The project stemming from this topic should address all the following work streams and it is expected to provide:

Workstream 1: Development of a future proof telecom architecture including all necessary network elements, based on 5G SA, IMS/SIP Core, MCX and more generally on 3GPP standards, and conform to all FRMCS Specifications from UIC, 3GPP and ETSI. This must include pre-commercial versions of on-board equipment (TOBA, Telecom On-Board Architecture) and of the corresponding Trackside Gateway ensuring the relevant management of telecom streams, independently of carried services, and then facilitating the bearer flexibility of the solution.

The action to be funded under this topic should ensure application communication support by FRMCS Multipath using data paths via MNO and FRMCS/RMR.

Workstream 2: Testing of key functions necessary for daily operations of trains, including safety related functions, with the adequate quality of service and all necessary telecom interfaces and protocols: voice operational functions (necessary for the daily operations of trains, in the continuity of GSM-R operational functions, including safety related functions such as the voice emergency call), ETCS level 2 support, ATO over ETCS (GoA1/2), additional FRMCS features such as Messaging, Train Control & Management System (TCMS), CCTV and Passenger Information System (PIS) using video over Mission Critical (MC) Data if video is needed. Demonstration of possible additional supporting functions, like Key Management System (KMS), Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), location and positioning and time sync to support train operations is also required. Cybersecurity should also be ensured and be an integral part of developments (protection by design).

Quality of service should be ensured, adapted to service categories, such as critical services or essential services. Interoperability between manufacturers equipment (infrastructure and board), particularly for cross-border situations, but also for multi-sourced systems, should be demonstrated.

Development of associated test specifications and test plans, including definition of common acceptance test criteria and performance metrics necessary to carry out testing and validation in the next phases of the action to be funded under this topic is also expected.

Workstream 3: Validation and return on experience: the action to be funded under this topic should:

• Validate the capacity of the systems to meet KPIs and Fault Configuration Accounting Performance Security (FCAPS) in order to estimate and predict service behaviour.
• deliver technical inputs for Migration strategy to move from GSM-R to FRMCS;
• include the necessary return of experience (from the results of the action to be funded under this topic, and also possible national FRMCS testing campaigns) to provide feedback to specifications (refinement of possible gaps and input to future specifications) and ultimately, start pilots (or initial deployments in safe operational and economic conditions).

To successfully address the expected outcomes, the action to be funded under this topic should research, develop, and deliver all the following capabilities:

Workstream 1: Development of a future proof telecom architecture including all necessary network elements (TRL7):

• Telecommunication equipment, compliant with FRMCS specifications and ready for integration and testing:
  • core network telecom elements compliant with 3GPP 5G Stand-Alone;
  • 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) and related access elements managing FRMCS frequencies;
  • IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) and/or Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) elements, as per FRMCS Specifications;
  • MCX servers and clients in all relevant network elements;
  • application servers, typically for voice services;
  • IP addressing compliant to FRMCS Specifications;
  • Railway trackside gateways with all specified FRMCS interfaces;
  • On-board TOBA with all specified FRMCS interfaces (OBapp, OBom, OBrad, etc.), multi-frequency capabilities and multipath capabilities;
  • Dispatchers with hybrid (GSM-R / FRMCS) capabilities;
  • Voice cabs with hybrid (GSM-R / FRMCS) capabilities;
  • Registration telecom systems (SIM Cards or equivalent).
• FRMCS-ready signalling equipment (or simulators, able to reproduce behavior):
  • ETCS compliant with OBapp interface and FRMCS-ETCS defined protocols (SS 037);
  • Interface to Key Management System (Subset-137);
  • ATO GoA1/2, with compliant OBapp interface and FRMCS-ATO defined protocols.
• The validation of Cab Radios to the applicable version of FRMCS Specifications and/or other relevant technical specifications including TOBA interfaces.
• The assessment of adapted antennas to equip trains for testing, based on outcomes from other projects^[1].
• The adaptation to FRMCS system of monitoring solutions (voice / ETCS), to be used during test runs.

Workstream 2: Testing of key functions (TRL 7):

• The integration at on-board level and infrastructure level of all above-mentioned equipment.
• The definition of a comprehensive list of tests (in view of its execution in this call topic), in line with Chapter 5 of the CCS TSI:
  • Conformance testing for all equipment.
  • Functional testing in laboratory condition:
    • Local systems (network attachment, local binding, security credentials, etc.);
    • End-to-end entities and items (FRMCS System);
    • More globally, the complete functional testing of all these products as per FRMCS V2 Specifications.
  • Functional testing in field condition:
    • Conventional line test runs;
    • High-speed test runs;
    • Interworking for GSM/R (Voice);
    • ETCS Transition scenario (GSM-R to FRMCS and FRMCS to GSM-R);
    • The testing in “real” conditions of FRMCS / GSM-R coexistence (trackside / on-board):
    • Frequency management (Change of FRMCS frequencies 900 (N100) / 1900 (N101) / MNO/ other) between 2 networks -
    • Cross-borders scenarios for the various mission critical services (Voice and Data)
      • Breakdown simulations / Degraded Modes;
    • More globally, the complete functional testing of all these products as per FRMCS V2 Specifications.
• A precise and complete campaign of measures (conventional line, high-speed line and cross border conditions) to define radio parameters ensuring the required qualities of service (preparing the evolution of SS-093 /O-2475 evolutions), including mitigation of potential impacts from interferences.
• Interoperability testing between manufacturers: the following elements should be tested:
  • Network provider 1 / Network provider 2 (at level of network elements, typically core and access);
  • On-board provider 1 / Network provider 2;
  • On-board provider 1 / Trackside gateway provider 2;
  • MCX Client /MCX Server.

Workstream 3: Validation and return on experience:

The Flagship Project stemming from this topic is expected to provide a return on experience from the laboratory and in field tests and provide detailed feedback, which will be used to conclude a release of specifications for the next EU railway communication system. Coordination with the EU-Rail System pillar (and ERA through it) is required. It will also leverage outcomes and results in the context of standardisation by submitting the results to the appropriate standardization organizations such as ETSI, 3GPP etc, to work towards the evolution of 5G in the right direction. This part will necessitatea strong partnership between the communication/networking industrial stakeholders and the railway use case industrial actors. To contribute to FRMCS specifications Version 3 that are as ready as possible for deployment in different Member States' contexts, this project needs to consider the return of experience of any national FRMCS testing and validation project that shares its results with this project^[2].

Assumptions for the scheduling of the operations:

The applicants to this topic can consider for their activities planning the following assumptions:

• The V2 specifications, as described, in the EU-Rail System Pillar Report on “FRMCS V2 and V3 Scope and Planning” dated 05/07/2023 (version 1.3)^[3], will be delivered to ERA in stable draft in March 2024 in order to launch a EECT review process. The final draft will be delivered to ERA in October 2024 after this review process. An ERA technical opinion will be released.

Collaboration work required with other FAs

The action to be funded under this Destination should take into account the results of the work from FP2-R2DATO, most notably, regarding the work to be done in the Automation Cluster on ATO over ETCS.

Interaction with the EU-Rail System Pillar

The EU-Rail System Pillar aims to guide, support and secure the work of the EU-Rail Innovation Pillar (i.e. to ensure that research is targeted on commonly agreed and shared customer requirements and operational needs, compatible and aligned to the system architecture), and the Innovation Pillar will impact the scope of the System Pillar where new technologies or processes mean that innovations can drive a change in approach, as well as delivering detailed specifications and requirements.

In this respect, the proposal should allocate necessary resources that would be dedicated to areas linked to the System Pillar conceptual and architecture works – particularly addressing specification development (the interaction is illustrated in the System Pillar – Innovation Pillar interaction note (Annex VI of this Work Programme)). The alignment of the activities will primarily take place during the Grant Preparation Phase and ramp up phase of the awarded proposal, and there will be continued, structured and regular interaction through the life of the project.

A dedicated link between the action to be funded under this Destination and the EU-Rail System Pillar should be established, in particular for workstreams 2 and 3.

Interaction with other relevant actions

Work under this topic should link to other relevant actions, financed by the European Commission e.g., in the context of 5G PPP, and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF2). Link to other external initiatives, such as national activities, can also be relevant.

Gender dimension

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

[1] Reference to D3.4 “Antenna system speciffications for adaptable commnications in railway environment” from X2RAIL-3: https://projects.shift2rail.org/s2r_ip2_n.aspx?p=X2RAIL-3

[2] The Commission and ERA will be informed about national projects and will share information about them based on Article 10 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1695 of 10 August 2023 on the technical specification for interoperability relating to the control-command and signalling subsystems of the rail system in the European Union and repealing Regulation (EU) 2016/919 OJ L 222, 8.9.2023, p. 380–560 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2023/1695/oj

[3] https://rail-research.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230718-FRMCS-report-final.pdf