Improving underground radio communications and use of RF simulcast networks in rapid transit operations

The Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) undertook a major radio improvement project to add new radio channels to its VHF/UHF network, including setting up three synchrocast (simulcasting) networks; and change our communications consoles at BART´s Central Control to an electronic matrix switching system. Three interesting topics will be discussed in this paper. Due to circumstances of a train fire in 1979, BART has added a duplex fire channel at VHF to permit firemen, responding to an incident in the underground, to talk to each other with portable radios and to selected surface units via a remote control box. In the above ground improvement program, BART has installed three synchrocast networks on two VHF and one UHF channel for operations in four countries. BART is planning to install an electronic matrix switching system with computer control, for communications consoles at Central.