The Government of Victoria has announced that passenger train services along the Cranbourne/Pakenham Line are now operating with high capacity signalling (HCS), the high-tech signalling system introduced to Melbourne’s rail network by the Metro Tunnel project.
This is the first time in Australia the next generation signalling system has been retrofitted to an existing network and comes after years of testing new systems and trains without passengers.
There are now 17 passenger services a day using the new signalling system on sections of the Cranbourne/Pakenham Line, alongside Melbourne’s conventional signalling system. The number of services running high capacity signalling will increase in coming months.
The high capacity signalling is a bit like adaptive cruise control in a car, tracking the location and speed of trains in real time to ensure safe distances and speeds. This technology will soon allow passenger trains on parts of the network to travel closer together, improving service frequency and reliability.
When the Metro Tunnel opens in 2025, it will create a new end-to-end rail line from Sunbury in the west to Cranbourne/Pakenham in the south east with trains using a mix of HCS and conventional signalling. The trains will then exclusively use the new signalling system when travelling through the Metro Tunnel and its 5 new underground stations.
The construction is underway on the Metro Tunnel which will untangle the City Loop so more trains can run more often across Melbourne.
The Metro Tunnel includes 9 km twin tunnels under Melbourne’s central business district (CBD) with 5 new underground stations.
The metro project will create additional capacity on the rail network to enable over half a million additional passengers per week across Melbourne’s train network to use the rail system during the peak periods.
In addition, connecting the Melbourne Airport Rail line into the Metro Tunnel will provide passengers with around a 30-minute service into the CBD and will maximise access for all Victorians.
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