CASE STUDY: Overcoming the rail safety challenges specific to Rio Tinto’s heavy haul rail operations

RTIO Rail SystemRail Safety Conference, Sydney Australia, March 2012Sid Hay, Manager Rail Development

Contents

2

• Introduction to RTIO Rail System

• Characteristics of RTIO Rail System that create rail safety challenges

• Rate of change

• Long trains

• Heavy trains

• High axle loads

• 24hr x 365 day operation

• Remote location, challenging climate

• Community interfaces

• Future developments that further reduce risk

3

Railway network – one of the largest privately owned railways in Australia

Mine

Deposit

Port

Conveyor

Railway

Proposed Railway

RP113915v 2 April 2006

0

SCALE

MGA94 Zone 50

50 100km

Cape Lambert80 Mt/aDampier

150 Mt/a

Marandoo �

~15 Mt/a

� Paraburdoo

� Eastern RangeChannar �

� Nammuldi~5 Mt/a

West Angelas �

~28.5 Mt/a

Yandicoogina �

~52 Mt/a

Hope Downs 1 �~30 Mt/a

� Mt Tom Price~28 Mt/a

Mesa J �

~7 Mt/a

� Brockman #2~8 Mt/a

ORE-TYPE

� Brockman

� Marra Mamba

� Pisolite

ORE-TYPE

� Brockman

� Marra Mamba

� Pisolite

Dampier

Cape Lambert

ParkerPoint

EastIntercourse

Island

Dampier

Perth

Sydney

A U S T R A L I A

~20 Mt/a

� Brockman #4~22 Mt/a

Mesa A �

up to 25 Mt/a

Robe Valley

Pooled

Fleet

Integral part of the production network

Rail is the key to the logistics chain

• Ore is railed from 10 mine locations to 5

dumpers (3 at Dampier and 2 at Cape

Lambert).

• The current schedule (~230Mt/a.) is

– Pooled Fleet: 19 - 24 trains per day

– Robe Valley: 5 - 7 trains per day

A 353 Mt/a system means;

• Railing from 12 mine locations to 7 dumpers

(3 at Dampier and 4 at Cape Lambert)

• 40 loaded trains per day

• Finish dumping a train every 36 minutes

• Train movement every 20 minutes in dual

track

4

5

Train configuration (pooled fleet)

• Trains consist of 3 locomotives hauling 234 ore cars

• Banker locomotives (2 or 3) used for uphill gradients from some mines

• Average payload of 112 tonnes of ore per car ~ 33 tonne average axle load. Upper control limit is 36 tonne axle load.

• Each train has a gross mass of approx 32,000 tonnes and is 2.25 km long

Tonnes Railed

0

100

200

300

400

1966

1968

1970

1972

1974

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1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

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1990

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1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

Mtp

a

Pooled Fleet Robe Valley PF Plan RV Plan

Separate Hamersley Iron and

Robe River rail systems

RTIO rail

system

Rate of change

Note: Plan from 2013 to 2016 is an approximation.

6

• 30 years of slow growth

• 10 years of relatively rapid growth

– Combination of two rail systems, expansion of track and fleet, more

loadout and dumper interfaces, replacement of old fleet, increased

investment in technology

Ore cars (pooled fleet) – growth in fleet size

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

11000

12000

13000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

• In addition to growth we

have replaced the original

2,464 ore cars

• Planned increase to

~12,000 ore cars by 2015

50 m3

55 m3

� 50 m3 ore car

55 m3 ore car �

(prototype)

7

Locomotives

0

50

100

150

200

250

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

DC Traction

- 72 GE Dash 9's

- balance GE Evolution Series

AC Traction ?

Dash 9 replacements due to start ~2015

• 15 DC Evo’s due 1H 2012

(completes 283 and fuel project)

• Now in negotiation with GE to

develop AC locomotive for 353

project

– testing of impact on signalling

system

– Specification of AC loco for the

Pilbara conditions

• Hybrid not currently viable due to

battery technology

8

Managing rate of change risk

9

• Must have strong change management processes

• Separate but aligned functions and resources for

– Working in the business

– Working on the business

• Capability of leaders

– Managing change

– Understanding of business fundamentals

Long Trains

10

• Empty train derailment risk through buckling of long lightweight empty

trains

– 2.3 km long train, 5000 tonnes mass, brake application takes time to

propagate along the train.

– An event causing emergency air brake application can buckle the

train causing derailment

– Strong or sudden application of locomotive dynamic braking can

cause first ore car behind locomotives to lift and derail

3 ore cars derailed in tangent track

10 ore cars derailed in a curve

First ore car behind locos derailed

Managing empty derailment risk today

11

• Change to ATP software

• Driver training

– Limitation on dynamic braking use on

empty trains

• Limit wheel sizes on first car behind

locomotive

– ‘white triangle cars’

Managing empty derailment risk – Future controls

12

• Electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP)

braking

– Fitout of pooled fleet commenced

• Driver Assist

– ‘Leader’ technology being installed on

locomotives to provide advice to

drivers on optimum throttle and brake

setting to achieve a ‘golden run’.

• AutoHaulTM

– In-train force limits configurable to

include empty train compression limit

Heavy loaded trains

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• 32000 tonnes and 2.3km long with ~ 20 metres of free slack

• Kinetic energy @ 75 km/hr = 7 GJ (~2 tonnes of TNT !)

• Large braking distances, particularly on downhill gradients

�Low tolerance for human error

– Overspeed or exceed LOA through misjudgement of brake

application timing or amount

– Drawgear failures due to misjudgement of driving strategy

• Very high momentum means a single derailed wheelset will not be

noticed by the driver

• A derailment caused by track failure can escalate rapidly

Heavy loaded trains – managing risk

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• Existing Controls

– Automatic Train Protection (ATP) prevents overspeed or LOA breach

in mainline

– Instrumented ore cars provide

feedback on driving strategy

effects on in-train forces

– Wayside dragging equipment

detectors (DED’s). Average

DED spacing ~3km.

• Future controls

– ECP Braking, Driver Assist,

AutoHaul

High axle loads

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• Average axle load = 33 tonnes, Upper control limit = 36 tonnes

• These loads create potential for failures of above and below rail

components:

– Sleepers, rails, rail welds, wheels, bearings, axles

– Currently rail welds and bearings suffer from failures

High axle loads – managing risk

16

• Weigh scales installed at loadouts

– overloaded cars are corrected

before departure.

• Track monitoring through use of

instrumented ore cars

– detect areas of high dynamic

forces

– application of speed restrictions

– correct track geometry.

• Use of wheel impact detectors

High axle loads – managing risk

17

• Hot bearing detectors at an average ~25km

spacing, conservative setpoint

• Acoustic bearing condition monitoring

• Investment in premium track materials

(concrete sleepers, high strength rails,

conservative wear limits)

• Conservative ultrasonic inspection

frequency for defects

• Eliminating lower quality rail welds

– Increased use of mobile flashbutt

welders

24 hour x 365 day operations

18

• Managing the track maintenance - operations interface;

– Working in relatively small maintenance windows

– Some tasks with lookout protection

• Commissioning brownfields track upgrades requires existing cab-code

based signalling (ICSS) to be shutdown

– Use lesser systems (train orders, hirails checking track integrity)

24 hour x 365 day operations – managing risk today

19

• Perth Operations Centre,

centralised 24hr management

of the integrated production

process

• Maximise commissioning train

free windows, better planning

and coordination of events

across the integrated

production process

Whole of System Visibility

Improved access to

information

Collaboration

Operations Support

Asset MgtMining Whole of Business Planning

Logistics

Utilities

Train control & Scheduling

Port Ops & Scheduling

Pit Control & Mine care

Crushers & Plant Control

Mines

Power Stations & Network

Plants Rail Port

s

Quality

Centralised

Control Room

BENEFITS

Integrated Planning

Scheduling

Better, smarter, faster decisions

Operational excellence

OPERATIONS CENTRE

Whole of System Visibility

Improved access to

information

Collaboration

Operations Support

Asset MgtMining Whole of Business Planning

Logistics

Utilities

Train control & Scheduling

Port Ops & Scheduling

Pit Control & Mine care

Crushers & Plant Control

Mines

Power Stations & Network

Plants Rail Port

s

Quality

Centralised

Control Room

BENEFITS

Integrated Planning

Scheduling

Better, smarter, faster decisions

Operational excellence

OPERATIONS CENTRE

24 hour x 365 day operations– future controls

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• Eliminating lookout protection for work

in the danger zone

• SIL rated warning systems for work

near the danger zone

– Trial of SIL3 rated system

• Overlay coloured light signalling system

being developed for commissioning

activities

– Recent comparative analysis

showed OSS system 1.5-1.7 times

safer then paper based train order

working system

Remote locations and challenging climate

21

• Flooding events

• Lightning storms – damage signalling system

� Degraded mode operation

• Managing risk today

– Stream flow detectors

– Lightning protection upgrades

• Potential future move away from track circuit based signalling and asset

protection – reduce field hardware.

Community interfaces

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• Existing controls

– Awareness campaigns

– Design assessments (ALCAM)

– Application of active protection to all

approved public level crossings

• Future controls

– Level crossing upgrades as part of

AutoHaulTM project

At over 2.5km in length and weighing more than

29,000 tonnes, a loaded train takes over 2

kilometers to stop. Please remember, never take

risks at rail crossings and always obey the signs

and signals

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AutoHaulTM

• Scope of current project is pooled fleet ore train operations, the Deepdale line will still run manned trains.

• Train Drivers still required for

• service trains in the mainline, ore trains from Western Creek to Robe Valley (Deepdalemainline)

• AutoHaul trains in a failed state

• operating port yards, driving trains through loadout at non-automated mines.

• New specialist roles will be created, covering geographical sections and requiring driving competence.

• Significant organisational change project, affects every team in the railway directly or indirectly

• Technology components

• Locomotive and Operations Centre systems changes

• Wayside signalling configuration changes and extensions

• Data communications to support autonomous functions

• Level crossing protection upgrades

• AutoHaul TM will be implemented in two stages, with first autonomous trains to be implemented in the latter half of 2014.

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Future developments to further reduce risk

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

Train Orders

Track Circuits

Coloured Light Signals

Integrated Control and Signalling System (ICSS)

Driver Assist, ECP Brakes, AutoHaulTM

, Overlay Signals

GPS Tracking System linked to block protection

Hi-rails, trackside workers

Trains & track machines

Trains

Track

machines

Verbal Authority

2 way GPS system - pseudo ICSS

Le

ve

l o

f E

ng

ine

eri

ng

Co

ntr

ol

Communications based control

SA

FE

TY

Questions ?