1. Telecommunications for Sydney Trains and the Digital Train Radio System
Ryan Schlegl and Christopher Go, Operational Technology Program Delivery

2. Presentation overview
About Sydney Trains
Overview of Telecommunications in Sydney Trains
Requirements for Telecommunications in Sydney Trains
The Operations Critical Data Network
The Digital Train Radio System

3. 1 million customer journeys per weekday 284 million customer journeys annually1 178 stations (includes 4 Airport Line stations) 2,008 electric and 560 diesel cars (includes NSW TrainLink fleet) 2,952 timetabled trips per weekday One eight-carriage train can move 1,000 customers 97.8% of trains are air-conditioned2 Operate across 961km of electrified track
As at 30 June 2014

4. Geographic extent

5. Telecommunications Infrastructure
Fixed and Wireless networks
Operate and Maintain the majority of infrastructure
24/7 Infrastructure Control Centre ICON
Central and Satellite network maintenance bases

6. Cables
>2500km of Copper cable between approximately 5860 distribution frames
>2100km of Fibre cables of sizes ranging between 6 and 240 cores

7. Facilities
>300 dedicated rooms/buildings for telecommunications equipment
> 350 MetroNet train radio and other radio base stations
22 microwave and radio towers

8. Channel MUX network > 600 Channel MUXs > 150 SDH nodes
12 Microwave links
Supports: MetroNet Train Radio System,
Train control, operations and emergency telephony
Modem based low speed data applications including train signalling telemetry

9. Operations Critical Data Network and Digital Train Radio System
Operations Critical Data Network, commissioned in 2014 to support the DTRS and Automated Train Protection (ATP) as well as high speed data applications
Digital Train Radio System, replacing the MetroNet system with GSM-R technology also supporting ATP

10. Train Control, Operational Security (CCTV), Condition Monitoring
Railway Applications
ATP, Electrical SCADA, Train and Operational Radio, Operational telephony, Passenger Information/Ticketing,
Train Control, Operational Security (CCTV), Condition Monitoring

11. Telecommunications requirements
Part of the railway and TfNSW system
Demonstrate RAMS (EN 50126)
Controls for security and other hazards to railway applications (EN 50159)
NSW Government DISP, TfNSW and Sydney Trains policy, ISMS
Legislation and Australian Standards
System lifecycle is cost efficient
Reliability Availability Maintainability and Safety
Digital Information Security Policy

12. Rail Standards
Sydney Trains is an Authorised Engineering Organisation for Transport for NSW
Includes Telecommunications
Standards describing requirements available

13. How we meet our requirements
Engineering design and configuration management

14. How we meet our requirements
Verification and Validation, Testing

15. How we meet our requirements
Maintenance
Monitoring
Asset Management continuous improvement

16. Future requirements Growth in Data: Growth in Criticality:
Passenger Information and Security (CCTV)
Fleet and Infrastructure Condition Monitoring
Growth in Criticality:
Automated Train Operations
Internet of (Rail) Things:
Data from and to the railway
Lower latency (tactile) applications?

17. Operations Critical Data Network
> 600 Points of Presence in the Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink networks
Scalable, number of PoPs and their bandwidth requirements will grow, or be segmented
Multiple applications with different requirements, most requiring very high availability
System whole of life costs efficient including fibre usage

18. Operations Critical Data Network
Open standards, Multi-vendor interoperation
IP access network
MPLS core DWDM transmission
Strict configuration control and monitoring

19. OCDN Architecture Section 1 Core A Core B E1 E1 A2 A1 C1 Site N in S1PA CA C1
Site N in S1 PA CA C1 PA
Site in S1 CA CA
Site 2 in S1
Section N C2 C2
Core EN EN A1 A2 PA
Site in SN CA CA

20. Operations Critical Data Network Services
Virtual routed network service with gigabit access
Traffic prioritisation and reserved bandwidth to guarantee performance
High availability with redundancy built into the network

21. Digital Train Radio System (DTRS)
Train Radio Needs
GSM-R Functionalities
Telecom Services
Railway Aspect
DTRS Architecture
Transition
What’s Next

22. Train Radio Needs
Trains in revenue service must have operational train radio to allow train crew and Network Control Officers (NCOs) to communicate
Electric fleet trains use an analogue trunked radio system (MetroNet) - nearing end of serviceable life
The DTRS will replace MetroNet with a new radio system based on the European GSM-Rail standard
All this with greater efficiency 22

23. Train Radio Needs –cont’d
Waterfall Recommendation 38
There must be compatibility of communications systems throughout the rail network. It is essential that all train drivers, train controllers, signallers, train guards and supervisors of trackside work gangs in New South Wales are able to communicate using the same technology.
Waterfall Recommendation 46
There should be interoperability of communications equipment between all trains operating on the New South Wales rail network.
All this with greater efficiency 23

24. Industry Background
20 Systems
9 radio platforms

25. GSM-R spectrum around the world
Europe
More the 30 countries decided to use the "standard" GSM-R band. It is called the R-GSM band
Uplink: 876 – 880 MHz Downlink: 921 – 925 MHz
China and South Africa countries use the called the E-GSM band
Uplink: 885 – 889 MHz Downlink: 930 – 934 MHz
Australia using frequencies in the DCS 1800 band (1800 MHz-GSM):
Uplink: 1770 – 1785 MHz Downlink: 1865 – 1880  MHz
We have more than triple of Europe’s spectrum!
All this with greater efficiency 25

26. GSM-R Functionalities
eMLPP
VBS
VGCS
Telecom. Services / ASCI
ETSI
Functional Addressing
Pres. of Functional Numbers
Access Matrix
Location Dependent Addressing
Railway Operation Aspects
Voice / Data Wireless Carrier
GSM
Controller – Driver Operational Communications
Emergency Area Broadcast
Train Support Communication
Local Communication at Stations and Depots
Wide Area Communications
Passenger Services
Automatic Train Control
Trackside Maintenance
Remote Control
Shunting
Railway Applications
EIRENE
MORANE
Conf. of High Priority Calls
National GSM-R application

27. Telecom Services National GSM-R application
Controller – Driver Operational Communications
Automatic Train Control
Trackside Maintenance
Remote Control
Shunting
Railway Applications
Emergency Area Broadcast
Train Support Communication
EIRENE
MORANE
Local Communication at Stations and Depots
Wide Area Communications
Passenger Services
Railway Operation Aspects
Functional Addressing
Pres. of Functional Numbers
Access Matrix
Location Dependent Addressing
Conf. of High Priority Calls
Telecom. Services / ASCI
eMLPP
VBS
VGCS
ETSI
GSM
Voice / Data Wireless Carrier
ETSI specifies eMLPP, VBS and VGCS
Advanced Speech Call Item

28. Enhanced Multi-Level Precedence and Pre-emption service (eMLPP)
The eMLPP service has two parts:
Precedence
Pre-emption.
Precedence: assigning a priority level to a call.
Pre-emption:
Higher level precedence seizing resources which are in use by a call of a lower precedence (in the absence of idle resources)
disconnection of an on-going call of lower precedence to accept an incoming call of higher precedence.
Applies for :
Mobile originating call
Mobile terminated call
Voice group call and Voice broadcast call.
A -Ongoing PtP call (Priority 4)
Voice call
MSC
Server
User C
User A
2. Notification Ptp Call(Priority 2)
3. Setup (Priority 2)
1. PtP call (Priority 2)
User B

29. Voice Broadcast Service (VBS)
unidirectional speech simultaneously to all other “intended” subscribers
“intended” subscribers are identified by a subscription to the applicable group ID.
eMLPP service is applicable for VBS
Entitled users are listeners for all the VBS duration.
cell
Group of cells
MSC
Non-entitled Users will not join the Group call
VGCS call initiator
The NCO dispatcher initiates a VGCS call in its area
The NCO area is call GCA Group Call area
Dispatcher

30. Voice Group Call Service (VGCS)
Entitled user can speak thanks to a token given by the network
VGCS:
enables a calling service subscriber or calling dispatcher to establish a voice group call (press-to-talk fashion) to destination subscribers belonging to a predefined group call area and group ID.
eMLPP service is applicable for VGCS
cell
Group of cells
MSC
Non-entitled Users will not join the Group call
Entitled users are listeners at this point of time
VGCS call initiator
The initiator can speak by using the PTT button
Dispatcher

31. GSM-R Functionalities
eMLPP
VBS
VGCS
Telecom. Services / ASCI
ETSI
Functional Addressing
Pres. of Functional Numbers
Access Matrix
Location Dependent Addressing
Railway Operation Aspects
Voice / Data Wireless Carrier
GSM
Controller – Driver Operational Communications
Emergency Area Broadcast
Train Support Communication
Local Communication at Stations and Depots
Wide Area Communications
Passenger Services
Automatic Train Control
Trackside Maintenance
Remote Control
Shunting
Railway Applications
EIRENE
MORANE
Conf. of High Priority Calls
National GSM-R application

32. Railway Operation Aspect
The Rail Operation aspect includes;
Functional Addressing
Location Dependent Addressing
Presentation of Functional Numbers
Access Matrix

33. Functional Addressing (FA)
I need to talk to the Lead Driver
of train #456
Allows users to call a “Functional Number” that represent a railway function in the Railways network. (E.g.: a driver, a controller or a running trip number)
456
Calling by Function
GSM-R
Network
Lead Driver
MSISDN
Functional Addressing (FA)
I’m starting my shift and I have to register my cab radio to the FN of the train I’m driving today
NSS
BSS
GSM-R
456
GSM-R Network
New mapping will be stored in the GSM-R database
Lead Driver
Train FN
MSISDN:
Registration Management
Registration of Functional Role

34. Location Dependant Addressing (LDA)
Cell 1: 1200
Cell 5: 1200
Cell 2: 1200
Cell 3: 1200
Cell 4: 1200
I need to speak to the nearest controller.
So I have to dial the Short Code “1200”.
Dispatcher C
phone
456
MSC
Setup (Cellid, CdPa1200, FN..)
Database
Mapping of Short Code “1200”
and Location Area/CellID “Cell 1”
to Destination Number “ ”

35. Presentation of Functional Number
Allows Train Drivers and NCOs to be called by their Functional Number instead of the GSM MSISDN number.
E.g the Signaller may call the leading driver;
Lead Driver of the Trip running Train located in its area of responsibility

36. Access Matrix Security team
The access matrix defines which subscribers are able to contact which other subscribers within the EIRENE network No
456
Yes
Core
Network
Running train
Security team No No
Yes
Yes
Admin
Shunting team
Dispatcher

37. DTRS Architecture

38. DTRS Layers OCDN Applications Dispatching communication Shunting
Voice Group
Call
Network
Management
Security
Core Network
OTA
CCBS
MGW
BSC
MGW
HLR
VAS
MSC
SMS-C
Recording
System
Dispatcher
System
Transport
OCDN
Access
Network
Terminal
Operational Mobile
General Mobile
Cab Radio
Dispatcher Terminal

39. How do we transition? Certain trains (Tangaras) are dual-fitted
Retain current analogue radio
Equip new GSM-R radio
NCOs are dual-fitted
Retain current analogue radio terminal
Equip new GSM-R dispatcher terminal
Stage 1:
Initial Operational Sector -> allows introduction of DTRS into revenue service
Stage 2:
Complete fixed network infrastructure, then
Roll out single-fit trains -> change radio from analogue to GSM-R

40. What’s next Utilise the network for other applications:
Wayside telemetry (wireless bearer)
Consolidation of disparate radio systems (station radios, trackside radios, yard radios)
Foundation for LTE
Same spectrum band
Towers, antenna footprint
Some base stations upgradeable