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Leading Tech and Rail Players Collaborate for Poland's Railway Digital Revolution

Leading Tech and Rail Players Collaborate for Poland's Railway Digital Revolution
photo: Alstom/Leading Tech and Rail Players Collaborate for Poland's Railway Digital Revolution
27 / 09 / 2023

Alstom, Ericsson, NetWorks!, and the Polish Railway Institute have officially confirmed their cooperation by signing a letter of intent regarding the implementation and testing of the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) in Poland.

FRMCS is an advanced communications standard meant to replace the currently used GSM-R system. Its main goal is to increase the capacity of the existing railway networks and optimize their costs of operation. It has been designed by the International Union of Railways (UIC), in cooperation with key representatives of the railway sector, and represents an important step towards a full digitalization of rail transport.

As part of the newly announced cooperation, the signatories of the Letter of Intent will engage in joint research and development projects, verify requirements and solutions in actual railway conditions, i.e. on a full-size track, and create and develop training models and certifications for the FRMCS system.

Based on the Letter of Intent:

  • Alstom will provide a modern control subsystem for vehicles.
  • Ericsson will provide a radio telecommunications network for the FRMCS pilot implementation.
  • NetWorkS! will provide competencies in telecommunications solutions for the railway sector, as well as the construction and maintenance of the FRMCS test network.
  • The Polish Railway Institute will provide the necessary research infrastructure where the FRMCS system will be tested.

"The digitization of the Polish railway sector is a significant challenge facing all market participants, including rolling stock and technology suppliers and research institutions. As the Polish Railway Institute, we wish to use our many years of experience, unique know-how, and access to infrastructure to ensure that the process of testing, certifying, and implementing FRMCS on Polish tracks goes as smoothly and quickly as possible. We are happy to cooperate in this area with distinguished partners whose experience will be of great value in the development of new FRMCS tools in Poland," declared Andrzej Massel, the Head of the Polish Railway Institute.

"At Alstom, we work every day to make mobility smart and sustainable, both when it comes to rolling stock and signaling solutions. The new FRMCS standard is necessary due to the need for further digitization, unification at the international level, and increasing the safety and capacity of the railway network. We are glad that Alstom’s FRMCS product development and experience gained over the years, in various conditions around the world, combined with the expertise of our Polish team will contribute to the development of safe solutions for Polish railways," commented Sławomir Cyza, the Managing Director of Alstom in Poland, Ukraine and Baltic States.

"Critical networks are becoming increasingly important across all industrial sectors, especially in the railway industry where they deliver the expected levels of safety, reliability, and performance. Ericsson is pleased to be a partner in the Polish FRMCS pilot and, through its experience, to demonstrate and test 5G networks in applications specific to infrastructure and rolling stock," said Martin Mellor, the CEO of Ericsson in Poland.

Maciej Zengel, the CEO of NetWorkS!, commented on his company’s decision: "NetWorkS! specializes in planning, building, and maintaining wireless networks in Poland. Our participation in the FRMCS project is a natural step towards expanding our activities. We are proud to co-create the future of rail transport in our country."

Source: Alstom

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