Understanding FRMCS and how it can be the foundation for railway digitalization

Several railway operators are on the way to digitalization and automation of their railway operations, and they are already running special programs, such as Smart Rail 4.0, Digitale Schiene, DigiRail, etc. These programs allow future services to run even more reliably, increase capacity on the existing rail networks, improve safety for employees and optimize system costs. FRMCS, enabled by the latest mobile communication technology – 5G – plays a central role by not only replacing the legacy GSM-R communication system, but also by allowing the implementation of a broad range of new use cases, such as ATO, IoT and remote operation.

• The role of FRMCS in railway digitalization

• The promising use cases enabled by FRMCS

• FRMCS implementation timelines and migration aspects

• Details on 5G as an enabling technology

• Example programs and trials underway at major rail operators