Transport and Government Secure Network (TGSN)

VicTrack has built a new and refreshed telecommunications network that modernises the infrastructure supporting our customers.

VicTrack began rolling out the Transport and Government Secure Network (TGSN) in June 2019. The TGSN has replaced ageing infrastructure that was becoming increasingly expensive and difficult to maintain, delivering:

  • cost savings for the state
  • opportunities for other government agencies to use TGSN, reducing network duplication and saving costs
  • improved network reliability and security
  • improved efficiency in responding to telecommunications outages
  • increased resilience against the risk of cyber-attack.

The TGSN allows VicTrack to further build the reliability, scalability and performance of its telecommunications network, which is integral to supporting Victoria’s transport system to help drive future growth for the state.

The network enables the delivery of streamlined, standard and flexible telecommunications services for customers. VicTrack’s internal systems have also been enhanced to monitor service performance and respond proactively to customers.

Customers with questions about the TGSN should contact their VicTrack Account Manager.

Project Overview
Started 1 July 2019
Estimated Completion Date 2024
Contact projects@victrack.com.au

See below for archived issues of the recurring TGSN newsletter and introductory TGSN brochures developed for VicTrack’s transport, government and wholesale customers.


TGSN newsletter archive

March 2023 - TGSN benefits, foundations for innovation and development, critical network management capability, data centre connectivity, new internet gateways, offering statewide telecommunications for government, Employee profile - Syed Hussain

October 2022 - Operational acceptance testing, Customer engagement, TGSN and the Big Build, Migration update, Employee profile - Vikrant Vij

June 2022 - Key TGSN progress (to April 2022), TGSN keynote presentation, Supporting transport customers' needs, Employee profile - Cliff Pfander

December 2021 - Looking back on 2021, FAQs, Employee profile - Lesley Lindsay

September 2021 - Engaging with customers, Migration status, Aligning to Victoria's Big Build, TGSN-enabled products, Employee profile - Kiran Solipuram

April 2021 - TGSN catch up, Green light for MPLS, Warrnambool Line upgrade, Rollout milestones, Employee profiles - Leo Didio and Ali Yazdi

December 2020 - MPLS solution, Rollout milestones, Employee profile - Geoff Lee

September 2020 - Product suite, Excess bandwidth, TGSN installation, Employee profile - Sladjana Gobeljic-Karapandzic and Ezio Lattanzio

July 2020 - OTN network, TGSN installation, Employee profile - Ian Burton

May 2020 - Introduction to TGSN, TGSN benefits, Employee profile - Bruce Moore


Downloads

TGSN introductory brochure

TGSN rollout for government brochure

TGSN rollout for transport brochure

TGSN rollout for wholesale brochure

These frequently asked questions relate to key aspects of the TGSN network and rollout approach. If you have another question you’d like answered, please email projects@victrack.com.au.

Why was TGSN rolled out?

 Telecommunications is fundamental to the operation of safe and reliable rail and tram transport networks, and a future-proofed technologically-driven network is essential to meet the needs of VicTrack’s transport and government customers. Key challenges we faced included:

  • Ageing infrastructure - Around two-thirds of our fixed transmission network was ageing, making it increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain. Customers require a modern reliable and resilient network with stringent security as they adopt emerging technologies.
  • Demand for public transport to increase - With the demand for public transport expected in future, more people using rail transport places more pressure on the VicTrack telecommunications infrastructure. 
  • Rail infrastructure upgrades - The Victorian Government is investing heavily in new rail transport projects. VicTrack’s telecommunications network needs to meet future rail network technologies' demands.
  • Cyber security - VicTrack’s telecommunications network is integral to supporting Victoria’s transport system. It is essential to keep equipment up to date to defend against the ever-increasing risk posed by cyber-attack.

How were services migrated to the TGSN?

The TGSN project team prepared an overall migration plan for the rollout, grouping VicTrack’s telecommunications network into migration work packages. These work packages were then aligned to Victoria’s Big Build activity of works to minimise the construction impacts to Victoria’s rail network. Migration activity was locked in 6-8 weeks before commencing, with change management impact analysis conducted prior. 

What services are available post TGSN rollout?

 The new network provides extended telecommunications coverage across the Victorian rail corridors to transport and government customers. This results in improved services available to support diverse business needs, while also offering flexibility, agility and speed for emerging technologies. During migration to TGSN, transport and government customers’ services were migrated like for like. While this means no immediate change to services, VicTrack’s customers do have the opportunity to upgrade to TGSN-enabled products and services with enhanced capabilities. These services include Wavelength, Internet, Ethernet and IPWAN.

 The TGSN rollout focused on the delivery of new and upgraded network infrastructure and the migration of customers’ services to the new network environment.

The infrastructure delivery involved constructing the Optical Transport Network (OTN) base transmission and adding the IP/MPLS Network smart routing layer:

  • There are 45 OTN sites across VicTrack’s network
  • There are 377 IP-MPLS sites across VicTrack’s network

There were also approximately 13,000 customer services to migrate across to the new network, including services such as customer help points, myki services, public announcement systems and telephony systems.  

There were 1,400 devices decommissioned, including legacy telephony systems and legacy transmission systems.

The TGSN rollout also provided the opportunity for customers to upgrade their VicTrack telecommunications services, with the new network enabling the delivery of improved products and services. These services include Wavelength, Internet, Ethernet and IPWAN.