Scheduled Digital / Online Course
28 September - 23 October 2026
4 Modules Over 4 Weeks
Interoperability Masterclass
Gain the frameworks, technology comparisons and operational strategies to ensure seamless interoperability across modern digital railway signalling networks.
Course Overview
Digital signalling transforms railway performance — but when different systems, suppliers, or standards must work together, the results are rarely seamless.
The consequences range from procurement headaches to stranded assets to projects that deliver far less than promised. This course cuts through the complexity. Using real-world examples and the internationally relevant Australian context, it explains what interoperability actually means in digital signalling, why it is so difficult to achieve, and what strategies genuinely work. Applicable to CBTC, ETCS, and mixed-technology environments.
Who Should Participate
Essential for anyone involved in procuring, specifying, or managing digital signalling systems where more than one technology, supplier, or standard is in play — which is most real-world projects. Equally valuable as a stand-alonecourse or as a complement to the CBTC Masterclass or ETCS Masterclass.
No prior signalling knowledge is required.
Key Benefits
- A clear framework for understanding the digital signalling landscape —technologies, products, and where they compete or connect
- What interoperability actually means in this context — and the multiple dimensions it spans
- Why interoperability between CBTC products is difficult, and the approaches that work
- Why ETCS interoperability does not happen by default, and how to design for it
- How to manage interoperability across different digital signalling technologies
- The ‘digital break of gauge’ problem — its causes, its costs, and how to avoid it
- Australia as a case study: the interoperability challenges facing a national ETCS rollout
- Practical strategies for procurement, specification, and contract design that protect interoperability
- The interoperability outlook — where the industry is heading and what it means for your decisions
Next Courses
schedule Date | maps_home_work Delivery Type | person Trainer | language Language | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
28 Sep 2026 Digital learning over 4 weeks Online / Modular | location_on Scheduled Digital Australia | Frank Heibel | English | AUD$2,795.00 |
28 Sep 2026
Digital learning over 4 weeks, Online / Modular
location_onScheduled Digital
Australia
Language: English
Trainer: Frank Heibel
AUD$2,795.00
Run this course in-house
Informa Connect Academy’s customised training solutions have helped organisations deliver tailored learning in different languages to suit every requirement.
Bespoke training designed for your organisation only, combining traditional classroom setting, blended and online learning models
Webinar: The Two Keys to High Capacity Signalling
In this webinar, Dr. Frank Heibel explores the two essential priorities for achieving High Capacity Signalling using Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) and advanced forms of the European Train Control System (ETCS).
While both technologies share the same priorities, their order of importance differs — a critical insight for rail professionals seeking to enhance capacity, safety, and performance.
Instructor Video: High-Capacity Signalling Blueprint & Digital Signalling Interoperability
In this video, Doc Frank introduces two specialised training programs: High Capacity Signalling Blueprint and Digital Signalling Interoperability.
Learn the essential definitions, technologies (CBTC and ETCS), and practical steps to achieve true high-capacity railway operations. Then, gain clarity on one of the industry’s most complex challenges, interoperability with frameworks and insights not taught anywhere else.
Course Director
Delivered by Doc Frank Heibel
Dr Frank Heibel is a Chartered Professional Electrical Engineer (CPEng) with over 33 years of international experience in railway signalling. Widely known in the industry as ‘Doc Frank’, he has specialised in training and consulting for advanced communications-based signalling, including CBTC and ETCS technologies, as the most cost-effective way to improve the capacity and performance of urban and mainline railways.
Run this course in-house
Informa Connect Academy’s customised training solutions have helped organisations deliver tailored learning in different languages to suit every requirement.