GSM-R to LTE for Railways in India

The GSM for Railways (GSM-R) as carrier for ETCS Signalling & Train Control and also for Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) is in operation on a large number of railways all over the world including High Speed Railways. While adoption of ETCS Signalling is growing, its communication carrier GSM-R, a circuit switched based network on 2G technology has become outdated and is unable to meet with the operational requirement and emerging needs of the railways like IOT, Infotainment etc. The present digital revolution in 5G technology is being seen as possible solution for LTE for Railways. This paper presents worldwide developments taking place in LTE for Railways, the 5G implementation policy and planning in India and suggests a roadmap for introduction of ETCS level 2 Signalling & Train Control technology for Railways in India