt regardless of any lapse of concentration by the driver.

The company's contract will include laying signals for the new Onehunga and Manukau branch lines and for "bi-directional" train movements on some sections of the network such as at Kingsland and Morningside stations, to allow both sets of tracks to be used to carry sports fans in the same direction to or from Eden Park.

In a clean sweep of the 1950s to 1970s technology it is replacing, it will spell retirement for Auckland's two remaining signals boxes, at Papakura and Otahuhu.

Although there are unlikely to be any electric trains in service in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, despite earlier hopes by Auckland Regional Council leaders, priority will be given to laying new signals between Otahuhu, Britomart and Morningside by the end of 2010.

KiwiRail chief executive Jim Quinn admitted that large parts of Auckland's network were "old, fragile and prone to failure".

"We will be replacing that obsolete and life-expired equipment with state of the art technology used on the rail networks of Europe."

Although Mr Ellingworth stopped short of explicitly promising Aucklanders there would be no signals failures under the new system, he said: "It is our intention to enjoy the Rugby World Cup like everyone else."

SIGNAL FAILURES

At least 13 signals failures have hammered Auckland rail commuters since mid-January:

* Friday - computer network card failure at Britomart station strands commuters and Blues fans travelling to Mt Eden.
* March 5 - similar "intermittent" failure at Britomart cripples rail movements throughout the region at the height of the morning travel peak.
* February 21 - points failure at Otahuhu delays morning peak services; signals failure at Newmarket hits afternoon services on the southern and western lines.
* February 20 - points failure at Newmarket disrupts evening peak services.
* February 16 - points failure at Otahuhu causes extensive delays to evening peak services on the southern and eastern lines.

ELECTRIFYING THE NETWORK

* $1 billion-plus project.
* $500 million-plus to be spent on electric trains and supporting equipment.
* $500 million on tracks, power supply and signals.