Aldridge is well-known for pioneering many local projects – starting with the first LED signals on the Sydney City Circle up to supplying the latest Smart Signals for the North-West and Southern Sydney Metro system – but it’s perhaps lesser known in Australia for its export sales success.
Aldridge has already supplied about 8000 Australian-made signals and components internationally, for projects such as: MNDT Malaysian North Double Track (Ipoh to Padang Besar), which is 329 kilometres of double track; SDT Southern Double Track Malaysia (Gemas to Johor Bahru), which is a further 200 kilometres of double track; Sri Lanka; North Eastern (Metro) Line Singapore; Circle Line Singapore; Thompson Line Singapore; Taichung Green Line Taiwan; High speed rail test track in Singapore; Stage 1 of the Wanda–Zhonghe–Shulin line in Taiwan; double track in Thailand; Purple Line Bangkok; Red Line Bangkok; Jakarta Metro; and not to mention numerous projects in Indonesia, New Zealand and the USA.
And in June 22-24, Aldridge Railway Signals exhibited at the Rail Solutions Asia conference held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This was the first time in two years the exhibition has been held due to COVID, with more than 60 exhibitors present and over 2000 visitors from Malaysia, Singapore, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Japan.
Aldridge keeps on delivering
Being an Australian-owned, indigenous company and certified with Supply Nation, Aldridge has been supplying signals to the Australian market since the early 1990s.
One of its most significant projects occurred in 2019, when Aldridge Railway Signals custom-designed and supplied 153 signals, which included 55 smart-running, 26 smart-shunting and 72 buffer stop signals, for the first stage of the North West section of the new Sydney Metro.
This metro runs trains from Chatswood to Cudgeong, which is the terminating marshalling area that’s 40 kilometres from Chatswood.
The smart running signals are based on a European design which includes a white Points Position Indicator (PPI), indicating directions to proceed left, straight ahead or right, plus a red horizontal bar for Stop.
The smart shunting signals also display the Main Route Indicator (MRI) dual digit number/letter immediately above the PPI, with the upper MRI and lower PPI being totally separate and electrically isolated signals.
The two-digit route number/letter displayed on the upper is a descriptive number which informs the train driver which destination the points arrangement will take him to.
This can be programmed to display any two-digit (alphanumeric) combination and can be programmed from the rail operator’s control centre.
The above arrangement is specific to the Sydney Metro but is also available as other variants for other rail operators, with an example being yellow LEDs instead of white ones.
This year, Aldridge also supplied a further 140 signals for the Sydney Metro South project, which extends the existing North West Metro a further 23 kilometres, from Chatswood to Bankstown.
Innovation continues
In 2019, Aldridge Intelligent Transport Systems unveiled the first fully operational wireless level crossing. Installed at a remote ARTC location in the upper Hunter Valley, it is still operational.
Since then, it has installed another three crossings, two in Central Queensland and another west of Wollongong, NSW, with other orders pending.
The Wireless Level Crossing offers a low cost alternative to conventional crossings because it runs on low voltage, uses solar power with battery back-up and avoids the high costs associated with cable trenching.
Complete signalling solutions
Aldridge Intelligent Transport Systems, which is a technology innovator, and Aldridge Rail Signals, a signal manufacturer, combine with the sister company Aldridge Signal Infrastructure (signals installation) to provide complete signalling solutions.
Between the three companies they employ more than 100 Australians in this high technology sector.
For further information contact David Aldridge on +61 2 9807 7777 or sales@railsignal.com