SELEX Communications solutions for the railway sector

Communications are one of the components that lead the train operating company to be efficient, secure and safe. Railway telecommunication systems have to work 24 hours a day and 365 days a year with a negligible downtime: therefore they must have an extremely high level of availability and reliability. Lives and profits depend on the system being available.

SELEX Communications, a Finmeccanica company, is one of the few players providing complete and reliable solutions for Professional Mobile Radio communications like GSM-R, TETRA, DMR, Simulacast or P25. Thanks to its long experience, the company is able to combine competence and a complete portfolio of communication equipments, terminals and on-board solutions for Transportation Authorities.

The close co-operation with GSM-R operators, notified bodies, railway authorities and signalling manufacturers has enabled SELEX Communications to continuously update its know-how of on-board systems, railway procedures and users’ operational issues, that are not often included into telecom standards but are the key to adding value for a telecom supplier involved in the transportation market. SELEX Communications has developed a profound understanding of railway mobile technology, becoming a member of the GSM-R Industry Group in 2001 and achieving a leading position in the GSM-R equipment design. Moreover, the company has an extensive knowledge of the transportation market at all levels, from current EIRENE/MORANE standards and future evolution.

The Cab Radio RaCE 2500, one of the key products among the wide range GSM-R solutions produced by SELEX Communications

In 2001, SELEX Communications developed its first EIRENE compliant GSM-R module. Based on the common hardware and software platform, the company created the widest GSM-R product portfolio, including handhelds, cab radios and modems. In 2004, together with Ansaldo STS (Finmeccanica Group), SELEX Communications won a contract from the main Italian operator for the equipment of locomotives for conventional lines with the on-board technological system, which includes two types of Cab Radio. In the aftermath, UK and France have ordered Selex Communications terminals.

The company also provided the high-speed Italian Cab Radio to Euroradio, specifically integrated with the signalling system of Ansaldo STS. Within the same project, SELEX Communications played an active role in testing and commissioning the entire new signalling system ERTMS Level 2 on the Turin-Novara. This success story has set the bases for both companies to work in close cooperation.

A recent result achieved, thanks to the joint effort between SELEX Communications and Ansaldo STS, regards the contract for the new Libyan high-speed railway system supporting voice and data communication services. Selex Communications is responsible for the construction of the entire telecommunications system. The wireless communications network is based on the digital GSM-R radio system. This radio network is used as a radio system for railroad operations as well as a means for transmission of data related to automatic train control as part of ERTMS/ETCS Level 2. As far as the station telephony is concerned, SELEX Communications manages and integrates the Railway Operative Communication System with the typical technologies like Circuit Switched, VoIP and WiFi.

In TLC railway systems, a mandatory role is played by control room and operator stations which are composed by data applications service and vital data applications. Selex Communications defines and integrates the solutions for the main control room and for the remote operator stations. Simple interfaces are able to integrate in the telecommunication network the security system features and equipments – camera, sensors, terminals etc. – in order to develop a video surveillance system, a key component of many railway operators for decades. The video surveillance has evolved not only in its application but also in its deployment in wide areas: for this reason a reliable and flexible network is needed for the interconnection of all devices. All these technologies must be interconnected with reliable and rugged infrastructures: SELEX Communications designs and defines the backbone system and his access equipments.

SELEX Communications is capable of understanding and fulfilling the requirements of Rail Infrastructure Managers, Train and Metro Operating Companies, providing the right cost-effective solutions.