The next expansion step of the new digital wireless train communication system in the Czech Republic begins now following the completion of the GSM-R network for the first national railway corridor. The infrastructure for the digital wireless train communication network will be built on the 207km railway route between Břeclav and Petrovice by August 2010. This time, GSM-R is being implemented on the second national railway corridor, which carries the transit traffic between Austria and Poland. The Austrian GSM-R specialist Kapsch once again received the order for this turnkey project. The company has already implemented the first two GSM-R projects in the Czech Republic and launched digital wireless train communication in Slovakia and Austria. The current order in the Czech Republic has a value of more than Euro 13 Million.
"The high quality of our work is reflected by Kapsch receiving the order in the Czech Republic. Kapsch was traditionally an expert in the analogue sector and today we have a leading position in GSM-R, the next generation digital wireless train communication system", explains Thomas Schöpf, Member of the Kapsch CarrierCom Board of Directors. "We are pleased about the success of our GSM-R projects in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria and we also believe that we have good chances to win the next projects in other South-Eastern European countries".
Digital wireless train communication is based on GSM, the mobile technology, which has delivered optimal performance for millions of mobile phone users. The railways benefit from the additional security features of the Kapsch system. In comparison to analogue systems, the improved wireless communication coverage results in higher service availability between the cab fleet and the operations centers. Numerous security features make railway communication particularly secure. GSM-R is specified for speeds up to 500 km/h and in contrast to conventional systems, GSM-R is ideally suited for the planned speed increases in the conventional rail network, and for high-speed routes.
The current Kapsch general contractor order includes the implementation of the necessary infrastructure, the delivery of 29 GSM-R base stations type 9000 and/or 6000, technical extensions, a GPRS upgrade as well as the integration of the Kapsch CarrierCom Railway Provisioning Manager (RPM) platform. To ensure coverage in difficult to reach locations, three repeater stations will also be built. For security reasons, this modern technology will be installed in 23 new shelters.
Kapsch CarrierCom is a global manufacturer and independent system integrator of telecommunication solutions for railway operators and providers of access, core and transmission networks. In seven R&D centers in Europe and Asia, Kapsch CarrierCom develops applications and services for next generation networks and innovative OSS/BSS solutions. In addition, Kapsch CarrierCom provides an end-to-end service spectrum, which ranges from consulting, designing, installing and integrating, to maintaining, operating and supporting entire networks.
With 70,000 track-kilometers covered by GSM-R, Kapsch CarrierCom is an internationally recognized specialist and partner for railway operators such as the French railway RFF, the German railway DB and Network Rail in the United Kingdom. In the public operator segment, Kapsch CarrierCom’s customers include service providers such as the companies of the Telekom Austria Group and Chunghwa Telecom in Taiwan. Kapsch CarrierCom is part of the Kapsch Group and has its headquarters in Vienna.