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FRMCS and Moving Block: Enabling the Next Generation of Railway Communications
European railways are becoming increasingly digital, with developments such as automated train operations, advanced signalling and growing connectivity requirements placing new demands on communication between trains and railway infrastructure. The existing GSM-R system was designed for an earlier generation of railway operations and cannot provide all the capabilities required by these emerging applications.
The solutions
Europe’s Rail (EU-Rail) is helping bridge the gap between research and deployment, supporting the validation of FRMCS technologies and the development of practical migration scenarios towards the future railway communication system.
The Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS)
The Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) is the successor of Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway (GSM-R), providing a 5G-based system designed to support train control, signalling, and real-time data exchange. It offers higher speed, increased capacity and enhanced security to meet the evolving communication needs of modern rail networks.
Did you know?
FRMCS ensures seamless and secure communication for automated operations, emergency response, and cross-border interoperability.
Maturity level
TRL 4-5 (the solution is a prototype).
Expected benefits
- Higher performance: 5G-based infrastructure delivers ultra-low latency, high reliability, and increased bandwidth, supporting real-time applications and data-intensive services.
- Enhanced security: Advanced encryption and cybersecurity protocols protect against evolving threats and unauthorised access.
- Seamless interoperability: Standardised architecture ensures compatibility across borders and with legacy systems during transition.
- Greater capacity: Supports more trains and higher traffic density on existing infrastructure, optimising network utilisation.
Who benefits
Infrastructure Managers
Railway operators
Final users
Moving Block
The Moving block solution aims to increase the line capacity through decoupling the signalling from physical infrastructure and decreasing the constraints imposed by trackside train detection resulting in the increase of transit of trains.
Maturity level
TRL 6-7
Expected benefits
Good perspectives for all types of trains (mainline/high speed, urban/suburban, regional and freight lines)
Who benefits
Infrastructure Managers
Railway operators
Suppliers
Final users
Conclusion
Designed for long-term scalability and evolution, the FRMCS and the Moving Block support the changing needs of the railway sector while enabling cost-effective, phased deployments and easy maintenance.
Learn more about the project
FP2-R2DATO
To meet the increasing demand for transportation of both passengers and freight, FP2-R2DATO will take the advantages of digitalisation and automation to develop the next generation ATC and deliver scalable digital and automatic (up to autonomous) train operation (DATO) capabilities in order to enhance the capacity of the existing rail networks.