- Public Transport Operations Control Centre ready for operations
- New centre will be responsible for managing train network operations
- Rail network has expanded significantly through METRONET in recent years
- State Government also delivering high-capacity signalling project across network
Management of the passenger rail network will soon reach new heights, with the Public Transport Authority's state-of-the-art network control centre now ready for operations.
The network control centre is housed in the new purpose-built Public Transport Operations Control Centre (PTOCC) building in East Perth.
The building will also be home to a new central monitoring room which connects to the thousands of CCTV cameras across the network.
The new control centre, which covers roughly 1000 square metres, will be responsible for round-the-clock monitoring of Perth's rail network, which includes around 500km of rail, 87 stations and almost 10,000 weekly services.
The main feature of the new network control centre is a 100 square metre mega screen, which maps the entire rail network and provides real time information on every train in service.
The mapping of the network and trains is made possible by thousands of data points constantly feeding information into a bank of servers within the PTOCC building.
The expanded operations centre has been delivered to support Perth's expanding METRONET rail network, with around 72 km of new rail and 23 new stations being delivered in recent years.
The opening of the centre comes as the State Government continues to deliver its 10-year High Capacity Signalling Project, which will modernise trains control systems.
High capacity signalling, which is utilised on major train networks around the world, will add around 40 per cent capacity to Perth's rail network and allow for more frequent services on the network.
Works to deliver the high-capacity signalling systems will include:
- upgrading signalling along the total length of theTransperth train network (500 kilometres);
- installing more than 7,000 transponders enabling precise train location;
- introducing new in-cab signalling equipment for 125 trains including the Prospector and Australind regional trains; and
- improving passenger information on more than 600 displays on 89 stations across the network.
Both the PTOCC building and the High Capacity Signalling Project are being funded by the State and Federal Governments.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"This is an incredible new facility that will serve as the nerve centre of our train network for many decades to come.
"When you step foot in this control centre you appreciate how complex our train network really is, and the hard work that goes in behind the scenes to keep it running smoothly every day.
"The staff operating this centre can see exactly where every train is at any given moment, helping them to quickly respond when issues arise.
"This new control centre, along with high capacity signalling, represent the future of our rail operations in Western Australia, and will deliver more frequent, reliable and efficient services."
