$10.6m State Rail contract awarded

THE State Government has signed a $10.6 million contract for new train control and customer information systems with Queensland-based Union Switch and Signal Pty Ltd.

The company has a workshop at Canning Vale, where 90 per cent of the work will be done.

The contract includes a new customer information system that ‘sees’ the location of all trains and continuously updates arrival and departure information at stations, including audio loops for hearing-impaired customers.

At the centre of the new system is a bank of eight, 1.2m-square video screens on which the rail system will be depicted in diagrammatic form.

Up to four train controllers will monitor the display and control the network 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

As well as showing the position and status of all trains, signals, points and boom gates, the display can take a feed from video cameras at every station.

This will help the controllers determine whether extra trains are needed to clear special-event crowds.