Today at the UITP Global Public Transport Summit 2019 in Stockholm, Huawei and its partner Tianjin 712 Communication & Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (TCB 712) jointly released the LTE-Railway (LTE-R) Solution for next-generation rail wireless communications. The solution which is already being deployed in China, enables high-speed, reliable and intelligent communications to ensure safety and efficiency for rail passengers.

The rapid development of high-speed rail has made it a fast, safe, and comfortable mode of transport for many people. The cornerstone of a safe and reliable rail operation is ensuring information synergy between passengers, trains, and infrastructure, and with the development of autonomous driving, intelligent trains, and smart stations this demands higher-speed and more intelligent wireless communications technologies. The LTE-R Solution was developed to address these needs and enable fully connected railways.

The LTE-R Solution supports 5G-oriented evolution and interconnectivity with GSM-R. The solution’s advanced features include multiple trunking services such as Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) voice, video, and data, and leveraging one LTE-R network to enable train control, train dispatching, passenger information system (PIS), CCTV, and other rail services. Together with 5G, the solution will enable a future of intelligent railways where all things are connected.

During the launch of LTE-R Solution at the Huawei Global Rail Summit, Eman Liu, President of the Global Transportation Business Unit of Huawei Enterprise Business Group, highlighted Huawei’s deep expertise in the rail sector – with over 20 years of experience in rail industry communications, serving over 120,000 kilometers of railways, and more than 100 urban tracks in the world. At the same time, Huawei remains committed to continuously investing and innovating in wireless communications private network technology for the rail industry to meet rail customers’ evolving needs.

The LTE-R Solution released at the summit delivers safe, high-speed, and intelligent wireless voice and data communications inside trains, from train to ground and from train to train. The network facilitates the digital transformation of rail customers to help them thrive in the future.

Deng Xiaoshi, Director of Transportation Industry of Huawei Enterprise Wireless Network Product Line, pointed out that Huawei has been working in the rail industry for many years and is committed to better serving customers. The LTE-R Solution has already been successfully demonstrated to customers by Huawei. In addition, Chinese LTE-R standards will be gradually implemented this year to help guide the development of the rail industry.

According to Zheng Caishun, General Manager of R&D of Mobile Communications Business Unit of TCB 712, the company has been committed to the development of the rail industry since its establishment in 1960. TCB 712 has cooperated with Huawei in developing GSM-R Solution and the LTE-R Solution for next-generation rail wireless communications since 2010. The two companies have overcome many challenges to successfully develop the solution which has been fully verified by customer in South Africa demonstrating how it delivers a safe and reliable experience for passengers.