Indian Railways to use 5 MHz Spectrum to provide LTE based Mobile Train Radio Communication; see benefits
In a bid to boost the Modi government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ Mission, Piyush Goyal chaired Railway Ministry had approved allotment of 5 MHz Spectrum in 700 MHz frequency band to the Indian Railways network for the safety and security of the public at railway stations and in trains. With this spectrum, the national transporter has envisaged providing Long Term Evolution (LTE) based Mobile Train Radio Communication on its route. According to the ministry, the project’s estimated investment is more than Rs 25,000 crore. It is expected to be completed in the next five years. For Indian Railways, the purpose of the LTE is to provide reliable and secure voice, data and video communication services for operational, safety as well as security applications of the national transporter. It will be utilized for the following:
- Modern Cab-based Signalling System deployment with Automatic Train Protection, which will increase safety as well as throughput in train operation. Also, it will help during fog.
- Mission Critical Voice Communication in train operations with seamless connectivity between Driver, Station Master, Guard, Maintenance staff and Train Traffic Controller
- To enhance passenger security, it will be monitoring Limited Video Surveillance CCTV cameras in Trains
- It will also be used for IoT based Asset monitoring specially the rolling stock
- Passenger Information Systems in trains as well as at railway stations
According to the Railway Ministry, for modernization of Signalling and Telecommunication, the national transporter has envisaged investment of nearly Rs 55,000 crore. In addition to Long Term Evolution initiative, some of the major initiatives in Railway Telecom are as follows: