Solutions to the challenges of migration

Over the past two decades, numerous European and international railways have planned, built and commissioned GSM-R systems. Our experts also continue to provide support for the subsequent optimisations and reinvestments.

The current situation is comparable to that in the early to mid-1990s, when the decision was taken to adopt GSM-R, the standard was specified at UIC (Union Internationale des Chemins de fer) level across Europe, and was introduced by 32 European railways in 1996.

The current challenges facing railway infrastructure managers (EIU) is replacing the GSM-R technology already deployed on their networks or sub-networks over the coming years, and in ensuring that all aspects have been taken into account – from feasibility studies, detailed fixed-line and radio network planning, and tendering, framework agreement and supplier management, right through to the completion of implementation, including commissioning. As an experienced railway specialist with a team of experts, quattron is the right partner for this. 

Organisational planning is just as important for the railways as forward-looking workforce planning across the various project phases, encompassing a range of skills and areas of expertise.

The Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) is the second generation of the standardised European digital radio system for railway operations. This new standard will gradually replace the GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications – Rail) digital radio system by the 2030s. Whilst both the specification of the new standard and its funding present challenges, the railways we support are making very concrete plans, including the launch of pilot lines where the migration from GSM-R to FRMCS is being trialled and tested. quattron’s experts provide support, drawing on their experience and expertise, to tackle the enormous operational, procedural and organisational challenges involved.

GSM-R technology is no longer sufficient to meet the future requirements of railway operations, which are increasingly digitalised and automated. European and global railways therefore need a future-proof digital communications platform to ensure safe, modern and high-speed-capable operations. For this reason, the UIC has decided to define a new railway communications platform, FRMCS – once again based on a standardised international telecommunications platform. The established 5G mobile communications standard, with its high level of maturity, offers significant advantages in the field of localisation – e.g. for ATO (Automatic Train Operation) – due to drastically reduced latency times.

Another aspect is the shared use of the 5G infrastructure to be rolled out by commercial network operators (MNOs) for FRCMS, which enables the relevant mast and broadband infrastructure to be put in place to ensure uninterrupted coverage for rail services and rail passengers alike. By intelligently linking these plans with those for FRMCS, significant synergies can be achieved in the passive infrastructure.

As was the case with the migration to GSM-R, the migration to FRMCS is also complex and affects many areas of the rail system, meaning that this transition cannot be planned as a nationwide ‘big bang’ to take place on a single date. The introduction of FRMCS should be viewed as a phased process, which requires the GSM-R system to continue operating in parallel until FRMCS has been fully implemented on the designated routes.

Developing appropriate implementation strategies for FRMCS before the FRMCS infrastructure is finalised in the planning stage is fundamental to successful implementation for any railway (thinking backwards), sequenced according to parameters such as on-board or trackside factors, as well as by region, route type or combinations of these. This encompasses not only the infrastructure of the EIU, but also railway undertakings (RUs) with rolling stock requiring retrofitting, for which FRMCS is imposed as a network access criterion.

The use of existing sites (provided the masts have the appropriate structural integrity) is a key factor in mobile network planning and the associated fixed-line network planning. Our operational, technical and economic analyses provide a sound basis for decision-making to ensure that, once the future FRMCS network has been built and commissioned, it can be handed over for appropriate operational management, including network management and site maintenance.

Based on the strategy that has been developed, the roll-out of the FRMCS network can begin in two phases:

A robust FRMCS core system is installed, configured and tested as early as Phase 1 (implementation with testing and validation). Following these tests, the other sites are connected to and integrated into the core network. The early involvement of the relevant certification and regulatory authorities ensures that problematic issues are identified (and resolved) in good time and provides the key parameters for planning the site-wide roll-out, including implementation and commissioning. In this phase, our specialists develop the ‘organisation of the future for FRMCS’, both as an (agile) project organisation and, subsequently, as a line organisation

It is then a matter of course for us to draw up the relevant specifications and processes for planning and construction (compliance with regulations) and to incorporate these into the relevant tendering procedures. In parallel with the roll-out of the infrastructure in Phase 2 – which constitutes the main phase for our project managers – the retrofitting of the rail operators’ vehicles using the EIU infrastructure also requires the most intensive preparation. Again, building on the aforementioned roll-out strategy, retrofitting plans must be drawn up, taking into account the vehicles’ areas of operation, the duration of the retrofitting, cost-effectiveness and the capacity of the workshops.

The migration from GSM-R to FRMCS entails a change in the types of communication from dial-up connections via defined lines to broadband connections with packet switching (service migration). For rail operators, this means that, at all application interfaces and often within the applications themselves, significant adjustments and new certifications will be required in some cases. Furthermore, the new FRMCS platform can also support additional services, such as maintenance and diagnostic connections or video surveillance. To this end, we are planning the necessary steps at an early stage (specific to each service and process) and preparing for implementation, which will enable migration from GSM-R to FRMCS or the initial establishment of new services via FRMCS.

Finding, developing and retaining qualified staff is essential for the technical and digital environment of a communications platform such as FRMCS. Given the unavoidable parallel timelines involved in the roll-out of FRCMS and the continued operation of GSM-R, this presents a real challenge in practice for workforce planning; our experts support the resolution of this challenge with their experience and forward-looking ideas regarding recruitment and training strategies, as well as concrete measures. Furthermore, peaks in workload and demand for specialist knowledge can be managed by our railway partner quattron, as project staff can be flexibly deployed and withdrawn to support or supplement the railway operator’s own teams.

Throughout all phases, active stakeholder management ensures that those involved have access to the right amount of information at the right time, which is essential for the success of the joint project.