4Tel, a family-owned software and solutions company, has been providing an extensive suite of digital solutions for the transport sector since 2000.
The company is focused on improving operation safety and efficiency, and understands the importance of providing fit-for-purpose engineering solutions that meet customer expectations.
4Tel solutions include rail network control systems, onboard computers with automatic train protection (ATP), passenger information displays, customer help points, track access management, and real-time asset tracking across light and heavy rail, bus and ferry transport modes and intermodal depots.
While the company is known for its heavy rail solutions, it has also made strides in the light rail space.
Tony Crosby, the Chief Executive Officer at 4Tel, explained the challenges that face light rail when compared to heavy rail.
“Light rail networks typically employ driving by line of sight and on occasion this can be vulnerable to human error. 4Tel has solutions such as object detection and collision avoidance to improve driver situation awareness,” he said.
“It is about providing a solution that supports the delivery of a safe, efficient and consistent light rail service and provides real-time information to the public to ensure the best passenger experience.”
All 4Tel systems are designed to appropriate safety standards and include rail safety certifications where required.
4LRMS system
The 4LRMS system from 4Tel is an end-to-end, bespoke light rail management system for a modern metropolitan network.
Crosby explained that the system comprises a customisable feature set which can include light rail vehicle tracking, remote points operation, integration with road traffic lights, over-speed warning/protection, CCTV, Help Points and real-time passenger information to passenger information displays at stops, and the government Open Data hub.
“The system is configurable to support different networks in size and complexity and supports both rail vehicle detection and line of sight methods of safe working” he said. “Because all our software is developed by staff locally in Newcastle, and our solution does not rely on extensive use of trackside infrastructure to perform many of the functions of a traditional control system, we have flexibility in tailoring our solution to meet specific customer requirements for both legacy networks and new light rail projects.”
4Tel can also integrate into the solution the ‘HORUS’ Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning system from its subsidiary company, 4AI Systems, to provide hazard detection and collision avoidance capabilities. This capability is now in commercial operation and ready for deployment on many types of rail vehicles.
4Tel’s unique ability is to create solution-specific software and integrate this into existing environments. Its interoperable systems approach enables connection to other public transport networks beyond light rail, including multi-mode passenger information displays.
All 4Tel deployed solutions are provided with an option for ongoing service and maintenance support after commissioning, ensuring the operator has optimal usage of its system. The company also has significant experience in developing products to meet formal safety integrity guidelines such as Safety Integrity Level (SIL) in accordance with IEC 61508 standard; ‘Functional Safety of Electronic Safety-Related Systems’.
Newcastle light rail
4Tel was contracted to provide the Newcastle Light Rail project with a turnkey, fit-for-purpose communications, signalling and control solution to support the integrated operation of the network with other transport modes and the Newcastle Interchange.
“We were thrilled to take part in what we saw as a pivotal, innovative project for our home town, and were delighted that as a local technology company, we were able to deliver a world-class solution to this first-of-its-kind catenary-free light rail system in Australia,” Crosby said.
The light rail project was in part designed to promote economic growth in the city by removing the secure rail corridor that limited pedestrian access between the Newcastle CBD and the harbour and extending public transport to Newcastle Beach. Construction commenced in September 2017, with the network opening for passenger journeys in February 2019.
“We believe the system has been very well received,” Crosby said.
The 4Tel solution was required to address some unique design challenges set out by Transport for NSW, including:
- Integration with the road traffic management system to provide priority of way for light rail vehicles.
- Integration with the electrical Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to facilitate efficient charging of the light rail vehicles and remote control of stop lighting.
- Minimising wayside infrastructure to simplify operations and maintenance of the network.
Several 4Tel products were selected to provide the turnkey solution, including:
- 4Site – A remote infrastructure monitoring system to allow staff and network personnel to remotely diagnose hardware faults and trends for maintenance action.
- 4Trip – A timetable management system for the development and management of service run-times and day-of-operation data, including special and holiday events.
- 4Trak – A real-time tracking system for monitoring each LRV’s real-time location, generate data logs for improved decision-making, and improved moving asset awareness for light rail personnel.
- 4PIDS – Passenger information system that compares GPS and track-circuit data of each LRV to provide consistent up-to date information feeds to passengers waiting at each station.
- Light rail vehicle service information is delivered through digital information displays, automated public address announcements and customer help points.
All of these products can be accessed through a web browser interface to allow for flexibility in remote operations. The culmination of 4Tel’s work on the Newcastle Light Rail project was 4LRMS – a turnkey light rail management system.
These solutions were completed alongside vital communication systems, which included Operations Control Centre (OCC) communications equipment, public address, radio, opal ticketing and master clock systems, Process Identifier (PID) network, security and telephone network, SCADA, lighting control and fire systems.
The light rail network opened for passenger journeys on 18 February 2019 and more than 100,000 trips were taken within the first month of operation.
Crosby explained that the benefit of the 4LRMS system is that it can evolve to suit current needs.
“What was acceptable 10 years ago no longer meets customer expectations and our solution continues to evolve.”
As a company with strong experience around Artificial Intelligence (AI) software, Crosby and the team at 4Tel see the use of this technology as something that will grow in the light rail space.
“There is growing interest in light rail around the world to install AI on the front of light rail vehicles for obstacle detection and collision avoidance capabilities,” he said.
“It would not surprise me to see AI applied to light rail vehicles in Australia in the near future.”
