therese miller, queensland rail - case study: the telecommunications backbone network (tbn):...
DESCRIPTION
Therese Miller, General Manager – Train Operations, Queensland Rail delivered the presentation at ARA’s Telecommunications & Train Control Conference 2014. The ARA’s Telecommunications & Train Control Conference 2014 brought together passenger and freight rail operators, transport agencies, track owners, regulators and technology suppliers to assess telecommunications solutions and explored the capabilities of a shared future. For more information about the event, please visit: http://bit.ly/traincontrol14TRANSCRIPT
Queensland Rail: The Telecommunications Backbone Network: improving operational & business communications
Therese MillerGeneral Manager Train OperationsAugust 2014
“Communities Connecting and Connecting Communities”
Topics1. The TBN – what it is and functionality
2. A brief history 1960-2010s
3. The Challenges in the 21st Century
4. How QldRail has addressed a Challenge
5. What’s happening now
6. Benefits for Operators
7. What customers can expect
8. Lessons States can learn
The Telecommunications Backbone Network
Operational safe working systems
Supporting operational and business efficiencies for optimal customer outcomes
A broad telecommunications network systems breakdown
Telecommunications
Transmission
Copper, optical Fibre,
-data, voice,
Telemetry/Interlocking
Station Services
Telephone (PABX)
Data
Runs over the transmission network and provides VOIP, allows remote equipment monitoring and configuration
Radio
Utilises microwave or UHF bands, to provide communications between station staff, Train Control, maintenance etc
A broad telecommunications functionality breakdown
Telecommunications
To safely conduct day-to-day safe
working operations
To communicate
with passengers, staff, drivers, controllers
To collect data and
disseminate information
To monitor our resources
To identify, determine, diagnose, problems
To improve future
operations
The Journey - Operational Comms <1970 through to the Business Comms of the 2010s….. Whats next?
Challenges Present ……. Future
Increasing demand for
bandwidth Managing Business
Disruptions; a demand to
achieve
Higher traffic capacity, shorter
headways, improve customer
service.
Data from the TBN assists in Timetable Design
Collection of data via
telecommunications
network.
Some solutions within the existing network.
Now and in the Near Future
• “Where’s my train” app.
• Remote Train Announcement System
• TOS review & Track Access System for UTC
• GTFS real-time feed
• Amalgamation of some passenger information systems
• Train Performance Analyzer
• Digital Radio
• BaT development (Fire & Life Safety) - ETCS
Benefits for Network Operators
• Reliability & redundancy with backup telecommunications to the site, backup
power supplies and duplicated systems.
• Real time information – immediate & consistent updates of changes.
• Capacity: Achieving higher traffic capacity, with shorter headways;
• Consolidation of systems gives consistency in communications
• Efficient implementation of business continuity plans.
Overall – increasing quality of customer service.
What passengers can expect from these developments
Seamless Timely Connectivity.
• Information & Communication - Greater ability to pinpoint locations of trains
more accurate arrival time for trains & connections.
• More informative ‘real time’ passenger information services;
Reliability Headway reduction = greater throughput / more trains running;
“The turn up and go” philosophy – Customers don’t need a timetable.
Passengers can now make informed decisions.
Safety & Security
• Safe Travel, Increase in CCTV capability, emergency phones, and in train
information systems contribute to safety and security in travel.
Lessons states can learn from TBN
• Providers of TBN need to listen to their customer – the Operator.
Likewise Operators need to know what they want in order to
service their customers & better assist TBN providers.
• The ‘Gap’ between Operational & Business Communications (from
1970s) has now closed & converged to produce a need for rail
operators to meet customer expectations.
• ‘Partner, procure and provide’ – work with the market to see what
best suits us.
• Interoperability
• Overall there is a need to evolve the TBN to be a digital-based IP
platform to better service the needs and expectations of its
communications, now and into the future.