GSM-R starts to take over

GSM-R is an acronym for Global System for Mobile Communication for Railways and is based on the commercial system GSM, and it is also an ETSI standard.

GSM-R is the system which will be used by the railways for their radio (mobile) communication needs. It will cover the ‘voice’ needs, and will also be the bearer for ETCS (European Train Control System) level 2 and higher – the two being important parts of ERTMS (European Railway traffic Management System).

The ERTMS/GSM-R UIC (Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer) Project aims to maintain and develop the GSM-R specifications (taking into account interoperability), handling issues and problems as they arise from national implementations, preparing the ground for GSM-R in and outside Europe, and defining the next generation towards IP-based networks.

As it is being based on the commercial GSM system, GSM-R can take advantage of the technical development that GSM has already experienced.

2007 is an important year for GSM-R in Europe. We have seen the first Railway Administration migrated – ProRail, Netherlands. The 1st of January 2007 saw the switch off of TELERAIL, the old analogue network.

Towards the end of 2007, you will find that four more administrations will have migrated. Those are:

• Italy
• Germany
• Norway
• Sweden

This will mean that more than 47,000km of Railway will be migrated to GSM-R.

As shown in the map, GSM-R is in feasibility all around Europe – at either the planning phase or the implementation phase. There are 15 implementers at the moment.

From a total European railway network of 220,990km, 147,879km are planned to be equipped with this technology – that’s 67% of the total network! (see Table 1).

From this, 39,558km is already in operation, which means that more than 25% of the planned network is already working successfully. In 2010, Europe will have more than 50% of the network migrated.

I think it is currently safe to say that GSM-R is in the full implementation phase. It is a system taken into account all over Europe and the first results are starting to appear. China, India, Australia and other countries are also implementing GSM-R in their networks.

For more details please join us at the UIC ERTMS World Conference, which will be held in Berne, 11-13 September 2007, with the theme “From Independent Railways to Interoperability”, where there is a special section – Section C – focused on GSM-R.

http://www.ertms-conference.com