The project will install a modern communications system along 13 844 km of railway line throughout Poland. This will replace the outdated, VHF analogue system to ensure a competitive, safe network that conforms to European Union regulations for railway operations.
Upgrading Poland’s railway communications for competitive, safer transport
- 28 October 2019
By introducing a common communications protocol across most of Poland’s railways, the project will lead to improvements in passenger safety and reduce travelling times. It will allow Poland to move towards introducing the European Rail Traffic Management System, which will integrate Polish rail lines with the European railway network.
The project will install the Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway (GSM-R system), constructing a backbone network and a network management, or umbrella, system. The latter will manage the whole network and ensure its integration with existing facilities.
The backbone will consist of fibre-optic cable along 10 963 km of the 13 843 km of railway line covered by the project. Of this fibre optic cable, 10 761 km will be installed along lines served by GSM-R. A further 202 km of fibre-optic cable will be laid along lines without GSM-R coverage.
Of the total project line, a GSM-R European Train Control System (ETCS) level 2 system will be installed along 3 012 km of track. ETCS is an automatic train protection system. GSM-R with voice function will be laid along 10 831 km of track. Other project activities include securing construction permits for around 1 000 radiocommunications sites and buying 250 mobile GSM-R units.
Outdated technology
Polish railway operator PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe SA has been using a VHF analogue radio system on the 150 MHz band for communications for several decades. This system no longer meets current technical requirements, including for interoperability. For two stations, or radio telephones, to be able to communicate, they had to be able to ‘see’ one another. The range of the communication depended on the power of the radio station and on the height and location of the antenna. Simultaneous communication in both directions was impossible.
Eliminating barriers, improving safety
The project will ensure Poland conforms with: European Union regulations on the development of the Trans-European Transport Network, technical requirements for EU railways, European Parliament directives on the interoperability of the EU’s rail system, and its own national plan for interoperability.
Aligning Poland’s communication protocols with those in place throughout Europe will avoid having to switch locomotives or onboard equipment at border crossings. This will make rail transport more cost-efficient and faster. The improved radio coverage and better quality voice and data communication will reduce the risk of accidents, making rail transport safer.
Lower railway transport costs, better safety and faster travel times will contribute to socioeconomic development and make railways more attractive compared with other, less environmentally friendly, modes of transport. The project will create jobs in the short term for people involved in the implementation phase, and in the medium and long term for operation and maintenance.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Construction of ERTMS/GSM-R system infrastructure on the railway lines of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. within the framework of NPW ERTMS” is EUR 704 839 235, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 487 032 732 through the “Infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Supporting a multimodal Single European Transport Area by investing in the TEN-T”.