Geomatic Technologies completes RailCorp Track Access Project

NSW, Australia 2006– Geomatic Technologies (GT), has successfully completed, on behalf of RailCorp the Track Access Project.

Project Brief - In 2005 RailCorp NSW determined that improved corridor access information was required for the satisfactory management of incidents that occurred within the rail corridor. The instructions and data available to RailCorp staff and emergency services resources during their response to rail incidents and emergencies needed to be improved and (GT) was awarded a contract to map all access tracks adjacent to the RailCorp track network. The most logical entrance and exit points to the rail easement from the public road network were also surveyed together with access gate, security and road surface condition features. GT successfully completed a pilot project that was subsequently extended to include the remaining rail network extending from Newcastle through to the southern highlands.

Project Solution - A single 4-WD mapping vehicle was configured with the GT AIMS hardware (computers, differential GPS, OH&S fit-out) and software. RailCorp supplied GT with an extract from their Smallworld GIS that contained the track centreline and rail property easement together with the Sydney road network. The RailCorp mapping specification included detailed definitions of track tee-off’s and practical terminations, track restrictions such as cattle grids, gate types, gate width measurements as well as track width and track condition rules that were imparted to the GT project team over a 2-day training and observation period.

Access tracks were coordinated using differential GPS as the mapping vehicle transited their length after leaving the public road network. Each track was represented by a series of nodes supplied at a 5m interval with relevant features snapped to the track polyline such that track topology and relationship to the public road network was maintained (essentially the data supplied by GT could be used in routable navigation dataset). Both sides of the rail corridor were required to be visited and occupation-style level crossings were included in the scope of work and digital photos were taken of track features that did not conform to the standard RailCorp mapping specification.

Due to the hazardous work site environment all GT staff were required to complete rail standards level 1 track awareness training and the project was completed without incident. All data was supplied in Map Info format for QA by RailCorp and subsequent loading into their enterprise GIS system. A copy of the data was also supplied to the NSW Emergency Services Bureau.

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