Finland has received an exemption from the European Commission to use commercial mobile networks for data transmission between trains and the new European Rail Traffic Management System. This solution is significant for Finland: leveraging existing networks enables modern radio-network-based train control without the need to build a separate nationwide radio network intended solely for rail traffic.
Finland is modernising its train control system as part of the Digirail project and the implementation of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). In the new system, information is transmitted between the train and the train control system via a radio network.
The EU exemption allows Finland to use telecommunications operators’ existing commercial mobile networks for data transmission, rather than building a separate nationwide radio network for rail transport.
“This solution is significant both technically and financially. Building a separate, national 5G-standard communications network solely for rail traffic would cost hundreds of millions of euros. By leveraging existing commercial networks, it is possible to achieve savings of tens of millions of euros. At the same time, the solution makes use of infrastructure that telecommunications operators are continuously developing and maintaining, and will continue to do so in the future,” says Esa Sirkiä, Director at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.
Finland: A pioneer in European rail transpot
The GSM-R system, which is based on a radio network specific to the railways utilising 2G technology, is currently widely used for train communications on European railways. In Finland, instead of GSM-R, the public safety network Virve has been used for train communications under a special exemption.
GSM-R is nearing the end of its life cycle. As its successor in Europe, a FRMCS (Future Railway Mobile Communication System) based on 5G technology is being developed.
Finland’s goal is to implement a new generation of railway communications by making the greatest possible use of existing commercial mobile networks. The solution supports the radio-network-based ETCS train control system to be implemented on Digirail, in which data is continuously transmitted between the train and the train control system.
“Finland’s goal has been to implement future railway communications in such a way that the data transmission required by the FRMCS can be provided through existing commercial mobile networks.” The lessons learnt from this solution can also be applied elsewhere in Europe in the future. “We have been advocating for regulatory change for 15 years, and this exemption is a strong indication that Finland’s approach is widely valued in Europe,” says Juha Lehtola, Project Manager at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.
The solution has been tested for years
The suitability of commercial mobile networks for data transmission in train traffic control has been studied in Finland for several years.
Digirail has tested the coverage of commercial networks across the entire Finnish rail network. The results of the first nationwide test round met the objectives set for the system, and the results were published in 2023 in the report Public Mobile Radio Networks – Suitability for ETCS Traffic.
The solution has also been tested on the ETCS test track between Kouvola, Kotka and Hamina for over a year. Based on the test results, the solution—which utilises multiple commercial mobile networks—has proven its functioning not only in terms of coverage but also in terms of reliability.
Next, testing will move on to the Tampere–Pori/Rauma track section. This is the first track section on which the new system is being used for regular passenger and freight traffic.
Additional information:
Project Manager Juha Lehtola p. 0295 343 892 etunimi.sukunimi@vayla.fi
The Digirail project is making rail transport in Finland safer, smoother and more efficient. The project is reinventing the outdated train control system and introducing a shared European radio-based train control system across the entire rail network. Digirail will enable safe transport, an improved service level and growth of capacity, and it will create a long-term technical foundation for Finnish railway traffic. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, Fintraffic and the Ministry of Transport and Communications are collaborating in the project with other actors.