UIC GSM-R Projects 2010-2012

In 2010, 2 projects in the field of GSM-R GSM-R Global System for Mobile Communications-Railways have started:

  1. GSM-R Core

Project Manager: Dan Mandoc (email : mandoc uic.org)

Start date: 01/01/2010 - End date: 31/12/2012

After the closure of the projects EIRENE and MORANE, the GSM-R activities aim to maintain and update the existing specifications and standardisations of GSM for railways.

The present objective is to monitor new and ongoing implementations, gathering information about gaps and inconsistencies while taking into account upcoming requests for improvement and new requirements, the constraint of a harmonized railway telecom network and the implementation of ETCS ETCS European Train Control System level 2 and 3.

The major activities iwill be performed through the UIC GSM-R working groups::

a) European Radio Implementation Group (ERIG ERIG European Radio Implementers Group ), ERIG is the forum where railways, involved in GSM-R implementation share information on progress and discuss associated issues; ERIG is also a channel for informing the members about the activities of the other GSM-R working groups as well as about new developments and requirements; there are 3 meetings by year.

b) GSM-R Pre Qualification Group (Pre Q)

The GSM-R Pre-Qualification Group is the first instance of discussing the implementation reports. The group comprises together experts from CER CER Community of the European Railways , EIM EIM European Rail Infrastructure Managers , ERA ERA European Railway Agency and the ERIG groups Chairmen’s.

b) GSM-R Functional Group (FG) FG is a working group responsible to maintain and update the EIRENE FRS FRS Functional Requirements Specifications (Functional Requirements Specifications), FG is also the interface to the Operational matters; there are 3 meetings by year.

c) GSM-R Operators Group (OG), OG is focused on maintaining and updating the EIRENE SRS (System Requirements Specifications), being the interface to ETSI Group TC-RT and GSM-R IG; there are 3 meetings by year.

d) ETSI Rail Telecom (TC-RT), ETSI-RT (TC-RT) activity is following the need of railways to upgrade of standards; it influences and follows the standardization work and specifies the necessary change requests to ETSI standards.

Main 2010 activities:

1) Support in ERTMS ERTMS European Rail Transport Management System /CCM Process, The activity is to evaluate and check change requests to the TSI TSI Technical Specifications for Interoperability and TSI related specifications and prepare a proposal for decision in CCB including an economic evaluation and a time plan.

Starting 2009, a harmonised CR process, where ERA, Sector and UIC are working together, is in place. CER and EIM are strongly involved in the key points of the so called Change Request Process, input phase in the Pre Qualification, decision on the Draft Solution as well as the interface towards ERA in discussing the finalised CR.

ERA experts are participating in the all process stages, in order to be informed and to intervene in such way that the CR is following the correct path also form their requiirements point of view. The process in this way is more transparent and much shorter, involving from early all CR Process intersted actors.

2) Support to new implementation railways, Support to new implementer’s railways, MoU MoU Memorandum of Understanding follow up.

3) Interoperability issues, Interoperability Tests (IOT) follow up, Border Crossing, International Roaming, EIRENE networks interconnection.

4)Cooperation and Support to the GSM-R Industry Group. The GSM-R Industry Group is actively involved in the GSM-R Change Request process.

5)Work on introspecting Future Railways Telecommunications Systems. In 2009, awareness was created from various channels that the Public Mobile suppliers are converging existing technologies towards a common technology called Long Term Evolution. Within UIC we have perfomed a technical report, looking if LTE could be the GSM-R follower, and on Railways criterias when choosing a new technology. The Report was released in September 2010. Following this study, a Study on Railways Future Mobile Telecommunications Systems was launched. The study has 2 Work Packages, one is on defining Railways core needs that should be fulfilled by the new technology, and the second is a techological survey.

 2. GSM-R Network Management, Frequency management

Project Manager : Dan Mandoc (email: mandoc uic.org)

Start date: 01/01/2010 - End date: 31/12/2012

The European Train Control System (ETCS) at Level 2 should replace lineside signalling, and should provide a full automatic train protection including train supervision. In order to achieve these goals, there is a need of a data service, which will help to overcome future restrictions especially in dense area. Following this line, A-GSMR will assess the readiness of IP-based solutions (e.g. GPRS) to be available for ETCS level 2 to overcome future restrictions especially in dense areas. A-GSMR will also gather and manage the frequency needs for railways, related to all frequencies and the common needs. The A-GSMR will act as an interface between railways and European frequency authorities and as the centre of competence in the field of telecommunication for railways.

The major activities in 2008 will be:

a) GPRS for ETCS, Finalise the work plan EEIG EEIG European Economic Interest Group /UNISIG UNISIG Union Industry of Signalling /UIC work plan on the feasibility of the GPRS for ETCS. The test campaigns are ongoing, most of them have been performed. Beginning 2010 the final report will be issued. The test campaigns are perfomed in Belgium. Italy and Sweden, in Lab, on Conventional Lines (Belgium, Sweden) and on High Speed Lines (Italy).

b) Radio Frequency Group,

1. Support the campaign for frequency band extension. GSM-R Additional Frequencies extension was obtained in June 2009, railways can ask for up to 3 Mhz paired in the so called PMR/PAMR bandwidth.

2. GSM-R Frequencies Interferences, we are taking actions to prevent the interferences blocking the cab Radios, coming especially from the UMTS & LTE 900. Work is ongoing to prevent the interferences, on CEPT and ETSI level. Results will be available in Q4 2010.

3. GSM-R international operations GSM-R is in implementations in at least 10 countries in Europe, and cross border using GSM-R has becomed a reality.

International GSM-R operations needs coordination work

There are two UIC dedicated working groups: NMG (Network Management Group) ENIR (European Networks Interconnection Group)

They work on interconnection, roaming and interoperability issues.

NMG deals with the operating level, while ENIR is dealing with the technical level for interconnections , it is also the keeper of the European Transit Routing Table.

It is important to mention, UIC GSM-R Networks Management Group members have decided to jointly sign a GSM-R Transit Routing Agreement, which will harmonize the Transit Routing rules. This Agreement does not supersede the bilateral agreements. The document was signed last December by DB Netz and JBV; the signatures of the GSM-R operators will be finalized in Q2 2010.

We have attached a map of existing and operational links between European GSM-R Networks