ARTC Track Awareness Support System (TASS)

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has launched its Australian-designed and -tested rail safety innovation called the Track Awareness Support System (TASS). Comprising a beacon and a tripod, the portable device warns rail safety workers of incoming trains using the ARTC’s 3G national train communications network. It can pinpoint train movements using GPS and Telstra NextG technology, and when locomotives reach a certain distance from track workers, they are alerted via a siren and flashing lights.

The Australian rail network is the sixth largest in the world, with 44,000 km of track and 23,500 level crossings. On this network there are a reported 5000 trespass incidents, 70 level-crossing collisions, around 180 fatalities and thousands of near misses every year; therefore, safety remains one of its highest priorities. Trains can take well over a kilometre to come to a stop, so having an additional layer of safety can ensure track workers are clear of a work site when a train is passing through.

Weighing less than 10 kg, the beacons have been designed to be robust, portable, quick to set up and easy to use. Due to the system’s mobility and the good reach of ARTC’s national train radio network, the system is suitable for deployment in the remote corners of Australia. It has undergone a four-month live field trial at locations across NSW since June, including the North Coast, Hunter Valley and Main Southern Line towards Melbourne.

The TASS system is designed to complement existing rail safety rules and procedures.