Perth’s new nerve centre for rail operations opens
The WA Public Transport Authority’s (PTA) state-of-the-art Public Transport Operations Control Centre (PTOCC) in East Perth is officially ready for operations.
The opening of the new facility is seen as a major milestone in the transformation of Western Australia’s rail infrastructure.
Designed to support the growth of Perth’s METRONET network, the PTOCC will serve as the central hub for monitoring and managing the city’s expanding passenger rail system, which now stretches across approximately 500 kilometres, with 87 stations and close to 10,000 weekly services.
The purpose-built PTOCC houses a 1000-square-metre control centre equipped with a 100-square-metre mega screen displaying real-time data for every train in the network. This is made possible through the integration of thousands of data points, feeding live updates into a in-house server system.
A key feature of the facility is a new central monitoring room, directly connected to the extensive CCTV system covering the network. The 24/7 operations centre enables rapid response capabilities and enhanced situational awareness, designed to improve reliability and efficiency across the system.
“This is an incredible new facility that will serve as the nerve centre of our train network for many decades to come,” said WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti.
“The staff operating this centre can see exactly where every train is at any given moment, helping them to quickly respond when issues arise.”
The PTOCC’s launch coincides with the ongoing rollout of the State Government’s 10-year High Capacity Signalling (HCS) Project.
Once complete, HCS is expected to increase rail capacity by up to 40 per cent and enable more frequent services by replacing the legacy signalling system with modern, in-cab digital technology.
The HCS works include network-wide signalling upgrades, the installation of over 7,000 transponders, new in-cab signalling for 125 trains – including regional services such as the Prospector and Australind – and enhancements to more than 600 passenger information displays across 89 stations.
Both the PTOCC and the HCS project are jointly funded by the State and Federal Governments.
