Change here please! Train-to-ground communication via MCX

The Spanish company Teltronic S.A.U. has developed a Mission Critical Service (MCx) portfolio that is ready for the future implementation of the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS). Broadband networks play a crucial role in train-to-ground communication in the demanding railroad sector and the introduction of FRMCS is progressing steadily. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the body responsible for standardizing broadband technologies at a global level, is working closely with the International Union of Railways (UIC). The aim is to define communication in such a way that it can be used not only as a further development of the GSM-R radio system currently used in Europe on main and high-speed lines. It should also serve as an operating model for mass or local transport. As a result, in recent years, railroad operators have begun to consider the evolution of their current networks towards new broadband technologies for all communication needs, including critical communications, automatic train control and other value-added applications. At this point, Mission Critical Services (MCx), which refer to a set of critical communication solutions for broadband networks and provide the voice (MCPTT), data (MCData) and video (MCVideo) services and the infrastructure to support these services, play an absolutely fundamental role.These MCx are standardized by 3GPP and, together with 5G, are the pillar on which FRMCS and the digitalization of rail transport will be built.

One step closer to FRMCS

With its 50 years of experience in critical communications, Teltronic has developed a complete MCx portfolio ready for the future implementation of FRMCS. This solution includes private LTE/5G infrastructures that provide reliability and availability along with Quality of Service (QoS), Priority and Preemption (PP) capabilities to deliver mission-critical services. Secondly, it is FRMCS-enabled on board to manage train-to-ground communications at all times and enable integration with other subsystems - video surveillance, passenger information services (PIS), public address (PA), passenger emergency alarms (PEA) or Train Control and Monitoring System (TCMS). NG CeCoCo also integrates MCx communication in the control room together with other networks or applications such as video. This provides a powerful solution for rail operations controllers. These have been used and tested in real applications on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut railroad corridor, for example. There, Teltronic was selected to supply and integrate the on-board equipment, terminals and control center solution to provide MCx services for this 82-kilometer route with trains traveling at speeds of up to 180 kilometers per hour.