Správa železnic, the Czech railway infrastructure manager, has worked with mobile operators to complete 5G coverage in railway tunnels. The project improves voice and data services for passengers on the Prague–Brno/Ostrava corridor and prepares the infrastructure for the future FRMCS railway communications system.
The project aims to improve the quality and availability of voice and data services for passengers traveling along the corridor between Prague, Brno, and Ostrava.
Work began in March of last year and cost nearly CZK 73 million (EUR 3.01 million)
No “dead zones” in tunnels
The goal of the project is to build the necessary infrastructure for high-speed 5G mobile data services in railway tunnels.
According to Správa železnic, the work has eliminated the so-called “dead zones” in the Vítkov tunnels in Prague and the Krasíkov tunnel, where communication services were limited or unavailable.
Tomáš Tóth, CEO of Správa železnic, stated that the introduction of 5G technology represents a new step in the plan to provide mobile signal coverage along the main European corridors within the Czech Republic.
“The so-called dead zones have disappeared from the Vítkov tunnels in Prague and the Krasíkov tunnel, so it is now possible to make a call from both locations. At the same time, the safety and reliability of railway operations have increased,” said Tomáš Tóth.
Infrastructure for FRMCS
The project also has broader technical implications beyond passenger services.
The new infrastructure is important for the future FRMCS radio system—Future Railway Mobile Communication System—which will replace the GSM-R network currently used on lines supervised by ETCS in the coming years.
Special radiating cables and optical connections have been installed in the tunnels. At the tunnel portals, technological hubs have been set up where mobile operators install their active transmission equipment, in coordination with Správa železnic.
The operators will provide the actual mobile services used by passengers for calls and data traffic.
158 locations targeted in the coming years
In the coming years, mobile operators and Správa železnic plan to expand coverage to 158 locations along the four main rail corridors.
These are the Prague–Cheb, Prague–České Budějovice, Prague–Děčín, and Přerov–Břeclav routes.
For the coverage program to proceed efficiently, coordination among all parties involved and the streamlining of authorization procedures will be necessary.
Jiří Grund, president of APMS, the association of mobile network operators in the Czech Republic, stated that the project in the Vítkov tunnels demonstrates that a high-quality mobile signal along the railway requires long-term collaboration between the state, the infrastructure manager, and mobile operators.
“Our common goal is for passengers to have a high-quality mobile connection not only at stations, but throughout their entire journey, including in tunnels and other challenging sections. That is why this cooperation will continue along other parts of the main rail corridors,” said Jiří Grund.
Work Carried Out at Night
The project contractor was AŽD, a company specializing in railway technologies and safety systems.
The cost of the work was CZK 72,925,200 (EUR 3.01 million).
Zdeněk Chrdle, CEO of AŽD, stated that the project was challenging from an execution standpoint, as the work had to be carried out at night, during short traffic closures, and under strict safety measures.
“Thanks to excellent cooperation with the investor, we were able to create modern technological infrastructure so that the tunnels provide passengers with top-quality signal coverage and offer rail transport a foundation for next-generation networks,” said Zdeněk Chrdle.
Funding through the Recovery Plan
The project “Implementation of 5G/FRMCS on the Prague–Česká Třebová–Brno/Ostrava Railway Corridor – Tunnels” was funded through the Czech Republic’s National Recovery Plan.
The funding comes from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Source: https://www.railwaypro.com/wp/the-czech-republic-has-introduced-5g-in-railway-tunnels/
