Radio planning has been completed for the GSM-R communications network on a key section of Poland’s pioneering ‘Y’ high-speed railway, a project that will become the country’s first railway line to operate without traditional lineside signalling.
Port Polska has finalised radio planning work for the GSM-R network along a 120-kilometre stretch of Railway Line 85, connecting Warszawa Zachodnia, the future Central Communication Port (CPK) Airport, and Łódź.
The work was delivered by a consortium comprising Biuro Projektów Komunikacyjnych w Poznaniu sp. z o.o., acting as consortium leader, alongside Biuro Projektów Kolejowych i Usług Inwestycyjnych sp. z o.o. and FONON sp. z o.o..
Enabling a New Era of Railway Control
GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway) is a dedicated railway communications platform that supports secure voice and data links between train drivers and traffic management teams. The technology replaces legacy analogue VHF 150 MHz radio systems, which are more vulnerable to interference.
Operating on a frequency band reserved exclusively for railway infrastructure, GSM-R ensures operational communications remain independent of public mobile network traffic, supporting reliable and safe railway operations.
The communications system will play a crucial role on the ‘Y’ line, which is set to become the first railway in Poland to operate without the conventional lineside signals familiar to passengers today. Instead, train movements and passenger safety will rely on advanced train control and communications technologies.
Future-Proofing for FRMCS
The contract covered radio planning for the GSM-R network along Railway Line 85 between Warsaw and Łódź, including linkages to existing railway routes and the section passing through the future CPK rail hub.
A key objective of the project was to optimise the GSM-R network while ensuring it can support the future rollout of FRMCS (Future Railway Mobile Communication System), the next-generation communications platform expected to replace GSM-R across Europe.
The completed report identifies the locations required for radio communications infrastructure, including radio masts, and specifies detailed antenna installation requirements such as:
- Number of antennas required
- Installation heights
- Transmission power levels
- Frequency allocation plans
Advanced Digital Modelling
Engineers developed a detailed digital terrain model of the proposed railway using specialist simulation software. This enabled radio wave propagation modelling across the route, helping to determine network coverage requirements and optimise infrastructure locations.
The analysis identified the precise locations where telecommunications assets will be required, providing designers with the information needed to incorporate GSM-R infrastructure into the railway’s wider design documentation.
Once constructed, the ‘Y’ line is expected to represent one of Europe’s most technologically advanced railway corridors, combining high-speed operations with next-generation digital communications and signalling systems.
Image credit: iStock
