Earlier this year Agonics completed a rolling stock clearance point study to identify areas on the MTM network that may pose restrictions to the transiting of trains as they enter and depart the mainline corridor.

As is the norm, track circuit equipment and driver advisory signage are maintained at track junctions so that neither the leading or trailing end of a train extends into the swept-path envelope of other services as it enters or leaves a facility such as a stabling yard or train maintenance depot.

As train cabins evolve with subtly changing seating orientations and also as a result of 7-car passenger trains operating on the network (extending the overall length of Melbourne’s traditional 6-car sets), the relationship of stabling trains relative to the mainline corridor needs to be verified as part of an overall network integration study.

The Agonics XERRA LiDAR software was used to assess a number of clearance point locations across the Melbourne electrified network; signals, insulated rail joints and the track alignment were all extracted using XERRA and track separations were validated at user configurable distances from the current fouling point asset.