Defining innovation

Innovation in Australia is not about creating new products – there are plenty of global companies that can deliver the latest technology cheaper than we can create it. Innovation is about new ways of service delivery to make the entire system more cost effective and efficient.

Innovation does not mean starting everything from “scratch”, but it does require an Australian technical solution. Currently, the Australian rail industry is not responding to the latest developments from around the world and innovation is being lost in small budgets and “patching together” out-of-date systems.

However, it is not all gloom. RailCorp’s Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system in New South Wales, in the early stages of delivery, will deliver innovation to the market and show the rest of Australia just how far we can go to deliver world class services.

Unfortunately our national rail “introspection” is not benefitting the rail system nor passenger rail commuters.

The current inquiry into rail infrastructure project costing in NSW (http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/226DCE7655B83DB2CA2578E3002AE363) found system costs were compatible with what was occurring in the rest of Australia.  But is that really a benchmark? If we keep delivering rail outcomes at the current level of costs are we really going to be getting the optimal solutions and delivering the best bang for the buck?

We need to focus on the delivery of infrastructure and the options we have available and ask the question: is this is the best outcome for our rail investment?

Our industry needs to look at issues such as environmental standards and life span from a commercial perspective. For example, the latest train and signalling technologies could add far more capacity to our rail corridors than duplicating tracks with outdated technology.

Unfortunately, the longer we leave the technology updates required for the system the bigger the gap required to bridge the technology chasm.
Australia needs to take the leap into the present and adopt the latest signaling technology as a matter of urgency – there is no technical risk as it is already being used around the world.

Invensys has already shown these results – higher frequency and reliability - can be achieved on London’s Jubilee line without installing new tracks.
Denmark committed to the long term upgrade of its entire rail system to ETCS Level 2 to increase the capacity of its network.

An increase in signalling investment will extend the operation of life in the current infrastructure in the current system by expanding its capabilities to carry more trains and more passengers as well as making the system more reliable and safer.

What passenger wouldn’t pay an extra dollar per ticket for this level of service rather paying higher prices for a patchwork system that is running at ever greater losses.

And there are methods that will free up capital for this investment in signalling to occur. For example, there are a number of innovative track construction and traction methods available that are now not only lowering costs to build but which also have lower maintenance costs in the long term.

Technology also exists to generate power from moving trains by reducing the amount of power required by the traction system, using less energy and lowering operating costs.

Let’s think outside the current methods and introduce new systems and work out how we can deliver an improved system through current and future savings in delivery infrastructure and services. 

That is the innovation we need right now.

*Francis Dwornik is general manager of Pacific Services Group Rail division and a regular contributor to Rail Express.