Track


GPS tracking comes to the aid of track workers


A new system which uses the GPS tracking devices installed on KiwiRail’s locomotive fleet is set to improve safety for New Zealand’s track workers, as KiwiRail’s project manager, Jonathan Wynands explains.


KiwiRail, New Zealand’s state-owned railway. With an annual asset renewal budget of $NZ 300m ($US 246.6m) and $NZ 1.5bn investment in upgrading the urban rail networks in Auckland and Wellington during the last five years, there is a growing potential conflict between an increase in workload and worker safety. Typically, workers are protected by the application of different types of worksite safety rules and procedures


T IRJ December 2012


RACK worker protection during construction works has always been a safety priority for


which offer differing levels of protection. The lowest level for workers on live track is working under the supervision of safety observers to warn of approaching trains. More extreme forms allow for the complete closure of lines to enable work to take place unhindered.


For a number of years KiwiRail has investigated improvements to one of its intermediate levels of protection. This form allows staff to work on live track through the use of so-called compulsory stop protection (CSP). Current CSP procedure requires that a


series of caution, whistle, and stop boards are erected starting at a point 2km from the worksite. The driver of an approaching train must bring it to a halt at the compulsory stop board and radio ahead to the worksite to get authority to pass beyond the stop board and into the worksite. Previous investigations into safety


improvements for CSP have focused on off-the-shelf products which operate as an electronic overlay to improve worksite awareness of approaching trains. This is typically achieved through the use of a locomotive


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