Hitachi Rail has expanded its deployment of the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 across South East Queensland (SEQ). The work has extended digital signalling works to the section of the Gold Coast line between Kuraby and Beenleigh stations.
The project is being delivered in partnership with the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads and Queensland Rail as part of the ongoing modernisation of the SEQ rail network. More than 200 kilometres of passenger rail corridors across the region are being upgraded with digital signalling technology.
The Kuraby–Beenleigh section forms part of the Brisbane to Gold Coast rail corridor, which connects communities and businesses across South East Queensland.
Sarfaraz Samnakay, Managing Director of Hitachi Rail Australia and New Zealand, said:Hitachi Rail’s ETCS delivery team in Queensland brings together the industry’s leading experts, combining strong local capabilities with global specialists in digital signalling, telecommunications and train control systems. We are also developing a new Traffic Management System for the entire South East Queensland network and introducing a Possession Management System to enhance track safety and improve network access for maintenance crews. These integrated systems, together with ETCS L2, form part of the backbone of SEQ’s future digital railway.
Hitachi Rail has already completed the installation of ETCS Level 2 on Brisbane’s Shorncliffe line, where the system is currently undergoing testing and Queensland Rail staff are receiving training. The programme is in its final stage before the digital signalling system enters passenger service on that route.
Work is also continuing on other parts of the network, including sections on Brisbane’s southern rail corridor and between Beenleigh and Varsity Lakes.
Alongside the ETCS deployment, Hitachi Rail is developing a Traffic Management System for the South East Queensland rail network and introducing a Possession Management System designed to improve track safety and support maintenance access.
The digital signalling programme is intended to increase network capacity and support more frequent rail services as South East Queensland’s population grows. The upgrades also form part of preparations for increased transport demand ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Hitachi Rail has delivered ETCS projects in multiple international markets, including the UK, Europe, China, India and Australia, over the past two decades.
