New technology is keeping trains moving in Melbourne with state-of-the-art motion sensors on rail bridge beams and CCTV cameras.
Some of Metro’s 180 rail bridges over roads are struck on average almost every week, so the new technology was installed at three bridge strike hotspots – including Racecourse Road in Newmarket, Huntingdale Road in Jordanville and Warrigal Road in Holmesglen.
When an overheight vehicle touches one of the bridges, the motion sensors and CCTV cameras are triggered, alerting Metro’s Security Operations Centre and Infrastructure Department of the incident and time of impact and sending images from the scene.
This allows Metro’s Infrastructure team to immediately review the incident, including the type of vehicle that has hit the bridge, and decide whether trains need to be slowed or stopped until an on-site assessment of the damage can be undertaken.
Previously, the notification of bridge strikes was solely reliant on an incident report being filed by the person who caused the incident, a member of the public, emergency services, or a Metro team member.
Bridge Inspector Liam Fetherston said that travelling to a site for a bridge inspection, assessment and clearance would normally take up to an hour, but this can now be done in 10 to 15 minutes.
“This technology has saved hours of time and less disruption for thousands of our passengers,” he said.
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