Event Details

You are invited to join us at our sixth Presidential programme lecture which investigates our President George Clark's theme of "delivering change".

Steve Allday of Sydney Metro will discuss the Sydney Metro City & Soutwest (SMC&SW) upgrade, which is an augmentation to the existing recently opened Sydney Metro Northwest. The SMC&SE consists of both "greenfield" and "brownfield" elements; The City Section is effectively a tunnel running beneath Sydney Harbour and Sydney CBD for approximately half its alignment (circa 17km).  The Southwest Section is a conversion of an existing "at grade" metropolitan rail network.

This paper will concentrate on the Southwest Section and seeks to set out the challenges that are being faced to convert an existing GoA1 railway to a GoA4 system, a conversion which Sydney Metro believe has never been attempted previously and will seek to set the scene for other future conversions around the world.  The additional challenges faced by the team are a result of the requirements to minimise impact at the heritage listed stations whilst ensuring that these stations are fully accessible for all passengers.

The Southwest corridor consists of:

• heritage listed stations which restrict construction activities;
• stations with curved platforms which are challenging the Disability Act requirements for gaps between platform edge and train door access, resulting in the development of an integrated Platform Screen Door, Mechanical Gap Filler and Obstacle Detection System being integrated with the CBTC signalling system;
• a section of four track operation (approximately 8 km) which will see a GoA4 railway run in parallel, which no grade separation with a GoA1 freight network operated by ARTC;
• an infrastructure consisting of track, OHW, retaining walls, cuttings and embankments, significant parts of which are not being renewed;
• the requirement to retain Sydney Trains GoA1 operations whilst overlaying the Sydney Metro G0A4 necessary infrastructure;
• a period of dynamic testing of Sydney Metro whilst still under Sydney Trains operation (this includes the Sydney Trains traction system prior to final conversion);
• a requirement to transition from the Sydney Metro City Section (which will be in operation) to the Southwest Section (still under Sydney Trains operation) under separate traction power arrangements;
• the requirement to “segregate” the two rail networks of Sydney Trains and Sydney Metro at Bankstown Station in the final conversion and at Sydenham prior to the final conversion; and
• the requirements of providing a GoA4 compliant corridor in respect to access control and intrusion detection, noting the constraints set out above.

All presidential programme lectures will be livestreamed and recorded if you are unable to join us in person, or are unavailable on the day. Details will be published on these pages.

Members and non-members are welcome to attend.