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The Victorian Government is considering a market-led proposal to upgrade telecommunications on Melbourne’s train system to improve services and provide better information for passengers.
The proposal put to the Government by Nokia and Vodafone sees both telcos now move to stage four of the market-led assessment process following an announcement on Wednesday by the Treasurer, Tim Pallas.
The Minister originally released guidelines for the process in November last year and said the Government will only pursue proposals that offer “something genuinely unique, deliver on Government priorities, provide benefits to the community and provide value to Victorians”.
In Wednesday’s announcement, the Government said the proposal would see an upgrade to the metropolitan train network to 4G technology, supporting extra services, more timely and detailed maintenance alerts, more accurate arrival times, and high-capacity signalling.
{loadposition peter}Ray Owen, Oceania Market Unit Head, Nokia said the company welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement and looked forward to moving to the next stage of the market-led proposal process.
“4G networks are increasingly finding use in a range of mission critical applications, including public transport systems, where they can improve the efficiency and safety of operations and deliver new and exciting services for users.”
If the proposed upgrade is approved, rollout of the upgrade is expected to take about six months with no disruptions to commuters.
The Treasurer said on Wednesday, “Victoria is open for business and ideas from the private sector that can benefit all Victorians”.
“Our Market-Led Proposal Guideline gives all businesses a transparent way to work with the Government, enabling collaboration that leverages unique opportunities while protecting the community’s interests.”
The Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan said: “We’re building a better transport system, with more reliable services, less delays and better information for passengers so they can plan their travel and get home sooner.”
