Tangara train upgrade – OEM technology solutions

Transport for New South Wales is upgrading the existing Tangara rolling stock to extend their operating life by 10 years. This upgrade modernises the fleet and brings the equipment in line with current legislation and regulations.

Shoal was engaged by OEM Technology Solutions, one of the project’s suppliers, to provide systems engineering expertise for the highly-complex, interrelated subsystems which required extensive interface management and stakeholder liaising. Shoal also supported the project’s aggressive schedule, evolving project scope, and a defined need for robust and explicit traceability.

Shoal developed a safety-critical sub-system specification using a model-based systems engineering approach. This enabled the translation of the original (client) system specification into sub-system design documents. Verification and Validation (V&V) activities, performed by an independent third party, were incorporated with and compared against the resulting sub-system requirements. The systems engineering approach that was followed ensured that sub-system design, requirements and V&V activities were completely traceable back to the original client needs and specifications.

To assist OEM to perform these systems activities, Shoal developed systems engineering knowledge, skills and systems practices within OEM’s organisation. OEM’s initial engineering processes and tools were onerous in complex, safety-critical environments. Through Shoal’s engagement existing design processes were assessed against systems engineering practices and principles. Opportunities for improvement were then able to be identified and strategies developed for transitioning to a holistic systems engineering approach.