Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), has selected GE Transportation’s Movement Planner solution as the key technology enabler for its Hunter Valley-focused network control optimisation program. ARTC’s Newcastle-based network control is the nerve centre of Hunter Valley rail operations, supporting the annual movement of more than 24,000 tonnes of freight per hour, and tens of thousands of coal, freight, grain and passenger trains each year.
ARTC plans to transform its train control function by integrating and then building on Movement Planner, an advanced software solution by GE Transportation that provides real-time rail traffic planning and optimisation to enable freight to move more efficiently.
The Movement Planner solution considers multiple factors including train schedules, traffic-control systems and train movements relative to each other and then develops an optimised traffic plan for the trains throughout the network. Existing GE customers have benefited from increased visibility of network operations, higher velocity, less dwell times, and improved on-time performance across their networks.
ARTC’s ANCO program aims to use real-time network and train data to enable faster, more informed decisions to better manage train flow and all other activities on track while reducing complexity and coordination across its network.
The ‘Network Viewer’ and ‘Network Optimiser’ modules of Movement Planner are to be implemented progressively for the Hunter Valley network throughout 2018 and 2019.
“As bulk freight demands grow, rail operators like ARTC and supply chains like the Hunter Valley coal network need to be creative in the way they respond so the Australian economy doesn’t miss out. That’s why we have conducted a world-wide search to find globally proven solutions that will improve our network productivity and efficiency,” ARTC Managing Director and CEO John Fullerton said.
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