NSW Rail Operation Centre begins operations

Australia’s first purpose-built rail operations centre at Green Square is on track to be fully operational by the end of the year, according to the NSW Government.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance opened the Rail Operation Centre (ROC) on Monday, 29 November, as the first of 720 staff began moving in.

“The control centre will bring together all the critical operations teams under one roof,” Constance said. “This will improve coordination, lead to quicker response times to critical issues on the train network and help us better recover and keep trains moving for our customers.

“We will be able to provide customers with almost real-time information and keep them updated throughout.

At almost 33 metres long and four metres high, the ROC’s main digital display screen is the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere and is larger than the screen at NASA’s mission control centre in Houston.

The screen enables controllers to monitor the network and pull up CCTV and multichannel live streamed images to better understand incidents.

“The control centre will be able to track every train moving on the network,” Constance said.

The opening of the ROC comes in the wake of recent reports of cost blow-outs and concomitant reductions in capabilities.

There is also concern about Sydney Trains’ preparedness for emergency situations, according to documents obtained by Fairfax under freedom of information laws.

Image courtesy Sydney Trains.

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