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PrintA track record of innovation
As rail competes for passengers and cargo, networks worldwide are undergoing rapid modernization. Innovative digital communications is part of the mix, helping to make train travel safer and more efficient.
Rail transport is undergoing a renaissance. Train travel is seen as being less damaging to the environment than air or road travel. In Europe the ten-year target is for all journeys of less than 1,000 km between major cities to be by train rather than air. Around the world, not only are new rail networks being built to meet rising demand, but existing railways are being modernized to improve safety, increase efficiency and offer a better experience for passengers.
Innovative technology is sweeping away a legacy of incompatible communications systems that fail to offer the interoperable and integrated functionality that a modern railway needs. Chief among the new technologies is GSM-R, a complete system that provides tailored voice communications for optimized train operation. Moreover its integrated data communications capabilities constitue a reliable data transmission for applications such as train control, passenger services, maintenance data, telemetry and security. As the data carrier for the ETCS (European Train Control System) signaling standard, GSM-R is an integral part of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), which comprises both ETCS and GSM-R.
The GSM-R technology growth is so rapid that Nokia Siemens Networks believe that, within a decade, all European railways and many rail operators and infrastructure owners in other regions, including Australia, China, India, Middle East and South America will rely on GSM-R for data and voice communication. In China alone, Nokia Siemens Networks has won a raft of rail contracts recently, including the 360 km Hefei-Wuhan Line, the Wuhan-Guangzhou Line (at 968 km, the world's longest high-speed railway) and the Hefei-Nanjing Line - China's first passenger-dedicated line for commercial use.
Nokia Siemens Networks GSM-R is also finding success across Europe. One of the latest projects is Spain's new high speed line from Madrid to Valencia and Albacete. The system will cover 450 km of track, enabling higher speeds and greater traffic density with improved safety.
In addition to GSM-R, Nokia Siemens Networks integrates other technologies (see panel below), which offers new services for passengers as well as more efficient internal communications for railway companies. And all this is backed by a full end-to-end capability, not just delivering the infrastructure, but deploying it and even maintaining and operating it.
Innovation at high speed
In addition to GSM-R for operational communications, Nokia Siemens Networks is pioneering other technology for rail.
WLAN on Trains for more revenue
Wireless LAN connectivity for passengers makes rail travel more attractive and creates a new source of revenue for train operators. The system also helps to improve train management through several applications.
Innovative applications
Nokia Siemens Networks works closely with selected expert partners to create a range of novel railway applications. Train monitoring, train positioning, video surveillance, Intelligent SMS and other applications can be deployed easily to enable more efficient and reliable operations for rail operators and improved end-user experience.
One sector of the market showing particular promise is that of safety and automation. Although the market is small in global terms, there are real opportunities, such as personal CCTV (Closed Circuit Television ) to give householders extra security when they are out. On the automation side, saving on energy consumption is a clear trend, enabling people to control their homes remotely, such as turning air conditioning and lights on and off.
Flash-OFDM for seamless connectivity
Flash-OFDM provides handover and seamless connectivity for high speed trains (up to 350 km/h), which no other technology can provide, supporting efficient train operations and fast Internet access to passengers via WLAN.