The document discusses railway spectrum use in the UK and potential future changes. It notes that railway operations currently rely on radio communications for driver communications, track staff communications, signaller communications, and in-cab signalling. It also outlines the significant economic contribution of rail transport in the UK. The document advocates for improved radio technologies and coordination to support increased passenger traffic, in-cab signalling rollout, and other modernization efforts. It explores options for the successor to the current GSM-R standard, including potentially using commercial mobile networks if certain critical reliability and coverage conditions are met.

1. Railway input to UK Spectrum
Policy Forum
Trevor Foulkes M.A., C.Eng., FIRSE, FIET
Principal Architect, Network Rail

2. Scope of Railway Spectrum use
• Communication to Drivers
in day to day and
Emergency Situations
• Communications to on-
track staff
• Communications to
Signallers
• In cab signalling

3. What is the contribution of rail to the
UK economy?
• Passenger journeys risen 115% in 20 years
• 70% increase over this time period in the amount of
freight transported by rail.
• Employment for 212,000 people, gross value added
£9.3bn/yr and provision of £3.9bn of tax revenue.
– The tax contribution almost exactly offsets funding
provided by government to the industry;
• £13bn/yr in benefits to passengers and freight users;
• £10bn worth of additional productivity in the economy,
which arises through the impact of the rail industry on
other sectors of the economy.
See: http://www.oxera.com/getmedia/802a4979-8371-4063-ad24-8a81ed6c8f82/Contribution-of-rail-to-the-UK-economy-140714.pdf.aspx?ext=.pdf

4. Current Position
• GSM-R installed on all GB Lines
• Operational mainly for voice
• Used for in-cab signalling (ETCS) on Cambrian
Line
• NRN system turned off in South
• Train fitment continues. When complete NRN
& CSR will be turned off.

6. UK Cab Radio Driver Interface

7. Sector Changes (Need)
• Passenger growth at 1.5%-2%/yr
• More lines use in cab signalling (ETCS)
• Passenger wifi and comms improvement
• More machine to machine communications
• Smarter systems and more data
• Increasing reliance on radio communications
• New lines e.g. HS2

8. Sector Changes (Technology)
• Need for better radio bricks
• Better co-ordination over GSM-R band
• Need to enhance passenger communications
• GSM-R will become life expired

9. Immediate Changes
• Use of GPRS to support in-cab signalling
• Significant roll-out of in-cab signalling
• Improvements for passenger communications
– Probably public service
– Gateways on train for wifi & speech

10. 10
Expected Changes for 2025
onwards

11. European Initiatives
• Very early stages at looking at successor to
GSM-R
• Applications have longer life than bearer
network – some mandated by European Law
• Exploring if different bearer systems on
different lines
• No firm commercial or operation model
defined
• Solution will have to consider mission
criticality of radio bearer for ETCS

12. Split of Bearer and Application
12
Railway Operations
Radio Bearer
Applications
Communications
Services
Bearer
Independent
requirements

13. Our overall conclusion is that it is
possible for commercial mobile
broadband networks to be used
for mission critical purposes
if five
conditions
are met in
full.
The following slides expand on
these five conditions.

14. SCF Conditions for use of Commercial
Network
• Behaviour of MNO
• Reliability & Coverage
• Reasonable Cost
• Meets User Requirements e.g. hardening
• Member State supportive

15. Possible Future
• The five conditions above are met and some
train services use public networks
• Perhaps share with blue light or PPDR
• Some use a dedicated railway network
• Will depend on Member States views

16. Possible UK view
• If OFCOM wish to follow the SCF suggestions
then use public networks for voice
communications
• If not then, probably, LTE in dedicated
spectrum in 700MHz, 400MHz or the R-GSM
and ER-GSM bands.
• Would love an ETCS optimised radio (very
reliable and robust) for 10-20kbit/s at 500kph