The 1st Telecom Maintenance Study Group (MSG) meeting of Indian Railways was successfully held on 6th and 7th June at the Headquarters of Northeast Frontier Railway, Maligaon. The event was organized under the guidance of the Additional Member (Telecom), Railway Board and Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow marking a significant milestone in the evolution of maintenance practices and health monitoring of modern communication systems within Indian Railways.
The two-day conference served as a comprehensive platform for the exchange of best practices, innovative methodologies, and emerging technologies in telecom maintenance across Indian Railways. Discussions focused on several key areas, including automated trouble ticketing systems for telecom equipment, asset monitoring through interactive dashboards, maintenance of Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) OSS and data center operations at both divisional and zonal levels. Emphasis was also placed on tracking performance metrics such as Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) and Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), which are vital for assessing operational efficiency. Targeted sessions were conducted on maintenance strategies for major telecom assets like Optical Fiber Networks, telecom towers, Video Surveillance Systems (VSS), IP-MPLS networks and Integrated Passenger Information Systems (IPIS), all of which play a critical role in modernizing communication infrastructure.
The meeting was attended by key officials including the Principal Executive Director (S&T) of RDSO along with his technical team and Principal Chief Signal and Telecommunication Engineers (PCSTEs) and Chief Communication Engineers (CCEs) from all Zonal Railways. The gathering provided a platform for a comprehensive exchange of ideas, experiences and best practices among stakeholders.
In addition, representatives from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of various telecom systems showcased the latest technologies, explaining the functionality, reliability and special features of their respective products.
The 1stTelecom MSG meeting reflects Indian Railways’ commitment towards adopting modern maintenance practices and ensuring robust, real-time monitoring of critical communication infrastructure to enhance operational efficiency and passenger experience.
