Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) advises that the national rail network has returned to normal operating conditions following the restoration of the Telstra 4G network.
Freight and passenger train services are using ARTC’s standard operating procedures, with the National Train Communications System (NTCS) functioning reliably.
ARTC continues to work closely with Telstra to monitor the stability and performance of the telecommunications network supporting the NTCS, ensuring any isolated issues are identified and resolved as quickly as possible.
We thank our customers, train operators and the travelling public for their patience and understanding throughout the Telstra outage.
Safety remains our highest priority.
Background:
The NTCS is a safety-critical system used across Australia’s interstate and regional rail network. It enables network control centres to communicate directly with train drivers through an in-cab radio system and operates over Telstra’s 4G network.
The nationwide Telstra outage disrupted the NTCS, preventing ARTC from making or receiving essential communications with train crews and frontline workers, posing a safety risk.
The disruption was not the result of a signalling or rail infrastructure issue. It was a Telstra telecommunications outage affecting the safety-critical communications required to safely operate Australia’s national rail network.
