Recently I went to Scotland and visited the Isle of Bute. We took a short ferry trip from Wemyss Bay, which had a small railway station. I was very surprised that for a small town, it had quite a big terminal station. One can take a train from Glasgow, step off the platform at Wemyss Bay railway station, and walk…
Yesterday I complained to my wife that I don’t really like signalling railway, not the way some of my colleagues or the people I meet in the industry. I then went on that I don’t really adore engineering, either mechanical engineering such as automotive, where some people know the horsepower of the new concept car…
The results for the exams I took last year has been announced. Good news and bad news: I took two papers which are IRSE exam module C and D. For module C was a surprisingly positive result while module D was a near miss (aka I failed but not too bad). There’s even feedback on…
I read recently there was an agreement to build an LRT line in Johor, the southern most state in Malaysia which neighbours Singapore. This is in conjunction of the MRT/LRT link over the straits between Malaysia and Singapore, allowing people to commute using rail between countries, helping alleviate the dire traffic on the bridges connecting…
I went to an IRSE conference today and it made me think that there’s a few improvements that is in dire needs in Malaysia. Funny how talking about such a technical subject as ETCS makes you think about the basic things. I guess technology is always about a purpose or serving needs at the end…
I was almost finished with my working hours when I started watching the video below. I was working from home and my wife asked whether the video counts as working hours. https://youtu.be/CsGELduKK1U?si=WwZ90dEc6Mi4H3-Z Well I was almost finished but the video is surprisingly quite related to work. I have a vague idea about toy or model…
In the railway and signalling standard from CENELEC, i.e. the EN 50126 or 50129, it is mentioned that one of the strategy (if I am not mistaken) for designing a safe system is through the use of Defence in Depth. My understanding of this is that the there are various ways a function can be…
Someone asked recently on Linkedin, why aren’t railways using GPS for their train positioning. Here’s my answer below: 1. GPS is limited by infrastructure and obstruction2. GPS has lower accuracy, say for example, a norming point/balise. Quick google and saw it says around 1 – 5 meter accuracy. Based on this two points, it’s not…
Occasionally I read forums/facebook groups on transportation(s) in Malaysia. I’ve noticed that the questions most often would be along the line, “Why aren’t we having this ______ in Malaysia, it’s super advanced technology!” I would sometime reply and mention the restrictions and constraints related to the technology proposed. Sometimes people would reply, still pushing and…
In railway signalling, one of the most problematic or challenging part is, subjectively, the level crossings. It is the part where the road meets the rail, where normal railway operation which is rigid and structured, meets the road operation that in some ways, very loose and has many variables. It’s an interface and interface always…
