TPC interoperability: a closer look

By Kazi Dolezal

ARA director for transport policy Brett Hughes believes it’s a positive step toward allowing the rail industry to take control of its own destiny and potentially obviates the need for rail safety regulators to also have to regulate for TPC interoperability.
Whilst this is only the start of the journey, with much more work required, Hughes said without the framework, he didn’t expect TPC interoperability to be an achievable goal for Australian rail.
The industry objective is for trains to move efficiently, effectively and safely across networks without the duplication of hardware, single driver interfaces or common data structures, and that this objective be moderated by need, feasibility, timing and cost.
According to the ARA, the framework recognises that the industry as a whole can benefit from interoperability, even without operational interface between networks, by reducing the peculiarity and uniqueness of tasks; something railways could not achieve by operating and solution seeking in isolation.
The framework does not apply to any specific system, functionality, technology or componentry, leaving the choice of technology and functionality to individual companies. However the industry will be expected to adopt minimum requirements where TPC System interoperability occurs.
This approach seeks to avoid limitation placed on local solutions, innovation, new technology or transition to future technology, and avoids setting functional requirements too high or too low.
“In Australia we can keep the necessary flexibility open while achieving the multitude of benefits that TPC interoperability affords,” Hughes said.
“There is a challenge here between flexibility and certainty. On the one hand a more prescriptive approach would provide greater certainty for more consistency between systems. On the other hand more flexibility would possibly be less costly and easier for individual infrastructure owners, if only for the first systems in the short term.”
Nonetheless, rail industry technology suppliers are unanimous in their view that TPC interoperability is achievable, and according to Hughes, industry executives have made a critical strategic choice to move in the right direction.
The ARA has engaged a consultant to assess the benefits of interoperability so that individual decisions, especially those with cost and time implications can be made against the background of intended objectives. Such objectives require all systems, sub-systems, components, rules, procedures, processes or practices which interface with others to be able to work together seamlessly with those others; that interoperability applies regardless of which infrastructure, rollingstock or operation they are a part of; and that interoperability contributes to safe, efficient, cost effective and practical outcomes for the operation of railways.
“At the higher level the ARA Strategic Framework describes what is intended to be achieved, why it is desirable and what principles should be followed,” Hughes said.
“Interestingly, this decision opens the door for interoperability for all issues, across the whole of the industry. It is possible to take the ‘technology’ theme out of the framework and ‘universalise’ the scope.”
The ARA Strategic Framework could potentially signal a momentous event in Australian rail history and according to Hughes, it is now up to the industry as a whole to work together cooperatively to achieve the objectives which everyone knows is desirable.