Nokia has announced a 5G radio system to deliver high-capacity, high-performance and resilient real-time communications to rail operators worldwide, setting the foundation for the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS).

As a cornerstone for smarter, safer and more efficient rail networks, it supports greater digitalisation and automation, driving benefits for passengers, businesses and the environment.

The launch features the industry’s first commercial 5G radio for the 1900MHz (n101) band, along with Nokia’s Core Enterprise for Railways, purpose-built to accelerate the sector’s digital transformation.

In the coming decade, FRMCS will upgrade the current 2G GSM-R and become the next global standard for all railways. Its 5G-based successor, with built-in security and reliability, enables enhanced automation, more digital applications, improved passenger services and secure cross-border communication.

Nokia (www.nokia.com) has decades of experience in GSM-R deployments across more than 20 countries. The company has been at the forefront of FRMCS development, collaborating with rail operators, governments, industry and standardisation bodies to help shape the standard and enable its global deployment.

“The drive towards digitalisation demands the kind of high-speed connectivity and data capabilities that legacy systems simply can’t provide, creating an urgent need for rail operators worldwide to modernise,” said Tommi Uitto, Nokia’s president of mobile networks. “Our commercial 5G solution, backed by decades of proven rail industry expertise, reflects our commitment to laying the foundation for the next generation of railway operations. We offer a future-proof, flexible technology platform that supports a smooth transition to FRMCS while improving operational efficiency, safety and the overall passenger experience.”

The 5G radio is built for mission-critical communications and supports coexistence, enabling railways to migrate to 5G alongside legacy systems such as GSM-R with no disruption. In addition, its optimised, cloud-native 5G SA core supports all FRMCS functionalities for the transport stratum.

Modular, flexible and scalable, it enables regional and nationwide deployments. It will also be tested under the EU-funded FP2-Morane-2 project, which builds on earlier FRMCS (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FRMCS) initiatives to advance the digitalisation of rail operations across Europe.

The shift to 5G introduces capabilities that align with the operational needs of modern railways, particularly in border crossing scenarios. Here are some of the main benefits for rail operators and passengers:

• Automated train operations: Enabling real-time control and monitoring of trains to improve safety and efficiency and decreasing energy consumption and emissions.
• Passenger information systems: Providing real-time updates and information to passengers for a better travel experience.
• Mission-critical voice communications: Integrating voice, video and data services in a single, standard platform to enhance operations and infrastructure management.
• Smart rail maintenance: Using predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring to reduce downtime and maintenance costs.

It includes a commercial 5G radio for the 1900MHz band from Nokia’s AirScale portfolio, paired with its railway-optimised Core Enterprise. It is complemented by the company’s portfolio of mission-critical IP, optical and data centre networking products. It includes a cyber-security framework.