Freight Rail, Signalling & Communications, Sustainability, Track & Civil Construction

Solar power for Inland Rail signalling

Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has turned to environmentally friendly solar power to provide electricity to its new Inland Rail signalling system at Coolleearlee, NSW, the first time Inland Rail has used a solar solution on the network.

This will eliminate the need for a 2.2km trench through local properties to install and deliver mains power services to the new signalling site that will operate on the Narromine to North Star section of the Inland Rail network.

Using solar power rather than mains power for the signalling system will deliver an environmentally friendly and sustainable solution to powering the 24-hour signalling system.

ARTC estimates that using the solar-powered signalling system will save nearly 7 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually and more than $10,000 per year in operational electricity cost savings.

Using solar power also saved ARTC around $300,000 in costs, mostly savings from not building new trenching to connect to the electricity network, as well as associated hardware costs.

In addition, using solar power on the signalling system also reduces Inland Rail’s ongoing maintenance costs as the solar system allows our engineers to remotely monitor system performance and efficiency without visiting the site.

The solar system is fitted with battery back-up that provides for 10 days of back-up operation.

The signalling system at Coolleearlee, around 50km from Moree, will be used to support the crossing-loop that will operate in the area, allowing trains going in opposing directions to pass each other, allowing a more efficient rail service.