Mark Foster shares why Amokabel’s locally manufactured axle counter cables are the smarter choice for Australia’s railways.
To safely run a railway, operators need to know exactly where their trains are at all times.
Traditionally, this has been done using track circuits – an electrical system that detects the location of a train via the wheel/rail interface.
“Each section of a railway is part of an electric circuit, with a current running from one rail to the other through a relay,” explained Mark Foster, General Manager and Sales Director at Amokabel Australia, a leading manufacturer of cable solutions.
“When a train runs through a section of track, axles cause the current to short, bypassing the relay. That tells the signalling system that there is a train there.”
Although track circuits have been used for more than 100 years, they have their downsides.
They require quite a lot of maintenance to operate correctly and are susceptible to environmental and electrical interference.
This can lead to false signals and the requirement for frequent track inspections, resulting in delays on the network.
“Track maintenance vehicles, for instance, are often lightweight compared to trains,” Foster added.
“When there are leaves, dirt, rust, ice or other debris on the rails, a lightweight vehicle or carriage won’t necessarily short out the circuit.
“So you could have trains or track maintenance vehicles sliding through sections undetected, which is dangerous.”
Axle counters, which count the wheels when a train enters a section and again when the train leaves the section, are an increasingly popular alternative to track circuits.
Unlike track circuits, axle counters remain reliable in challenging environmental conditions and have lower maintenance costs. Each one can also monitor long sections of track.
“They are the train detection method of choice for the future,” Foster added.
Amokabel’s custom and standard axle counter cables are 100 per cent locally manufactured at its facility in West Sydney.
“Axle counters are cabled back from the tracks to what we call ‘pothead terminals’ – a type of electrical termination box used for transitioning between rail and track circuit evaluators. The cables then connect to an electronic control box, located every two or three kilometres along the tracks.
“They then go back to the signalling system, so the controllers know if a wagon drops off the back end, if the train has decoupled or anything like that.”
Amokabel’s cables are fully compliant with Australian Standards and have fast turnaround times.
“European cables could have a 52-day shipping time for delivery,” said Foster.
“That causes delays, which is a problem when you’re working on projects with short lead times. We can have a large order ready in two to three weeks. Low minimum order quantities are also available as an option for customers, so we can match the needs of the market.”
Amokabel can also customise cables in a range of different ways, from mechanical protection to termite and rodent-proofing.
The company can armour cables to protect them from damage from external forces, with steel braids that add strength.
The cables are also weather-resistant, with a protective sheath made from polyurethane or PVC for example.
“We make cables for vehicles that a company in Melbourne supplies for use in the Antarctic,” Foster shared. “We’ve had no problems with them, even in sub-zero temperatures.
“Our cables can also be manufactured as low-smoke, halogen-free variants, which is called for in a lot of projects.
“It means that if the cables burn or catch on fire, they are not toxic.”
Amokabel can produce outer sheaths in the customer’s colour of choice, with custom text that could include a business name, part number, or contact details.
In addition, the manufacturer has been exploring some innovative improvements to its PVC and other sheathing material mixes that would allow it to cut down on its use of fossil fuels.
“For the plastics for the cables, you have to use a lot of oil,” said Foster.
“To avoid this, other manufacturers have explored alternatives such as biofuel insulations – but found mice were eating the cables because the biofuel was corn-based.
“What we can do in our mix for the PVC is include an additive that keeps away rodents and insects. We’re in the process of getting this approved.
“That would enable us to stop using a nylon jacket as an extra protective sheath, so we would only need one protective jacket instead of two.”
In 2027, Amokabel is planning to move to a much larger facility in Western Sydney.
“This would bring our factory from 2000 square metres to 6000 square metres, with more space for new, more efficient manufacturing machines,” said Foster.
“Watch this space.”
