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Saulat Farooque MEng, BEng, BSc

Test and Integration Manager, DTRS Project, Siemens Australia Ltd

The Digital Train Radio System (DTRS) project with the Department of Transport (DoT) Victoria has evolved out of the need for a more robust, reliable and flexible Rail Communication System to replace the existing and ageing Urban Train Radio System (UTRS). The UTRS is coming towards the end of its maintainable life, and the need to upgrade to DTRS has become apparent to ensure operators can run and maintain a safe train network.

Based on a standard EIRENE GSM-R platform, the DTRS project represents a complex Software Centric System comprising of many subsystem and elements. Once fully integrated and tested, the DTRS would provide an enhanced Rail Communication System that is capable of superior voice communication, data transmissions and the flexibility for future upgrades by building on the GSM-R backbone.
This paper provides an overview of the DTRS project and all the Subsystems that make up the system. The paper also examines in detail the System Engineering process and how it has been applied to this project as a method of bringing all the DTRS Subsystems together to operate as an integrated system.