Kazakhstan National Railway selects TELTRONIC to implement the world’s first ETCS-based rail signaling system over TETRA
While European Union countries have no alternative but to implement GSM-R technology due to regulatory reasons, the rest of the world is free to benefit from TETRA’s superior spectral efficiency, broader range of functions and lower cost.
ELTRONIC S.A.U., a leader in innovative TETRA-based transportation solutions, has supplied to the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), Kazakhstan’s national railways company, the first ever TETRA network to support a rail signaling solution based on the European Traffic Control System (ETCS). This solution has been named Radio-based Train Control (RBTC) in Kazakhstan.
Even though ETCS was defined for European use, and is subject to European directives, it has become an attractive choice for railway organizations outside Europe. While ETCS is desired, its default supporting communications technology (GSM-R) is being questioned owing to spectrum availability issues and its particularly high cost.
Until now TETRA technology has been deployed in such mass transit systems as buses, subways and tramways. The KTZ project is the first to rely on TETRA to support the signaling data requirements in a long-distance railway. The TELTRONIC TETRA communications system meets all requirements for ETCS rail signaling system communications and is more efficient and cost effective than the routinely deployed GSM-R technology. TETRA also operates at lower frequencies, improving coverage and reducing equipment costs. Call set-up times are also much faster over TETRA.
KTZ is a public organization responsible for the operation of the main railway network, both passenger and cargo transportation, throughout Kazakhstan. The country’s vast territory and widespread network of raw materials production and distribution all highlight the critical importance of railway transport. Kazakhstan’s railway industry is a developing sphere of its economy, the production and technical potential of which has been steadily increasing recently, providing employment for over 140,000 people.
KTZ is in the process of building a modern rail network to slash travel times throughout the country. Its modernized freight lines are of paramount economic importance as they are expected to increase the flow of goods traffic across Kazakhstan. As part of the plan to increase freight-train speeds, KTZ contracted with TELTRONIC S.A.U. to deliver TETRA land mobile radio systems for two separate sections of railway, including voice communications via on-board consoles and communications support for the signaling systems based on RBTC.
KTZ chose TELTRONIC due to the company’s vast experience in radio communications for transportation systems, its end-to-end Ethernet IP technology and its willingness to customize. TELTRONIC committed to delivering a fully integrated radio system to meet KTZ specifications, which includes functionality comparable to ERTMS Level 3. The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is an initiative backed by the European Union to enhance cross-border interoperability and signaling procurement. Using TELTRONIC’s IP interfaces, the TETRA communications equipment has already been successfully integrated guaranteeing the high safety level required for rail signaling and control systems.
“The Kazakhstan railway implementation proves the ability of our TETRA technology to successfully handle voice and data communications in rail signaling applications,” said Jose M. Martin, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer of TELTRONIC. “While European Union countries have no alternative but to implement GSM-R technology due to regulatory reasons, the rest of the world is free to benefit from TETRA’s superior spectral efficiency, broader range of functions and lower cost.”
Source: www.teltronic.es
