Mr. David Caldwell
Thesis: Improving Performance & Safety of the Sydney Metropolitan Railway with Alternative Signaling
Place of study: University of New South Wales.
The thesis gives details of the existing signaling system provided on the railways of the Sydney Metropolitan system and undertakes a detailed analysis of train service performance as it is influenced by the signaling arrangements. Thereafter, the potential benefits of implementing the introduction of alternative systems, including those forming the European Traffic Management System (ERTMS), were analyzed. The thesis found that many of the benefits ascribed to the ERTMS could be achieved instead with already broadly applied technology and proposed a novel application of conventional coded track-circuit driven signaling. It has been recommended that the proposed system be the subject of a trial on an independent Sydney line.
Mr. Luke Cervoni
Thesis: The Effect of Confining Pressure on the Settlement & Breakage of Railway Ballast.
Place of study: University of Wollongong.
The thesis considers the performance of track ballast particularly with respect to settlement and breakage under the effects of confining pressure through extensive research, testing and experimentation. The work that has been undertaken provides a useful extension to previous research on the subject of ballast performance.
