The 5GRAIL project, the demonstrator of 5G FRMCS (Future Railways Mobile Communication System), has officially started on 1 November 2020 and is implemented under the Horizon 2020. The project has a EUR 13 million budget.
The 30-month project consists of eight Work Packages which aim to validate the first FRMCS specifications by developing and testing prototypes for the FRMCS ecosystem for both trackside infrastructure and on-board use. It will be based on UIC’s Version 1 of the Functional and System Requirement Specifications, including the Interfaces, and on 5G (3GPP Release 16) technology.
The developed prototypes will be tested in laboratories and real track conditions. They will support the ETCS, voice Group Calls and Railway Emergency Calls. Cross border scenarios and coexistence with roads will be also studied.
“We will make high-speed radio transmission a real part of railway operations to allow for new applications, increased safety, and above all greater customer satisfaction,” François Davenne, UIC Director General said.
A first FRMCS edition is expected in 2025, based on 5G (3GPP Release 17), available for railways to start the national pilots. 5GRAIL is an integral part of this FRMCS design.
“The European rail supply industry is convinced that the Horizon 2020 5GRAIL project will support first market application and pilot projects for the introduction of 5G FRMCS technology,” Philippe Citroën, Director General of UNIFE, said.
UIC is the 5GRAIL Project Coordinator that will manage a consortium composed of UNIFE, DB Netz, SNCF Réseau, SBB, OBB and IP, as well as the European rail suppliers – Nokia, Kontron, Alstom, Thales, Siemens, CAF and Teleste. Within the project, research centres and universities – IFSTTAR & Gustave Eiffel from France and DTU from Denmark are involved.
5GRAIL will aim to cooperate with railways regulatory and standardisation bodies, especially the European Union Agency for Railways (CCS TSI). Cooperation will also be established with Shift2Rail, the first European rail Research an Innovation Partnership working on a new communication system for railways.
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