Even though, on paper, we’re going to have to wait until the end of the MORANE (MObile Radio for RAilways Networks in Europe)-2 process for an ‘official’ specification defining the technical requirements, protocols, and features necessary for the next generation of railway communication systems, rail network operators seem to have quietly decided to move ahead and start their investment in ‘5G rail’ now.
Given that the roadmap for migration to FRMCS (Future Railway Mobile Communication System) at national levels across Europe is supposed to only start between 2028 and 2035, with ‘gradual’ commercial operation from 2032, this may seem premature. But while there are going to be possible extensions to older communications standards, no reasonable business plan across all 1.3 million route-kilometres of the global rail network for telecommunications and data can afford not to have Fifth Generation-based extensions on the roadmap.
This will mean a lot of hybrid 5G and GSM-R co-existence, with the necessity of being able to map out complex hybrid solutions that keep the best of the old world and the new. Embracing such co-existence now will mean not just smoother GSM-R-FRMCS transition, but the chance to learn valuable lessons about the many other applications 5G will unlock for a more digital train experience—and not just in Europe, either.
Investment in ‘5G Rail’ May Even Be Accelerating
That’s because FRMCS is not just the official successor of GSM-R, but also as a key enabler for rail transport digitalisation. That’s the official position of no less a critical stakeholder than the International Union of Railways, UIC. So, working in close cooperation with different stakeholders from the rail sector, it’s pushing ahead to make FRMCS (and it’s signalling twin, ERTMS, the basis for a truly digital, next-generation rail system.
Early movers agree. Ericsson just announced the trial of a 5G-based railway communications system in Poland, working with that country’s Polish railway infrastructure manager, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe, for example. The aim: deliver “innovative, mission-critical network solutions” aimed at demonstrating the benefits of 5G for railway operations in general, and particularly to prepare the technological migration of railways in Poland. In Queensland, Australia’s railways are already asking for help on the transition of radio communications from GSM-R to FRMCS as part of their forward procurement pipeline.
Back in Europe, the ongoing Rail Baltica project—a €15 billion-plus 870 km-long new electric rail infrastructure project intended to integrate the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland into the wider European rail network and which is set to complete by 2030—has already gone to market for a command and control and signalling system that must include FRMCS.
Rail Baltica is also the North sea Baltic end of the EU’s Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridor. That’s significant, as these massive communications areas will demand high investment in many advanced technologies, many of which we can expect to be based on 5G.
But European rail companies aren’t all building futures that big; over in neighbours Czechia and Slovakia, there’s an opening for FRMCS future readiness in a much more modest but still vital railway corridor, the one between Brno and Bratislava (“The intent of the project is to produce a study which will address the implementation of 5G and FRMCS communication systems and prepare for CAM with respect to the existing communication environment and requirements implemented on the transport path”).
Work with Enghouse to Leverage All This Investment in ‘5G Rail’ to your First-Mover Advantage
We could easily go on—here’s another example of looking at investment in ‘5G rail’ on the rolling stock side, retrofitting at the Finnish state’s VR-Group with a new ETCS (trackside safety system) that will also be Future Railway Mobile Communication System ready, for example.
The verdict’s clear: even though we’re still on paper only at its first stage (Version 1 (V1) of the FRMCS specifications have just been finalised, says the UIC), investment in ‘5G rail is proceeding earlier than many had supposed.
Increased 5G rail support market demand, evidenced through these projects and pilots, shows that if you’ve not even timetabled thinking about it, it’s time to get ready to add 5G capability to your rail communications solution.
Talking to an expert in building complex new 5G networks like Enghouse might really help you get on track for that. Why not embark on your own journey to 5G rail investment success here?
