Lighting key to new-look Ringwood transport interchange
WE-EF products have played a vital role in delivering a modern and vibrant redevelopment of the railway station and bus interchange in the Ringwood suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. 

Located 23 km east of Melbourne's central business district, Ringwood is undergoing a transformation. Aside from the multi-million dollar expansion of the Eastland Shopping Centre, new community facilities coming to the area, including  new council library and cultural centre. The new rail/bus interchange links to the Town Square for easier commutes and the new shopping centre is expected to attract shoppers from across the region, encouraging growth and further investment.

In January Vic Roads, on behalf of Public Transport Victoria, completed the redevelopment of Ringwood train station, featuring a seamless bus interchange with new and improved facilities. Arup (Melbourne office) was the appointed consultant and design engineering firm in the A$ 66 million upgrade.

The WE-EF VFL500 LED street and area luminaire series was selected by the engineers to illuminate the station’s public activity areas, and was supplied by WE-EF sales partner Buckford Illumination Group.

The small VFL520, 12 W with [S60] 'side throw' distribution, has been used to provide illumination for general pedestrian movement. The VFL530 has been cleverly used in different wattages and beam distributions – from an [A60] 'forward throw' lens to the [S70] 'side throw' lens – to achieve the recommended lighting levels over ramps and other connecting elements in the space. The larger version in the series, the VFL540, 84 W, has been used with the [S70] 'side throw' distribution to illuminate the street footpath along the Maroondah Highway. The engineers chose the WE-EF VFL500 LED luminaire series because it offers a wide range of options that allow the designer to combine different lumen packages with a flexible optical system that ensures precision light distribution and uniform illuminance in every outdoor lighting application. In additional, the full cut-off design of the VFL500 luminaire provides critical glare-controlled illumination for pedestrians and especially for motorists along the road.

Darren Bucknall, Director at Buckford Illumination Group, WE-EF's partner, said: “WE-EF products are well-known in the industry for their quality, durability and excellent performance”. He explained that the integration of LED technology into most of the WE-EF product range, and the development of new optics to improve lighting management, have produced more efficient and effective lighting tools to cater to the needs of lighting designers and engineers. “The VFL500 is a good example,” he noted. “The all-rounder outdoor luminaire features different light distributions – from a forward to a side throw beam distribution – and a series of lumen packages to suit a broad range of outdoor lighting applications.”

Overall, WE-EF's expertise in exterior lighting has been integral in creating a safer, more accessible and visually attractive environment for the 5,000 customers that use the station on any given weekday.