Adelaide's Light Rail Transit System Essay.

Overview of Adelaide's light rail transit system

Question:

Discuss About The Premiums Respect To Rail Transit Stations?

The light rail project of Adelaide is a public transport system for the capital city of South Australia. From the year 2003, the public transport of Adelaide is shifted focused on the light rail transit technology. It becomes a substantial upgradation as well as expansion programs. The scope of this project is to establish a head electric wires, track the installation route of the light rail and draw a blueprint of the light rail transit (LRT) systems. The main aim of construction of light rail is to reduce the traffic into the road, reduction of contamination within the city and use of advanced technology for development of Adelaide city. The track of the light rail network is extended on from the Adelaide through Bridgewater towards Mount Barker. There is an upgradation of existing tramline infrastructure as well as its services. The entire project is installed of tramline overhead of wiring as well as safety works.

The report analyzes the light rail project of Adelaide by conducting preliminary design of the system with help of smart technology. It is the first phase of the designing process that is used to investigate the layout of existing areas of the light rail network. In this particular assignment task, the entire system configuration of light rail network is defined with its layouts of the project which provides with early configurations of this project. This particular report is helpful to investigate on the system design of the light rail as a public transport medium. Detailed design and development are also summarized to make a proper understanding of the network to support implications of design concepts. The report also highlights on the system test, validation, evaluation and optimization of the light rail network so that it provides a effective public transport to the population of Adelaide.

Adelaide’s light rail extension from Adelaide through Bridgewater towards Mount Barker is considered as essential vision of the Australian government to integrate of light rail services into the wider metropolitan public transport network. The project claims to connect South Australia with an opportunity to expand their network towards other key destinations of South Australia (Bonotti et al. 2015). The project is aimed to increase use of public transport by adding of convenience as well as attractiveness of the LRT system among the public of Adelaide. Preliminary construction of the project is started with upgradation of the light rail track. Funding of around $115 million is allocated towards upgrade of the rail tracks into the urban area of Adelaide. It provides foundation of the integrated public transport network in order to meet the strategic plan of South Australia (Bhattacharjee and Goetz 2017). The preliminary design of the network consists of installation of concrete sleepers, formation of repairs, upgradation of level crossing as well as other lightning works on the Bridgewater rail line. For planning of the infrastructure of LRT system, diverse modes are used to lessen blunders. ISO norms are needed to keep usage of the overhead lines as well as electrical equipments used to construct the light rail network.

Preliminary design of the light rail network

The vehicles for the light rail  are formed of multi section articulated in order to minimize the swept path. The low floor is of 350mm at the doors. The vehicles are of length of 30 or 40 meters. The width is of 265 meters. The alignment width is of 7 meters along with its widening throughout the curves. The medium radius of the curve is 25 meters with maximum gradient is of 8 percent (Pan 2013). Apart from this, segregation is targeted at 100 percent with reserved space in the road. There is reallocation of the space for the road for exclusive use of LRT system with proper road levels to meet with local requirements of length of the network routes. The project provides 100 percent priority to the signaled intersections by designing proper way finding signals at the intersections for doing proper rail construction (Ruming, Mee and McGuirk 20160. Automatic vehicle location system is also designed to provide priority to signaled intersections which help to reduce time of the entire journey as well as superior journey time dependability.

The height of the platform is 350mm above the rail with end ramps at 5 percent gradient. The platforms are step free access with fully integrated pedestrian areas wherever it is possible. The length of the platform is such that a longest vehicle can stop. The width of the platform is considered as well as designed as 3 meters (side platform) continued by 4 meters (island platform). The stops of the vehicles are integrated with the existing pedestrian crosswalks at the intersections. Again, the stop infrastructure is provided an image of the LRT system with stop elements consists of seating, ticketing, and help points, announcements for the passengers, CCTV, branding, real time and passenger information and shelters (Stow et al. 2017).

The light rail network of Adelaide consists of the following designing equipments to construct an effective and sustainable LRT system for the population of South Australia. The design of the overhead lines, traction power substations, platforms and way finding signage are based on stop type, location and surrounding of the light rail network as well as functions (Kim and Lahr 2014). Detailed design of the light rail network of Adelaide is summarized as follows:

Overhead lines: LRT system of Adelaide needs electric power supply with the vehicles is powered via the overhead lines. The overhead lines which provide of electric power to the vehicles of light rail are considered as an integral alignment route. LRT system is much lighter and it consists of elegant design which would minimize the impacts of the post, contract wire as well as electrical feeding (Dziauddin, Powe and Alvanides 2015). In South Australia, the heights of the wire is approximately 4.2 meters which is above the rail level used for the LRT system into the streets. Lower height of wire is considered where the routes are segregated from the vehicles. Overhead lines are located at side of the alignment of LRT or it will locate between two tracks (Nelson et al. 2015). Street lights as well as other electrical equipments are designed in such a way that it can be maintained safety without hampering the LRT system. A light grey color or any metallic would reflect the finish of the overhead poles.

Design and construction of infrastructure

Traction power substations (TPSS): LRT system consists of TPSS at the intervals along with the route towards step down the higher voltage of AC supply to 750V of DC which is to be fed on the overhead line. Exterior design of the substations is made based on the surroundings (Brown et al. 2015). The location is followed to access maintenance and proper fire services access. Signal controlling equipments are also integrated with the traffic signal controlling as well as design of the cabinets is also followed the practice of city of Adelaide.

Design of platforms: The position as well as height of the platform is provided with step free and in addition to gap free boarding among the edge of the platform along with the vehicle door threshold (Ransom and Kelemen 2016). For the LRT system, the horizontal clearance is to be specified as 40mm in order to permit tolerances into the construction of track as well as platforms (Currie and Delbosc 2013). The design of the platform should be such that the door threshold is at a level with edge of platform when the body is at lower  position of vehicle suspension with slight stepping up in the vehicle when there is higher vehicle suspension.

Way finding signage: It is employed to as well as from the stop in order to provide with easy navigation of the light rail route on the track. It will reduce the occurrence of any types of accidents on the road (Allan, Nawaz and Fielke 2015). The stops of the vehicles are accessible from side of the streets with crosswalks of the adjacent roadways which is provided at connection ending of the platform.

System test: Testing of the light rail is conducted during the construction stage after completion of detailed design. Inspection testing is conducted to test the equipments during the construction of light rail network. It ensures that all the design components are supplied as per the project requirements (Baumgarten et al. 2014). It also confirms that all the components are meeting with design specifications. Routine test is done to do visual inspection, check for track dimension, electricity check, calibration and mechanical test. It will test the mechanical strength, reliability and electrical characteristics. Site acceptance test is also conducted on installed equipments. Performance test is also performed on the system to see if the system is performed properly or not (Mulley et al. 2016). It also involved investigating the performance of functions on the equipments as well as system with involvement of system operator.

System test, evaluation, validation and optimization

Evaluation: The system evaluation of light rail network is based on the requirements of vehicle supplier. The project management team ensures the sustainability of the project work based on evaluation of project funding. A calculation is done on impact of light rail on the environment, which helps to predict if the network is sustainable for the public or not (Liu, Fagnant and Zhang 2016). It is evaluated that due to implementation of light rail network, it will reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases from the public transport. There is reduction of energy consumption. The emissions of gases are reduced by 8 percent in the year 2025 as well as approximately 15 percent by the year 2035.

Validation: CAD is used to form of the 3D display of the light rail network. Therefore, proper validation is required for CAD and simulation software such as NETSIM for the purpose to model LRT system. The models are validated to produce accurate estimation of the stopped delay as well as percentage stop at individual intersections into the network. The models are proper and accurate estimation of the network travel times (Kim and Lahr 2014). The models are performed to stimulate the controlled impacts as well as behavior of the LRT system into modeled systems.

Optimization: It is required to optimize the locations of the stations as well as alignment of track for the rail transit line. There is development of special algorithms which allow optimization of alignment in order to take advantage of the links into existing network for the reduction of construction cost and in addition to account for the disturbances of the traffic on the roadway (Pan 2013). The transit planner should produce an optimized alternative for the design of the station location and alignment of track. The models used are optimized the vertical alignment as well as speed and also coasting distances.

Conclusion

It is concluded that the light rail network for population of South Australia will help to reduce congestion at the road and reduces the traffic into city of Adelaide. Development of the light rail framework with use of advanced technology helps to mitigate the problems and issues related to traffic. The light rail network also reduces the journey time of the public. The preliminary design of the network consists of design of tracks, signals as well as platforms. Before implementation of this project, design is prepared which is investigated by the Australian government. The benefits behind implementation of light rail network are lessening of traffic and congestions, decrease of pollution and development of smarter city. The layout of the track is proper which is beneficial for efficient development of the sustainable light rail system. Light rail’s speed is increased based on controlling of the signal and maintenance of the rail track. It will reduce the occurrence of accidents on the road and makes a proper LRT system for the public of Adelaide city. Height, width, length of the platforms, positioning of the signals side the track and at the interactions is also required for an efficient LRT framework.

Benefits of the Adelaide's LRT system

References

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