IF articles

Summary - To date, more than 100,000 km of railroads (11,000 km in Italy) are equipped with GSM-Railway (GSM-R) radio coverage. This network infrastructure ensures the fundamental track-to-train radio communication (including voice and data). However, the transmissive characteristics of the GSM-R limit the adoption of new rail technologies associated with the digital transformation. These technologies include real-time train operations monitoring and control, the Internet of Things (IoT) for rail facilities, as well as novel applications for train spacing, especially in rail junctions/hubs. Indeed, these technologies require high levels of reliability, latency, and throughput. To overcome the limitations of GSM-R and develop the future railway system, a new standard based on fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks known as the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) must be implemented. There are several reasons for choosing 5G networking for the future of rail communications. In addition to bandwidth, 5G networks can offer extremely high reliability and minimal latency. Furthermore, 5G provides methods for building massive networks of IoT sensors, allowing for the optimization of railway processes and services by leveraging the data acquired from such a multitude of sensors. Finally, 5G and hence FRMCS will provide significant flexibility in communications to rail operators by allowing virtual subnets to be dedicated to different categories of traffic, such as critical/non-critical. A further degree of flexibility can be achieved using cloud networking and the so-called Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC).

This article will describe the main features of the new FRMCS/5G standard and how these features can accelerate the rail sector’s digital transition. The first part will outline the new features associated with the next-generation radio access and core network, as well as their potential impact on the railway system. Then, the solutions adopted in a real-world design case of an FRMCS/5G mobile network in the context of the Rail Baltica’s tender project, a strategic 870 km long high-speed (HS) line stretching from Estonia to Poland, and traversing the 3 Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), will be exposed. At present, the FRMCS standardization process envisions the release of final technical specifications in the first quarter of 2026. This article considers preliminary versions of these technical specifications, theoretical and laboratory studies carried out by the UIC, and architectural proposals presented by vendors at several meetings. Although non-definitive, these inputs allow the topics outlined in the following to be addressed in a manner similar to what will be established in future directives.

https://www.medra.org/servlet/view?lang=it&doi=10.57597/IF.10.2024.ART.2