Design and Analysis of Optical Fiber Network Deployment on Trans Sulawesi Railway via Makassar-Parepare

The Indonesian Government has prioritized the development of rail transportation as an efficient and effective mode of mass transportation. Rail transportation offers high capacity, reliable travel times, fuel savings, low exhaust emissions, and connectivity to economic centers. The Ministry of Transportation has initiated an accelerated development plan for rail transportation, including the Trans Sulawesi National Railway Network. The Makassar-Parepare route is part of this project, connecting five cities/regencies in South Sulawesi, covering a distance of 142 km and featuring 16 stations. The railway reduces travel time from 3 hours to 1.5 hours and contributes to increased efficiency, capacity, employment, and reduced traffic congestion. To ensure safety and regulate traffic, a fiber optic-based signaling system is proposed, offering higher connection speeds, longer transmission distances, flexibility, and resistance to electromagnetic interference. This paper analyzes the feasibility and potential impacts of implementing fiber optics in the Trans Sulawesi railway communication system using a power link budget and rise time budget analysis. The deployment aims to improve infrastructure quality and accelerate digital transformation in Indonesia. Based on the proposed optical fiber network design, the power link budget shows that the received power ranges from −14.439 to −21.115 dBm, which is still above the receiver sensitivity level of −24dBm. The rise time system at each station ranges from 40.283 to 49.315 ps, with a maximum acceptable dispersion limit of 4501.03 ps. With these parameters, the proposed system design ensures the proper functioning of the entire signaling and telecommunications equipment system.