INTRODUCTION

The growth of Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) system on Indian Railways
including the existing mode of communication with the moving train in the present
scenario and future planning of Mobile Train Radio Communication are discussed in the
following sections.

WHY TRAIN RADIO COMMUNICATION

Absence of mobile communication, in the present circumstances, due to the above
limitations of the existing system, has the potential of conversion of the following
situations into accidents or cause avoidable detention to trains:
a) Accidents/unusual situation due to landslides, floods, obstructions on track
causing unsafe conditions;
b) Robbery / thefts in trains;
c) Carriage & wagon problems due to train parting, hanging parts;
d) Locomotives failure;
e) Chain pulling etc.

NEED FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION

Providing Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) solves all the problems/short
comings of the existing mode of communication. MTRC provides capability to
provide/establish the following modes of communication:
a) Driver to Control;
b) Guard to Control;
c) Driver to Station Master;
d) Driver to Guard;
e) Guard to train crew.
In addition to the above, the system also provides communication from:
a) Maintenance staff to Control;
b) Maintenance staff to Station Master.
c) Maintenance staff to Driver.
d) Maintenance staff to Guard.
e) SOS signal to all in vicinity.

Provision of above communication between the various functionaries involved in train

running results in continuous monitoring of train running with the possibility of taking
corrective action, even on run, whenever required. This increases safety and operational
efficiency of trains.
A GLANCE INTO THE GSM-R TECHNOLOGY
The “Global System for Mobile Communications-Railway (GSM-R) “is an international
standard for wireless communication pertaining to railways. With the changing times,
railway operators of the major developing and developed nations have come together to
define a standard which is universally acceptable for railway communication. This
resulted in the layout of specifications by the “European Integrated Railway Enhanced
Network (EIRENE)” which were validated by “Mobile Radio for Railway Networks in
Europe (MORANE)”. The GSM-R technology is designed in line with the “EIRENE-
MORANE Functional Requirement Specification (FPS)” which provides for effective
communication for very high train speeds, even up to 500 Km/Hr without appreciable
data loss and attenuation. The GSM-R technology thus provides for a highly reliable and
glitch-free railway communication system. Though the GSM-R system is not much
isolated from the GSM technology which is widely used for regular Public Mobile
Communications, it has a frequency band most suitable for the railways. It also has many
advanced features which regular Public Mobile Networks based on GSM do not have.
There are two types of specifications laid down by “EIRAINE”:-
 “Functional Requirement Specification (FRS)”- It defines a range of high functional
level requirements for railway communication.
 “System Requirement Specification (SRS)”- It defines technical solutions to various
functional requirements for railway communication.

FREQUENCY BAND IN GSM-R

The GSM-R Radio Link makes effective use of “Frequency Division Multiple Access
(FDMA)” and “Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)”. Unlike regular Public Mobile
Networks using GSM, the Mobile Train Radio Communication using the “Global System
For Mobile Communications-Railway (GSM-R)” needs a specific frequency band
pertaining to railway applications and uses.
Moreover, this is needed to ensure minimum glitch and passenger safety. While in GSM,
one needs to see the two dimensional aspect of communication, trains move in
effectively one dimensional manner. As the technology involves a network of linear
GSM, Directional Antennas can be used to improve the propagation characteristics. For
Indian Railways, the Telecom Directorate has recommended 900 MHz frequency band
for downlink and uplink signals respectively. They are essentially 935-960 MHz and
890915 MHz
NUMBERING PLAN
The numbers defined by the Numbering Plan laid out by the “EIRAINE” are used for
communication pertaining to specific sections of railways through a unique “Mobile
Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN)”. The following table
describes the various digits to be dialed on the handsets by the concerned staff of the
train crew for different applications and uses. These have been described in a “System
Requirements Specifications (SRS)” document of the “EIRAINE”.

“EIRAINE Numbering Plan”

As per a report of the “Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO)”, India,
Functional Number is assigned as follows:-

A B C D E

Here, A-E are the various numbers with different specifications:

 A denotes the call type. It is different for different requirements of the call.
 B denotes the day on which the train is running. Example: It will be 2 for a train
running on Tuesday.
 C denotes the train number.
 D denotes the train type. It is 0 for a schedule train, 1 for link train and 2 for
special train.
  E denotes the user to whom the call is to be made.
It is 01 for Driver of the train and 80 for the Guard of the train.
The users can register themselves as a Guard or a Driver of any train from their
mobiles by dialing the “Railway Access Code (RAC)” following the Functional
Numbers as per above specifications.

GSMR ARCHITECTURE
A GSM network comprises of many functional units. These functions and interfaces are
explained in this chapter. The GSM network can be broadly divided into:

 The Mobile Station (MS)

 The Base Station Subsystem (BSS)

 The Network Switching Subsystem (NSS)

 The Operation Support Subsystem (OSS)

The additional components of the GSM architecture comprise of databases and

messaging systems functions:
 Home Location Register (HLR)
 Visitor Location Register (VLR)

 Equipment Identity Register (EIR)

 Authentication Center (AuC)

 SMS Serving Center (SMS SC)

 Gateway MSC (GMSC)

Simple pictorial view of the GSM
 Chargeback Center (CBC) architecture

 Transcoder and Adaptation Unit (TRAU)

The MS and the BSS communicate across the Um interface. It is also known as the air
interface or the radio link. The BSS communicates with the Network Service Switching
(NSS) center across the A interface.

GSM NETWORK AREAS

In a GSM network, the following areas are defined:
 Cell : Cell is the basic service area; one BTS covers one cell. Each cell is given a Cell
Global Identity (CGI), a number that uniquely identifies the cell.
 Location Area : A group of cells form a Location Area (LA). This is the area that is
paged when a subscriber gets an incoming call. Each LA is assigned a Location
Area Identity (LAI). Each LA is served by one or more BSCs.

 MSC/VLR Service Area : The area covered by one MSC is called the MSC/VLR
service area.

 PLMN : The area covered by one network operator is called the Public Land
Mobile Network (PLMN). A PLMN can contain one or more MSCs.
GSM-MS
The MS consists of the physical equipment, such as the radio transceiver, display and
digital signal processors, and the SIM card. It provides the air interface to the user in
GSM networks. As such, other services are also provided, which include:

 Voice teleservices
 Data bearer services

 The features' supplementary services

The MS Functions
The MS also provides the receptor for SMS messages, enabling the user to toggle
between the voice and data use. Moreover, the mobile facilitates access to voice
messaging systems. The MS also provides access to the various data services available in
a GSM network. These data services include:
 X.25 packet switching through a synchronous or asynchronous dial-up connection
to the PAD at speeds typically at 9.6 Kbps.
 General Packet Radio Services (GPRSs) using either an X.25 or IP based data
transfer method at speeds up to 115 Kbps.

 High speed, circuit switched data at speeds up to 64 Kbps.

SIM
The SIM provides personal mobility so that the user can have access to all subscribed
services irrespective of both the location of the terminal and the use of a specific
terminal. You need to insert the SIM card into another GSM cellular phone to receive
calls at that phone, make calls from that phone, or receive other subscribed services.

GSM-BSS
The BSS is composed of two parts:
 The Base Transceiver Station (BTS)
 The Base Station Controller (BSC)

The BTS and the BSC communicate across the specified Abis interface, enabling
operations between components that are made by different suppliers. The radio
components of a BSS may consist of four to seven or nine cells. A BSS may have one or
more base stations. The BSS uses the Abis interface between the BTS and the BSC. A
separate high-speed line (T1 or E1) is then connected from the BSS to the Mobile MSC.

The Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

The BTS houses the radio transceivers that define a cell and handles the radio link
protocols with the MS. In a large urban area, a large number of BTSs may be deployed.

The BTS corresponds to the transceivers and antennas used in each cell of the network.
A BTS is usually placed in the center of a cell. Its transmitting power defines the size of a
cell. Each BTS has between 1 and 16 transceivers, depending on the density of users in
the cell. Each BTS serves as a single cell. It also includes the following functions:

 Encoding, encrypting, multiplexing, modulating, and feeding the RF signals to the

antenna
  Transcoding and rate adaptation

 Time and frequency synchronizing

 Voice through full- or half-rate services

 Decoding, decrypting, and equalizing received signals

 Random access detection

 Timing advances

 Uplink channel measurements

The Base Station Controller (BSC)

The BSC manages the radio resources for one or more BTSs. It handles radio channel
setup, frequency hopping, and handovers. The BSC is the connection between the
mobile and the MSC. The BSC also translates the 13 Kbps voice channel used over the
radio link to the standard 64 Kbps channel used by the Public Switched Telephone
Network (PSDN) or ISDN.
It assigns and releases frequencies and time slots for the MS. The BSC also handles
intercell handover. It controls the power transmission of the BSS and MS in its area. The
function of the BSC is to allocate the necessary time slots between the BTS and the MSC.
It is a switching device that handles the radio resources. Additional functions include:
 Control of frequency hopping
 Performing traffic concentration to reduce the number of lines from the MSC

 Providing an interface to the Operations and Maintenance Center for the BSS

 Reallocation of frequencies among BTSs

 Time and frequency synchronization

 Power management

 Time-delay measurements of received signals from the MS

The Network Switching Subsystem (NSS)

The Network switching system (NSS), the main part of which is the Mobile Switching
Center (MSC), performs the switching of calls between the mobile and other fixed or
mobile network users, as well as the management of mobile services such as
authentication.

The switching system includes the following functional elements:

 Home Location Register (HLR)

The HLR is a database used for storage and management of subscriptions. The HLR
is considered the most important database, as it stores permanent data about
subscribers, including a subscriber's service profile, location information, and
activity status. When an individual buys a subscription in the form of SIM, then all
the information about this subscription is registered in the HLR of that operator.

 Mobile Services Switching Center (MSC)

The central component of the Network Subsystem is the MSC. The MSC performs
the switching of calls between the mobile and other fixed or mobile network
users, as well as the management of mobile services such as registration,
authentication, location updating, handovers, and call routing to a roaming
subscriber. It also performs such functions as toll ticketing, network interfacing,
common channel signaling, and others. Every MSC is identified by a unique ID.

 Visitor Location Register (VLR)

The VLR is a database that contains temporary information about subscribers that
is needed by the MSC in order to service visiting subscribers. The VLR is always
integrated with the MSC. When a mobile station roams into a new MSC area,
the VLR connected to that MSC will request data about the mobile station from
the HLR. Later, if the mobile station makes a call, the VLR will have the information
needed for call setup without having to interrogate the HLR each time.

 Authentication Center (AUC)

The Authentication Center is a protected database that stores a copy of the secret
key stored in each subscriber's SIM card, which is used for authentication and
ciphering of the radio channel. The AUC protects network operators from different
types of fraud found in today's cellular world.

 Equipment Identity Register (EIR)

The Equipment Identity Register (EIR) is a database that contains a list of all valid
mobile equipment on the network, where its International Mobile Equipment
 Identity (IMEI) identifies each MS. An IMEI is marked as invalid if it has been
reported stolen or is not type approved.

The Operation Support Subsystem (OSS)

The operations and maintenance center (OMC) is connected to all equipment in the
switching system and to the BSC. The implementation of OMC is called the operation
and support system (OSS).

Here are some of the OMC functions:

 Administration and commercial operation (subscription, end terminals, charging

and statistics).
 Security Management.

 Network configuration, Operation and Performance Management.

 Maintenance Tasks.

The operation and Maintenance functions are based on the concepts of the
Telecommunication Management Network (TMN), which is standardized in the ITU-T
series M.30.

Following is the figure, which shows how OMC system covers all the GSM elements.

The OSS is the functional entity from which the network operator monitors and controls
the system. The purpose of OSS is to offer the customer cost-effective support for
centralized, regional, and local operational and maintenance activities that are required
for a GSM network. An important function of OSS is to provide a network overview and
support the maintenance activities of different operation and maintenance
organizations.
GSM TRAU-Transcoding Rate and Adaptation Unit
TRAU, referred as Transcoding Rate and Adaptation Unit is located as shown in the figure
below between BSC and MSC or between BTS and BSC. The main task of GSM TRAU is to
compress and de-compress the speech data.
For speech compression Regular pulse excitation long term prediction (RPE-LTP)
encoding is used. It is able to compress speech from 64 Kbps to 16 Kbps, in the case of a
full-rate channel (Here, net bit rate with fullrate is 13 Kbps). It will compress speech data
from 64Kbps to 8 Kbps in the case of a half-rate channel (Here, net bit rate with halfrate
is 6.5 Kbps). TRAU is not used for data connections.

The TRAU is functionally assigned to the BSS, independently of where it actually is

located.Both the BTS and the TRAU have an interface for payload. This payload is
transparent to BSC entity.

The payload is formatted in TRAU frames which is transparently sent over PCM links
between the TRAU and the BTS once every 20 ms. This is done in downlink as well as
uplink direction. The data contained in the TRAU frames form the input and output
values for channel coding. This functionality is only applied to speech (voice)
connections. The compression is not applied to the data connections.

The type of connection (data/speech) is communicated to the TRAU during the

assignment of the traffic channel. Please note that TRAU frames are transmitted using
traffic channel and not over the associated control channels.

Features of “Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC)”

systems
The present day “Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC)” systems exhibit many
advanced features which enhance the overall system of railways operations and ensure
that the optimum passenger safety conditions are met. These include, but are not
limited to the following important features:-

The modern trains having “Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC)” system
simultaneously calculate and communicate their running status through radio
communication to the drivers and the control rooms.
 
The communicated status includes many important details about the running
trains like the accurate position of trains, their speed, braking distance and the
direction in which they travel in terms of their position coordinates.

The MTRC system also allows the wayside equipments to highlight such points
on the railway track which may be called as nodes, which should not be
crossed by other trains moving on the same path. As per the Manual on
Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 2009 given by the “US Department of
Transportation, Federal HighwayAdministration”, Wayside equipment includes
the switches, signal systems, control devices etc. for railway transit
operations housed within one or more than one enclosures located on the
railway tracks.

It greatly reduces the “Safety Braking Distance” between two trains by
continuous and accurate train location and speed details which allows for
simple calculation through the kinematics equations of motion. The
appropriate programming is done in the microprocessors and “Integrated
Circuits (IC’s)” embedded in the hardware of the MTRC systems which does the
calculation of ambient “Safety Braking Distance”.

The MTRC system provides for easy switchover and up-gradation to driverless
trains as it is based on a highly advanced communication technology.

The MTRC system, by calculating the most efficient train speed for minimum
energy loss incorporates train coasting (Due to which the train runs down the
track because of its own gravity, without making use of other energy forms like
steam or electric power. This helps save energy.

Synchronous Trans Module

Synchronous Transport Module level-1 (STM-1) is a fiber optic network standard for
synchronous digital hierarchy. The transmission format is considered the fundamental
building block for synchronous digital hierarchies. Apart from the fact that higher rate
signals are created by multiplexing numerous STM-1 signals, lower rate payloads are
also mapped into STM-1.

The Synchronous Transport Module level-1 frame structure has nine rows and 270
columns of bytes, totaling 2,430 bytes. It is a byte-oriented arrangement with a bit rate
of 155.52 Mb/s. The frame is transmitted at 125 µs, resulting in 8,000 frames per second
on the circuit. The frame of STM-1 consists of payload blocks, overhead blocks and
pointers. The ratio of these components largely depends on the initial payload that
needs to be transmitted. While the last 261 columns of the frame provide the
information payload, the first nine available columns contain the overhead and
administrative pointers. The administrative pointers can contain one or more virtual
containers which have the path overhead or the virtual container payload information.

The STM-1 signal is separated into two categories: the regenerator section overhead and
the multiplex section overhead. The regenerator overhead takes up the initial three rows
and nine columns in the STM-1 frame, whereas the multiplex section overhead takes up
five to nine rows along with the initial nine columns in the STM-1 frame. The regenerator
section overhead monitors the network sections that present on the fiber optic cable
network. The multiplex overhead has the information that allows data packets to be
transmitted on the same network compared to other data packets.The regenerator
section overhead supervises the sections of a network that exist on a fiber optic cable
network. Both overheads provide information on the transmission system and its
management functions like failure detection, service channels and monitoring
transmission quality.
One of the salient features of Synchronous Transport Module level-1 is that can be
multiplexed to generate higher order Synchronous Transport Modules.

The STM-4 (Synchronous Transport Module) is a SDH ITU-T fiber optic network
transmission standard. It has a bit rate of 622.080 Mbit/s.
The STM-4 specification is designed to carry 7,680 8-bit "voice" frames every 125 micro-
seconds for a total payload bit rate of 491.520 Mbit/s. The other levels defined by the
SDH standard are STM-1, STM-16, STM-64 and STM-256. Beyond this we have
wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) commonly used in submarine cabling.
Although STM-4 is comparable to OC-12 the SDH frame structure allocates more space
to overhead than that of SONET. Because of this, STM-4's payload bandwidth differs
from that of OC-12.

SDH Rates
SDH is a transport hierarchy based on multiples of 155.52 Mbit/s. The basic unit of SDH
is STM-1.
Different SDH rates are given below:
STM-1 = 155.520 Mbit/s
STM-4 = 622.080 Mbit/s
STM-16 = 2,488.320 Mbit/s (~2.5 Gbit/s)
STM-64 = 9,953.280 Mbit/s (~10 Gbit/s)
Each rate is an exact multiple of the lower rate, therefore the hierarchy is synchronous.

OFC
An Optical Fiber is a long, thin flexible fiber with a glass core through which light signals
can be sent with very little loss of strength.
OFC consists of core, cladding, buffers and jacket:
How fiber optics works
Fiber optics transmit data in the form of light particles -- or photons -- that pulse through
a fiber optic cable. The glass fiber core and the cladding each have a different refractive
index that bends incoming light at a certain angle. When light signals are sent through
the fiber optic cable, they reflect off the core and cladding in a series of zig-zag bounces,
adhering to a process called total internal reflection. The light signals do not travel at the
speed of light because of the denser glass layers, instead traveling about 30% slower
than the speed of light. To renew, or boost, the signal throughout its journey, fiber optics
transmission sometimes requires repeaters at distant intervals to regenerate the optical
signal by converting it to an electrical signal, processing that electrical signal and
retransmitting the optical signal.

Specifications of Optical Fiber Cable used in Indian Railways: