Future Rail Mobile Communication System (FRMCS)
Embrace the 5G future for secure, low-latency rail comms
FRMCS brings a long-overdue update to rail communications, building on the success of GSM-R to deliver 5G capabilities, optimised for railway networks. It’s a step-change, supporting ultra-highspeed performance and enabling new communications opportunities. Enghouse Networks offers a complete portfolio of OSS solutions to help you build out FRMCS coverage and optimise your network investments.
Solution Highlights
OSS Solution Overview
Explore our OSS solutions with our interactive diagram
How Enghouse Supports your FRMCS network
Enghouse provides a tightly-integrated suite of OSS solution that enable you to plan, deploy and operate your FRMCS network – alongside legacy systems.
For railway network operators:
- From greenfield to hybrid legacy deployments
- Accelerating your transition to FRMCS
- Proven with leading railway network operators globally
- Spanning the complete lifecycle
- Compatible with your multi-vendor investments
- Start your journey to FRMCS with Enghouse
Resources
Featured Document
A New Approach to Inventory Management
The $300bn global rail industry is rapidly modernising, backing up more and more high-speed rail with new 5G-based network management. But these next-gen networks will be much more complex than today’s—which means rail operators will need much more sophisticated OSS help to run them. New generations of tech, new assets – and complex legacy networks. Inventory management is fundamental to ensuring the smooth planning, deployment and operations of the next generation of railway networks.
The Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) is a 5G-based communication standard designed to replace the aging GSM-R system, which has served as the foundation for rail communications across Europe. FRMCS offers faster, more secure, and lower-latency connectivity, supporting modern applications like Automatic Train Operation (ATO) and optimized train positioning, along with greater resilience and flexibility for future technological advancements.
Although FRMCS rollout is planned through 2035, industry momentum has accelerated due to successful 5G trials on trains and growing demand for high-speed, reliable rail connectivity. FRMCS not only enhances current railway operations but also supports future applications for IoT devices, real-time monitoring, and safety-critical systems. Enghouse helps rail operators proactively plan and implement FRMCS infrastructure for a phased, low-risk transition.
- Network Inventory & Resource Management: Tracks physical, logical, and virtual assets across network layers for optimal resource allocation.
- Site Management & Network Delivery: Manages site inventory, environmental data, and workflows for streamlined network deployment.
- GIS-Enabled Network Planning: Uses Esri-powered geospatial tools to optimize coverage, route planning, and budget control.
- Operational Service Assurance: Provides real-time performance management, KPI tracking, and fault detection to ensure FRMCS network reliability.
FRMCS provides enhanced communication reliability, higher data speeds, and lower latency, critical for supporting advanced features like real-time video surveillance, predictive maintenance, and autonomous train operations. This standard also integrates future-proof capabilities, allowing it to evolve as new technologies emerge without needing a complete system overhaul.
GIS (Geographic Information System) technology enables precise network planning, asset tracking, and resource optimization. Enghouse’s GIS-enabled network planning solution helps rail operators visualize infrastructure across locations, plan routes, and manage spending, ensuring seamless integration of FRMCS with legacy and next-gen network assets.
Transitioning to FRMCS involves aligning new 5G technologies with legacy systems, managing complex network inventories, and assuring network performance. Enghouse’s OSS solutions facilitate multi-vendor integration, asset inventory management, and real-time performance monitoring, allowing operators to adopt FRMCS gradually while ensuring operational continuity and scalability.
Operational service assurance is essential for maintaining FRMCS network quality, as it monitors key performance indicators, predicts potential issues, and provides fault management across multi-vendor setups. Enghouse’s performance management solutions help operators proactively address network issues, ensuring high service levels and network resilience.
FRMCS adoption is accelerating as successful 5G trials demonstrate its benefits, prompting increased market activity and public tenders. Policies supporting Trans-European Networks (TENs) and cross-border rail corridors also drive investment in high-speed rail communications. Enghouse’s solutions help operators align with these policies and rapidly implement FRMCS.
FRMCS offers rail operators a future-ready platform that supports advanced safety measures, IoT devices, and seamless cross-border communication. This system enables better resource utilization, reduced delays, and enhanced cybersecurity, which are vital for modernizing railway operations and meeting the demands of increasingly interconnected and efficient transport networks.
Enghouse Networks brings extensive expertise in rail network management, offering solutions that span the complete lifecycle of FRMCS deployment—from planning and resource management to operational assurance. Enghouse’s solutions enable efficient, flexible integration with legacy systems, providing a proven path to 5G-ready rail operations that meets both current and future needs.
