GIBB develops first high-speed railway safety standards in SA

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The process of creating the new standards used a systematic approach that achieved maximum results in the minimum time.

The suites of high-speed railway safety standards (HSRSS) were handed over to the Railway Safety Regulator (SRS) Centurion offices in December 2016. GIBB technical executive: Railway Engineering, Dr Willem Sprong, said that whilst a high-speed railway system didn’t yet exist in South Africa, the project was a proactive measure to ensure maximum safety if such a railway system was to be built in the country.

A high-speed railway system involves trains travelling at speeds beyond 250km/h. Currently, the country’s state-of-the-art Gautrain clocks a top speed of only 160km/h.

A unique, systemic approach

The project cost R4,8 million and was completed in 18 months. Sprong said the firm used a unique, systemic approach that saw nine suites being developed.

GIBB developed all nine suites simultaneously while running through the theoretical life cycle of the infrastructure. This meant that the turnaround time of the project was significantly shorter than if the nine suites had been developed individually, which could have taken up to five years. Apart from the development of the suites, management of the project design also took place, with all elements meeting the criteria of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).

“The difference with this approach was that it detailed everything from inception until decommission, which meant looking 30 years ahead,” Sprong said.

“It included all safety issues and within that, the environmental impact, thereby developing a comprehensive risk-management process that can be adhered to throughout the whole life cycle,” he continued.

The nine suites

The nine suites were:

1. General standard – Overview of the suites
   
2. Rolling stock – The wheeled vehicles of a railway, including locomotives, freight
   cars, and passenger cars
   
3. Operations – Train scheduling and train controlling, including routes and
   timetables
   
4. ICT – Communications, technology and computer software
   
5. Human factors – Identifying available skills, skills development and retaining skills
   
6. Stations, reserves and depots – Platforms and interface with passengers
   
7. Electrical systems – Overhead lines that provide power to trains and substations
   
8. Track and civil infrastructure – Railway lines, drainage and the infrastructure
   tracks, signals and bridges
   
9. Train control and authorisation – The signalling system, the physical technology
   used to track and locate the train using lights or GPS

One of the main challenges was getting the railway services to buy into the new approach. “It made sense to us, but we had to get the railway services to buy into the idea and get their feedback on time,” said Sprong.

He said the project involved intense research because it required taking stock of South Africa’s environment, skills and industry.

Sprong said GIBB had proposed to the RSR that the company train their staff, introduce them to the HSRSS and develop a training manual so that they understand how to implement the standards. He hoped that the suites would eventually be adopted the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).