International Standards and Development Mechanism, Architecture and Services for RSTT: Challenges and Future Research Direction

Train safety and non-safety services are provided through radio communications systems. Railway Radio Communication Systems between Train and Trackside (RSTT) is the communication system that can enable flexible communication between the train and the trackside. RSTT provides an improved railway traffic control system and passenger safety while onboard and security for train operations. The GSM-R system is seen today as the most widely deployed technology for RSTT. However, recently, evolutionary communication systems are evolving to transfer standards of technologies or replace them with more advanced ones. Despite the roll-out of GSM-R in many countries, the development mechanism for the operation of RSTT that exists is still scenario-based. Furthermore, developing economies with limited penetration of rail transportation networks do not focus on making efforts towards developing such standards vis-à-vis operational strategies and technologies for effective deployment of RSTT. In this paper, we summarised the issues and challenges of international standards for RSTT. We mapped them to technical and regulatory issues to recommend the best suit for developing economies like Nigeria, where the rail network infrastructure is still in an infant stage.