AUSTRALIA: Solar powered signalling has been installed on a passing loop at Coolleearlee in New South Wales on the Narromine to North Star section of the Inland Rail project.
A battery back-up can provide for 10 days of operation.
Australian Rail Track Corp said solar power is an environmentally friendly option, and eliminated the need to dig a 2·2 km trench to provide mains power to the site. Remote monitoring enables performance to be tracked without visiting the location.
‘Delivering power to rural signalling systems can be a real challenge, so the successful completion of this solar powered system in Coolleearlee is a great outcome’, said Peter Borrelli, Project Director for Narromine to North Star at Inland Rail.
‘We always seek to minimise disruption to local communities so using solar rather than mains power with all the construction work that would involve is a great result for the local community too.’
