Digital Track Authorities

4PTW is an electronic Permit-To-Work system for managing authorities to support track maintenance activities. The system includes a mobile application (app) for use by protection officers (PO) and a central server to integrate this into the train control environment. 4PTW addresses the issues and concerns highlighted in the Rail Safety Report 2014-2015 from the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR). This paper acknowledges that “Worksite protection in Australia relies heavily on rules and procedures to protect people undertaking rail safety work. These administrative controls are highly vulnerable to human error and potential consequence of non-compliance can be fatal”. 4PTW improves the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of track maintenance activities through the use of mobile app technology and integrated engineering controls. It provides a complete solution for all maintenance activities in the corridor without reliance on administrative controls, voice communications or hand-written authorities.