All four of Germany’s national mobile operators, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, 1&1, and O2 Telefónica, are working with the country’s national rail network Deutsche Bahn to develop gigabit-speed internet access for rail passengers. The five companies are working together in the GINT XT project, and are currently working on field tests on Germany’s first gigabit test rail track along a 12 kilometre route in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Alongside the four national mobile operators and Germany’s national rail operator, the project also includes Vantage Towers as the radio mast operator, Ericsson as the 5G network technology provider, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the infrastructure manager Regio Infra Nord-Ost (RIN).

The joint research and development project is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digitalisation and Government Modernisation (BMDS). Among other objectives, it is testing different options of shared mobile infrastructure such as antennas, software, and base stations, supporting gigabit-speed data delivery using 5G technologies.

The research and development project also examines how this shared infrastructure can integrate with the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), the future telecommunication system designed by the international Union of Railways (UIC), which is set to replace the current Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway (GSM-R), based on 2G, by 2035.

The compact, modular masts installed along the tracks are designed for dual use. This means it can support both rail operations and public mobile coverage with a design that reduces construction time and enables faster deployment.

Results from the GINT XT test track will help to decide upon the eventual use of FRMCS infrastructure for mobile communication services along the Hamburg–Berlin rail corridor, a designated innovation route for high-speed rail connectivity. A declaration of intent signed in October 2024 between DB, the mobile providers, and the federal government sets the path for a scalable and tech-neutral approach to “5G on the Track.”

Dr Karsten Wildberger, Germany’s Federal Minister for Digital and Government Modernisation (BMDS) said: “High-speed Internet on trains must not remain a dream of the future. For a modern country, it must be a matter of course that people can also use the internet on trains to work, stream and make phone calls without any limitations. For this to succeed, complex technical challenges must be overcome. With the ‘Gigabit Innovation Track XT’ project, the Ministry of Transport and the companies involved are doing real pioneering work and showing what can be achieved when joining forces. This is also the most important signal for our mission. If everyone pulls together, we can move from planning to implementation!”

Dr Daniela Gerd tom Markotten, Board Member for Digitalisation and Technology at Deutsche Bahn AG said: “Last year, the GINT partners set up a test track with mobile phone masts close to the rails in record time. Now, for the first time, all German public mobile communications companies are investigating how gigabit coverage can be achieved along this test track. Because that’s what people want: working, participating in video conferences or making phone calls while travelling by train. We will work together to fulfil this demand!”