Sydney Trains And SYSTRA Partner To Deliver Nextgen Digital Train Radio System

The program will upgrade the Digital Train Radio System (DTRS) to enable reliable communication between trains and operational systems, helping guide the transition from the current GSM-R platform toward the next generation standard – the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS). The DTRS is a core communications capability for train operations across the Sydney Trains network and is an enabler for future applications that will deliver improved reliability and performance.

As Sydney Trains advances modern signalling and control systems, this partnership will address equipment obsolescence and support a shared longer-term vision to deliver more reliable services and enhance network productivity.

As part of the partnership, SYSTRA will provide advisory and integration planning to support investment decisions and staged delivery, drawing on prior work with the rail sector and experience across telecommunications, signalling, and systems integration. The engagement will prioritise safety, reliability and interoperability, supported by local engineering capability and global expertise.

Sydney, Australia — SYSTRA is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a key role on the Western Harbour Tunnel project.

On behalf of our client, Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW), SYSTRA will provide Delivery Assurance Specialist Services on the second phase of the project.

We are thrilled to be part of this generational project. The win highlights the advantages of our enhanced capability and global expertise that we offer to our clients.  

In providing Delivery Assurance Specialist services, we are bringing genuine lifecycle delivery experience built from working on some of the most significant underground infrastructure projects in Australia and abroad. We look forward to working closely with TfNSW and the wider stakeholder network to deliver such a critical part of Sydney’s future transport network.

Jon Daley, Executive General Manager – Infrastructure Engineering, SYSTRA

The Western Harbour Tunnel is an internationally significant and technically complex megaproject that demands specialised tunnelling expertise. As a once-in-a-generation harbour crossing, it includes the largest bored tunnel in the Southern Hemisphere. To support the Government in ensuring the effective delivery and seamless transition of construction processes and road tunnel assets into operations, Transport has engaged SYSTRA, drawing on their global tunnelling experience and proven technical capability.

Simon Cooper, Western Harbour Tunnel Project Director, Transport for New South Wales

The Western Harbour Tunnel is set to transform Sydney’s transportation network and is a critical component of the state’s long-term transport strategy, designed to ease traffic flow on major artillery roads such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Western Distributor, and Anzac Bridge. The project involves the construction of a new road tunnel, 6.3 kilometres long with three lanes in both directions that will cross underneath Sydney Harbour, linking the WestConnex with the Warringah Freeway at North Sydney.

As part of SYSTRA’s role in the project, we will provide tunnelling assurance specialists for tunnel operations, including works related to the tunnel boring machine operations. This scope requires specialist knowledge and expertise to ensure critical equipment performs according to plan.

Arup will lead a team with partners SYSTRA to plan the proposed network operation of high-speed rail in Australia.

The team will play a key role in defining the high-speed rail product and network concept for a planned future system between Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, and Brisbane, with initial focus on the operations and maintenance requirements for the first stage between Sydney and Newcastle, for which a business case is currently underway.

Arup and SYSTRA have been at the forefront of high-speed and faster rail development globally for more than 40 years. The firms bring extensive international experience in high-speed operations and maintenance blended with local rail planning expertise to the project.

Alex Borg, Australasia Transport Leader at Arup, said, “High-speed rail opens up a wealth of benefits for the communities it connects, providing a sustainable transport link for residents, workers, and visitors, and unlocking the potential for social and economic growth. This is a tremendous opportunity for Arup to bring our extensive global experience and dedication to sustainable development to this project and help shape the future of transport on Australia’s east coast.”

Jean-Philippe Lavallee, Operations and Maintenance Director at SYSTRA said, “SYSTRA is delighted to contribute to define Australia’s vision for a more connected and sustainable future. We look forward to leveraging of our global expertise gained through worldwide high-speed rail projects, finely completed with our local knowledge and on-the-ground expertise, to define a sustainable, attractive, performant, and cost-efficient high-speed rail transportation system.”

The contract for Network Rail Operations Planning was awarded to the Arup-led team after a competitive tender process by the High Speed Rail Authority, as part of their work to deliver the Sydney to Newcastle Business Case. With 14.9 million passengers annually, Sydney to Newcastle is the busiest intercity rail line in Australia. The business case will determine important elements of the network, including proposed corridor alignment, station locations, fleet, cost estimate and construction timeframes.

**ENDS**

About Arup
Dedicated to sustainable development, Arup is a collective of designers, consultants and experts working globally. Founded to be humane and excellent, we collaborate with our clients and partners using imagination, technology, and rigour to shape a better world.

As an independent firm, with a trust structure, Arup has no external investors. The Australasia Region encompasses Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, with a 3000-strong team providing consultancy services to government, corporate and community-based clients.

About SYSTRA
SYSTRA is a global leader in transportation engineering and mobility solutions with over 11,000 transport professionals across the globe. Headquartered in France, the company operates in over 80 countries worldwide. SYSTRA’s expertise spans a wide range of areas within the transportation sector. We utilise our expertise centres across the world to advise, design and build new mobility to make SYSTRA the signature team for transportation solutions.

For the 400 strong team located in Australia and New Zealand, we utilise our connected teams to bring this expertise to our local clients. We work with a partnership mindset, working closely with our clients to co-create the mobility solutions of tomorrow.

The MoC has been developed as part of the NTC’s National Rail Action Plan for the industry, operators and governments to consider interoperability when investing in the rail network, directly addressing long-standing legacy issues that continue to impact productivity and safety. 

First signed by Australian Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Hon. Catherine King MP, Victoria’s Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Hon. Jacinta Allan MP and the Australasian Railways Association, the MoC has now been signed by all Australian state and territory governments and many rail operators and industry participants. 

This groundbreaking agreement marks a pivotal moment in the country’s transportation sector, with potential far-reaching implications for the efficiency and sustainability of rail networks. 

The MoC, signed at SYSTRA ANZ’s head office in Sydney, establishes a collaborative framework for the two entities to work together in achieving the shared goal of creating a more seamless and interconnected rail system in Australia. The partnership aims to address critical challenges such as standardisation, data sharing, and regulatory alignment, all of which are essential for the development of a modern, efficient, and sustainable rail network. 

The signing ceremony was attended by Alana Newbrook, CEO, SYSTRA ANZ and the NTC’s Executive Leader Dimi Rigas. 

For more information on the MoC and the NTC’s National Rail Action Plan, please click here. 

Want to learn more about Interoperability?

July 18, 2023

As the state’s single largest rail investment, the QTMP will help support the state’s economy and bolster Queensland as a leader in rail manufacturing with long-term jobs and skills development. 

The new state-of-the-art trains will provide passengers with more efficient, reliable and accessible travel across South East Queensland.  

Under a joint venture, SYSTRA and EGIS will be responsible for providing IC services across the entire QTMP, ensuring quality, safety and excellence for the people of Queensland.

Having already partnered in Australia and overseas on some of the most complex rail megaprojects, the team brings together two leading global engineering organisations that specialise in rail; to support the Government on a decade-long journey to deliver this transformational project.

“The selection of EGIS with our partner SYSTRA for the IC services for QTMP further builds on our ambition to be the leading rail professional service providers in Queensland. We are proud to be a part of this significant infrastructure program contributing jobs, growth and sovereign manufacturing capability to the state of Queensland and look forward to working closely with the State, Queensland Rail and Downer to progress this project.”

– Peter Mauracher, Egis Independent Certifier Project Director.

“SYSTRA is continuing to build on our reputation as a trusted independent advisor providing best in class IC services, through our recent engagement with the Queensland Government. Partnering with EGIS, we will help ensure the Government’s election commitment to supply, build and deliver 65 new passenger trains from their Maryborough facility; all in time for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Brisbane-based teams join forces bringing not just local knowledge, but our global might, to ensure this State significant project is delivered on time for the citizens of Queensland.”

– Alana Newbrook, CEO, SYSTRA ANZ.

The QTMP includes:

• construction of 65 six-car passenger trains
• construction of a purpose-built manufacturing facility in Maryborough for major manufacturing/assembly works
• construction of a new rail facility in Ormeau
• ongoing operation and maintenance of the fleet and rail facility.

Major construction activities on the facilities will commence later this year. The first train is anticipated to be manufactured by 2026, with all trains expected to be in service by 2032. The team look forward to contributing their expertise to this State-shaping program.

About EGIS

EGIS is an international player active in the consulting, construction engineering and mobility service sectors. The Group creates and operates intelligent infrastructure and buildings capable of responding to the climate emergency and helping to achieve more balanced, sustainable, and resilient territorial development.

With operations in 120 countries, EGIS places the expertise of its 16,000 employees at the disposal of its clients and develops cutting-edge innovation accessible to all projects. Through its wide-ranging fields of activity, EGIS is a central player in the collective organisation of society and the living environment of citizens all over the world.

For more information, see www.egis-group.com

About SYSTRA 

SYSTRA is one of the world’s leading engineering and consulting groups specialised in public transport and mobility solutions. For more than 65 years, the Group has worked alongside cities and regions, contributing to positive development by creating, improving, and modernising their transport infrastructures.   

The ANZ team is an integral part of the global network, backed by nearly 9,000 experts, providing us the unique ability to be agile with global scale.   

With our first project in Australia almost 20 years ago, in 2022, we opened our first permanent office in New Zealand, and are going from strength to strength, expanding in both geography and head count.  

When a project is complex, high risk and requires deep technical skills and pedigree, SYSTRA ANZ is the signature team.

For more information, visit systra.com/australia, or join the conversation on LinkedIn.