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Reserve Your Seat TodayBNSF Railway modernized its network reliability management to keep pace with a growing, mission-critical communications network for train dispatch and scheduling. By expanding DPS Telecom monitoring with NetGuardian RTUs, discrete I/O expansion, and centralized alarm management, BNSF improved day-to-day visibility and kept monitoring responsive as the network scaled.
BNSF Railway's proactive upgrade strategy supports modern scheduling and dispatch network (Graphics courtesy of BNSF)
| Industry | Rail transportation and logistics |
|---|---|
| Company | The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) |
| Geography / Coverage | Large U.S. network stretching from Birmingham, Alabama, to the Pacific Coast |
| Primary Challenge | Maintain reliable, scalable monitoring as telecommunications infrastructure expanded and migrated (including analog-to-digital microwave replacement and circuit-to-LAN transport changes) |
| Solution Deployed | Distributed DPS Telecom RTUs and discrete point expansion tied into centralized alarm management (IAM-5) with integrations to a manager-of-managers (Harris NetBoss) |
| Key Result | Expanded monitoring capacity while keeping polling responsive by optimizing IAM-5 port configuration with DPS Telecom Technical Support |
| Products Used | NetGuardian RTUs; DPM 216 discrete point modules; KDA 864 units; AlphaMax units; IAM-5 alarm management systems; legacy monitoring equipment (plus Harris NetBoss as MOM) |
| Implementation Timeframe | Ongoing modernization; planned expansion from approximately 40 NetGuardians to 120-150 by end of year (as stated by BNSF), and DPM growth from 15 to 60 in about a year |
BNSF operates a large railroad where dependable communications are essential for safe and efficient operations. As BNSF increased shipping efficiency by continually modernizing its communications network, the requirements for network reliability management expanded alongside it.
According to Jim Gaynor, a network analyst in BNSF's technology services department, the railroad's operational reality is as much about data flow as it is about freight movement.
BNSF's network supports telecommunications for dispatchers, who need access to signals and switches along the track and direct telephone-mobile radio connections to train crews. Dispatchers track the location of trains throughout their runs and schedule traffic to maximize the number of trains that can operate on the same track.
"We move information as well as moving trains," said Gaynor. "The network primarily supports telecommunications for dispatchers. Dispatchers can access signals and switches along the track, and there are also direct telephone-mobile radio connections between the dispatchers and the train crews."
"We have several hundred trains running at any time," said Gaynor. "We run more than one train on some tracks, and we can do it because the dispatcher can direct trains onto sidings. It takes very close monitoring of times and speeds."
As the communications network grew and technologies changed (including replacement of analog microwave radios with digital), BNSF needed network reliability management that could scale without creating delays in alarm collection and polling. The requirement was not only to add more sites and alarm points, but to do it in a way that kept operations staff and call center teams able to diagnose problems quickly.
BNSF followed a proactive strategy: deploy monitoring capabilities today that will meet the needs of tomorrow, and avoid purchasing more technology than can be installed and supported.
"There's a lot more we want to do with network monitoring," said Gaynor. "The technology is constantly changing. It's hard to keep pace. That's why one of our rules is that, as far as technology goes, we don't buy more than we can install."
In practice, that meant building a mixed monitoring environment that could accommodate long-established infrastructure while preparing for future growth. BNSF deployed a range of network reliability management equipment including AlphaMax units, DPM 216 discrete point modules, KDA 864 units, and NetGuardian RTUs. These were tied into two IAM-5 systems connected in a standby configuration by a protection switch. BNSF also used a Harris Communications NetBoss system to monitor digital microwave radios and act as a "Manager of Managers" (MOM), with other systems (including the IAM-5) feeding into it.
For readers evaluating similar architectures: a distributed RTU approach (such as DPS Telecom NetGuardian) collects alarms at the edge from discrete inputs (door, power, relay contacts), analog sensors (temperature, battery, fuel), and equipment interfaces, and then reports those events upstream over IP. Centralized alarm management (such as a T/Mon system, including IAM-5 in this deployment) consolidates alarms, routes notifications, and helps operations teams work from a consistent view of multiple sites and device types.
"A small office might only have six alarm points, so a small remote would cover it for right now. But you might want to put in a larger RTU with more capacity to handle the alarms you anticipate having in a year's time," said Gaynor.
BNSF pursued an aggressive strategy for modernizing its network reliability management, adding new RTUs and moving transport from dedicated circuits to LAN.
"Right now we have approximately 40 NetGuardians online, and by the end of this year we'll have between 120 and 150 NetGuardians. Right now we have 15 DPMs and we're going to 60 in a year's time," said Gaynor.
Gaynor's stated future plans included eliminating Badger masters in favor of mediating Badger and Larse remotes to the IAM-5, relocating the secondary IAM-5 to Topeka for a geodiverse backup strategy, and forwarding alarms from the IAM-5 to NetBoss.
For critical rail and transportation communications, DPS Telecom typically recommends a scalable, IP-first approach to alarm collection and transport: add NetGuardian RTUs where you need I/O, serial access, and local intelligence, then standardize alarm processing and escalation through a central alarm master. This approach helps operations teams grow site count and alarm density without losing visibility.
Over the course of his career, Gaynor developed an approach to evaluating network monitoring gear based on technical capability first, then reliability, usability, and flexibility across different environments.
"My first concern is the technical capability - does it have the capacity and provide the proper functionality to do what we need. If we look at the budget first we're limiting ourselves. I look for reliability, ease of use and configuration, and also for equipment that can be used in a variety of environments for different applications," Gaynor said.
Gaynor described using NetGuardian RTUs trackside to monitor switch gear and environmental conditions. He also highlighted the value of the NetGuardian's built-in terminal server capability for accessing the craft port of a logic controller. In the Pacific Northwest, BNSF deployed a NetGuardian for every Control Point, which could be within one or two miles of track.
For engineering teams, this is a common design pattern: use discrete and analog monitoring for local assets, and add terminal server access to reduce truck rolls when remote technicians need console-level visibility into controllers, radios, or other field devices. When implemented with a DPS Telecom NetGuardian RTU, these functions are consolidated into a single hardened platform designed for remote site conditions.
As BNSF increased the number of NetGuardians, the organization focused on keeping alarm polling and event visibility responsive. Gaynor worked with DPS Telecom Technical Support to optimize IAM-5 port configuration in anticipation of future monitoring needs.
"I had one port of the IAM-5 configured for all my NetGuardians. And for the first dozen or so NetGuardians it was working great. Then we added some more, and the latency added up, and it started taking longer to poll all the units," Gaynor said.
"I found out from Chris [Hower, of DPS Telecom's Technical Support Department] that we could have NetGuardians on multiple ports," Gaynor continued. "And in the future, I'm planning to have 120 NetGuardians, so it's good that we don't have those limits. So I'm putting 12 NetGuardians on a port, and we'll have 10 ports in all. So far, I've had good results in the field and the call center says the polling is very responsive."
From a monitoring-architecture standpoint, this optimization matters because large fleets of remote units can create avoidable delays if too many devices share a single polling path. Distributing remote devices across multiple communications ports helps maintain predictable polling cycles and faster alarm awareness as a network grows.
Gaynor also emphasized vendor support as a selection factor:
"Customer support is an important issue. Being able to get tech support by e-mail is a real advantage - I'm often too busy to pick up a phone. But it's also good to be able to pick up a phone and get an answer really quick. My experience with DPS is that the tech support personnel on the phone either have the answer or if they don't, they will get in touch with an engineer and get you the answer quickly."
Another way BNSF maximized the value of its network reliability management was training. Gaynor attended a DPS Telecom Factory Training Event and identified configuration shortcuts and operational techniques he had not been using.
"I've been administering the IAM-5 system for years, but there's a lot I didn't know. At factory training I learned things I never knew - tips, tricks, configuration shortcuts. Nobody ever showed me this stuff before. As busy as I can be, every shortcut can help you."
He then passed the knowledge to the monitoring staff at BNSF's call center to improve problem diagnosis and correction.
"I learned some things I'm having the call center people use, like viewing site statistics to monitor specific sites and equipment, which helps us trace a series of alarms to the common cause. Before, we wouldn't be able to identify that," said Gaynor.
The following DPS Telecom products are mentioned in this BNSF deployment. If you are building or modernizing a similar monitoring system, these pages provide current product-family information and recommended options.
These are common questions from rail, transportation, and large-field-network teams evaluating monitoring modernization projects like BNSF's.
An RTU (remote telemetry unit) collects alarms and measurements from local equipment (power, environmental sensors, relay contacts, and communications gear) and reports events back to operations over IP networks. In this story, NetGuardian RTUs were used trackside and at control points.
As more remotes share the same polling path, each device gets polled less frequently and overall cycles take longer. BNSF addressed this by distributing NetGuardians across multiple IAM-5 ports to keep polling responsive.
A MOM aggregates alarms from multiple monitoring systems into a higher-level view. BNSF used Harris NetBoss to monitor digital microwave radios and to serve as an aggregation point for other systems, including the IAM-5.
A terminal server provides remote serial access to a device's craft port for configuration and troubleshooting. BNSF used the NetGuardian terminal server capability to access the craft port of a logic controller, which can reduce time-to-diagnose issues.
BNSF's approach was to avoid selecting a remote unit based only on current alarm points. Choosing RTUs with additional capacity helps accommodate new alarms as sites add equipment over time.
If you are expanding a transportation, utilities, or telecom network and need to keep alarm polling responsive while adding more sites, DPS Telecom can help you design a scalable RTU and alarm management architecture.
Get a Free Consultation or call 1-800-693-0351 to speak with a DPS Telecom expert about your monitoring project.
NetGuardian 832A has proven its value in thousands of network monitoring deployments, protecting large, critical networks around the world. This versatile LAN-based unit provides tools for site management, including LAN access to on-site equipment through a built-in terminal server.
To evaluate fit for your own network monitoring and remote access needs, review the NetGuardian product details and discuss interfaces, point counts, and integration requirements with DPS Telecom.
