GSM-R, Global System for Mobile Communications - Railway or GSM-Railway is an international wireless communications standard for railway communication and applications. A sub-system of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), it is used for communication between train and railway regulation control centers. The system is based on GSM and EIRENE - MORANE specifications which guarantee performance at speeds up to 500 km/h (310 mph), without any communication loss.
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GSM-R is built on GSM technology, and benefits from the economies of scale of its GSM technology heritage, aiming at being a cost efficient digital replacement for existing incompatible in-track cable and analogue railway radio networks. Over 35 different such systems are reported to exist in Europe alone.
The standard is the result of over ten years of collaboration between the various European railway companies, with the goal of achieving interoperability using a single communication platform. GSM-R is part of the new European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) standard and carries the signalling information directly to the train driver, enabling higher train speeds and traffic density with a high level of safety.
The specifications were finalized in 2000, based on the European Union-funded MORANE (Mobile Radio for Railways Networks in Europe) project. The specification is being maintained by the International Union of Railways project ERTMS. GSM-R has been selected by 38 countries across the world, including all member states of the European Union, and countries in Asia, Eurasia and northern Africa.
GSM-R is a secure platform for voice and data communication between railway operational staff, including drivers, dispatchers, shunting team members, train engineers, and station controllers. It delivers features such as group calls (VGCS), voice broadcast (VBS), location-based connections, and call pre-emption in case of an emergency. This will support applications such as cargo tracking, video surveillance in trains and at stations, and passenger information services.
GSM-R is typically implemented using dedicated base station towers close to the railway. The distance between the base stations are 7–15 km. This creates a high degree of redundancy and higher availability and reliability. The train maintains a circuit switched digital modem connection to the train control centre at all times. This modem operates with higher priority than normal users (eMLPP). If the modem connection is lost, the train will automatically stop. In Germany, Italy and France the GSM-R network has between 3000 and 4000 base stations.
In the UK, over 14,000 km of GSM-R enabled railway is planned, with 280 km currently in operation.[1] GSM-R cab radio for use in UK trains is currently being developed by Network Rail and is undergoing trials in the Strathclyde and Glasgow areas of Scotland. It is currently in use on London Overground's East London Line, between Dalston Junction and New Cross Gate.
GSM-R is one part of ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) which is composed of:
In Europe, GSM-R uses a specific frequency band:[2]
However GSM-R can operate on a number of frequencies that are being used around the world
In China GSM-R occupies a 4 MHz wide range of the E-GSM band (900 MHz-GSM). In Australia GSM-R is being implemented using frequencies in the 1800MHz band.
The used modulation is GMSK modulation (Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying). GSM-R is a TDMA (“Time Division Multiple Access”) system. Data transmission is made of periodical TDMA frames (with a period of 4.615 ms), for each carrier frequency (physical channel). Each TDMA frame is divided in 8 time-slots, named logical channels (577 µs long, each time-slot), carrying 148 bits of information.
There are worries that LTE mobile communication will disturb GSM-R, since it has been given a frequency band rather close to GSM-R. This could cause ETCS disturbances, random emergency braking because of lost communications etc.[3]
The GSM-R standard specification is divided in two EIRENE specifications[4]:
EIRENE defines the “Technical Specification for Interoperability” (TSI) as the set of mandatory specifications to be fulfilled to keep compatibility with other European networks; current TSI are FRS 7 and SRS 15. EIRENE also defines non-mandatory specifications, that are called “Interim version”, which defines extra features that are likely to become mandatory in the next TSI’s. Current Interim versions are FRS 7.1 and SRS 15.1[5]. The GSM-R specifications are fairly stable, the latest mandatory upgrade was in 2006. The complete timeline of GSM-R versions is [6]:
The current version of GSM-R can run on both R99 and R4 3GPP networks.
GSM-R permit new services and applications for mobile communications in several domains :
It is used to transmit data between trains and railway regulation centres with level 2 and 3 of ETCS. When the train passes over a Eurobalise, it transmits its new position and its speed, then it receives back agreement (or disagreement) to enter the next track and its new maximum speed. In addition, trackside signals become redundant.
Like other GSM devices, GSM-R equipment can transmit data and voice. New GSM-R features for mobile communication are based on GSM, and are specified by EIRENE project. Call features are:
There are other additional features:
Different groups make up the GSM-R market:
| Country: | Network operator: | Railway operator(s): |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | ÖBB-IKT GmbH | ÖBB |
| Australia | Department of Transport Victoria | Metro Trains Melbourne |
| Australia | RailCorp | RailCorp |
| Germany | DB Netz | DBAG |
| Belgium | Infrabel | NMBS/SNCB |
| China | China Ministry of Railway | China Ministry of Railway |
| Czech Republic | Správa železniční dopravní cesty | ČD |
| Spain | ADIF | RENFE |
| Finland | Liikennevirasto | VR |
| France | RFF | SNCF |
| Great Britain | Network Rail Limited | List of passenger operators |
| Greece | OSE S.A. | TrainOSE |
| India | - | IR |
| Italy | RFI | TI |
| Norway | JBV | NSB |
| Netherlands | NS Railinfratrust | NS |
| Saudi Arabia | Thales Group together with Nokia Siemens Networks | Saudi Arabian Railways |
| Sweden | Trafikverket | SJ |
| Switzerland | Siemens together with SBB Telecom | SBB/CFF/FFS |
| Turkey | - | Turkish State Railways |
| Country: | Network operator: | Railway operator(s): |
|---|---|---|
| Croatia (Pilot site) | - | HŽ |
| Poland (Pilot site; contract to be awarded by mid-2012) | PKP PLK | PKP S.A. |
| Slovakia (Pilot site) | ŽSR | ZSSK |
| Country: | Network operator: | Railway operator(s): |
|---|---|---|
| China | CR | KNR |
| Denmark | Banedanmark | DSB |
| Hungary | VPE | MÁV |
| Republic of Ireland | CIÉ | IÉ |
| Northern Ireland | - | NIR |
| Luxembourg | - | CFL |
| Russia | - | RŽD |
| Slovenia | AZP | SŽ |
| USA | US-DOT | Amtrak |
A fully functional GSM-R system is being trialed on the North Clyde Line in Scotland from 2007. For some years before these trials commenced however, GSM-R has been in use for voice-only purposes (known as the 'Interim Voice Radio System' (IVRS) ) in some locations where axle counters are used for train detection, for example parts of the West Coast Main Line (WCML) between Crewe and Wembley. Britain’s GSM-R network should be fully operational by 2013 at a cost of £1.2 billion. This cost though does not include the WCML.
In France, the first commercial railway route opened with full GSM-R coverage is the LGV Est européenne linking Paris Gare de l'Est to Strasbourg. It was opened on the 10th of June 2007.
(Réf. SNCF - Paris AFP, 10 June 2007)[9]
In Norway, the GSM-R network was opened on all lines on 1 January 2007.
In The Netherlands, there is coverage on all the lines and the old system called Telerail was abandoned in favour of GSM-R in 2006.
As of 2008, in Italy more than 9000 km of railway lines are served by the GSM-R infrastructure: this number includes both ordinary and high speed lines, as well as more than 1000 km of tunnels. Roaming agreements with other Italian mobile operators allow coverage of lines not directly served by GSM-R. Roaming agreements have also been set up with French and Swiss railway companies and it is planned to extend them to other countries.[10]