Questionnaire to the Sector on FRMCS Deployment

FRMCS Deployment at Train and Rail Fair in Stockholm

During the Train And Rail fair held in Stockholm from 6 to 8 May 2025, Trafikverket, Swedish Infrastructure Manager, hosted a full-day session focused on the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS).

The main objective  was to inform Railway Undertakings about the implications of FRMCS deployment, particularly concerning onboard equipment.

Alstom, Funkwerk and SNCF, all Members of EU-Rail, presented their insights on the deployment process.

Railway Undertakings (RUs) who attended the session provided valuable feedback, which will be included in the upcoming activities of EU-RAIL FRMCS European Deployment Group. The RUs expressed concerns about the challenges posed by implementing this technology within a short timeframe and they therefore appreciated receiving information in advance to enable effective preparation.

These insights reaffirm the FRMCS European Deployment Group’s commitment to developing informative materials to support all the stakeholders (large and small companies) in their understanding of the FRMCS deployment’s impact.

Questionnaire to sector on FRMCS Deployment topics.

Since the start of 2025, the EU-RAIL FRMCS Deployment Group has been actively advancing its work across several working groups.

Working Group 1 is focusing on the analyses of National Investment Plans and cross-border and MNO issues.

In parallel, Working Group 2 is analysing cost drivers and has started a collaboration with the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) to investigate how the authorisation process can be optimised.

Working Group 3 initiated the development of a questionnaire which aims to gather input from key sector stakeholders (including Infrastructure Managers, Railway Undertakings and Lessors, providers, and authorisation bodies) on various aspects of FRMCS deployment. Subgroup 1 and 2 have enriched the questionnaire’s content through several weeks of collaborative work.

The first edition of the questionnaire, to be distributed by major organisations (AERRL, CER, EIM, ERA, UNIFE) to their members, seeks to collect a broad range of perspectives and increase awareness on FRMCS deployment topics. The responses will also support the implementation of Recommendation 6 of ERA FRMCS Technical Opinion released in December 2024 (advice on deployment aspects).

The questionnaire process has promoted an exchange of knowledge within the sector, involving experts from infrastructure management, operations, UIC and industry, and it has helped clarify the potential impacts of the upcoming FRMCS specifications on deployment and migration strategies. Stakeholders are encouraged to respond in detail by the submission deadline. While it is understood that some information may not yet be available due to the current development phase, the questionnaire will be repeated regularly to build a full picture over time. A summary report on the findings will be published in September as a key deliverable of the FRMCS Deployment Group.

Join the Deployment Group

The High-Level Deployment Group remains open to sector participation. You are interested in joining the Deployment Group? Please find more details here: