Rail Telecommunications

Telecommunications are the backbone of a reliable, efficient and safe rail network. Rail telecommunication systems are essential to addressing the diversified technology demands from rail operators in advancing their rail networks.

Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS)

FRMCS is a railway telecommunication system developed by UIC in response to two main areas. First being the soon to be obsolescence of the incumbent GSM-R technology and secondly the key enabler for rail transport digitalisation.

The UIC has defined a migration path from 2025 until 2035 that will see existing GSM-R radio networks being transitioned and replaced by new FRMCS systems over 5G mobile networks. Railway operators across the world and technology suppliers are gearing up for this transition, and Australian railways are also starting to define their own migration strategies.

Discover more through our Experts Insights article, ‘The Future of Radio Communications in Railways’, written by Rodrigo Alvarez, our subject matter experts for FRMCS.

The future of Radio Communications

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News

28 January 2026

Sydney Trains And SYSTRA Partner To Deliver Nextgen Digital Train Radio System

Sydney Trains and SYSTRA will partner to support the development of the business case and integration plan for the NextGen Digital Train Radio System.

News

11 August 2025

Expanding our FRMCS Expertise: Welcome Hendrik Holz

We are excited to welcome Hendrik Holz to our ANZ team as a Principal Telecommunications Engineer.

News

5 June 2025

SYSTRA Welcomes Jon Stubing as Technical Director for Systems

SYSTRA is pleased to welcome Jonathan Stubing to our Perth office as a Technical Director for Systems.

Our Approach

SYSTRA works with rail operators and their partners in providing rail telecommunications advice and solution delivery whether they are planning for immediate upgrades or strategising for the future.

The interaction between multiple telecommunications systems can become complex particularly when interfacing with other technologies. Our Rail Consultants have comprehensive national and global experience in the design, management and operation of LTE, Wi-Fi and GSM-R networks, as well as their interfaces with ERTMS and CBTC systems.

We have unparalleled expertise in operational LTE in railway environments, and in fact we are currently involved in one of the first rail LTE projects in the world for an urban passenger rail system, along with several other enterprise LTE network solutions.

Our wide-ranging telecommunications expertise also span fixed transmission systems enabling the exchange of data through a range of technologies including: MPLS, IP/ethernet, fibre deployment and microwave point-to-point.

In addition, we have deep skills in legacy systems such as TETRA, PMR, SDH, PDH, and the integration of modern rail technologies across rail signalling and telecommunications to make them more efficient, while improving reliability and safety.

How can we integrate better, earlier, and with greater impact?

System integration is critical to managing complexity, reducing risk, and delivering infrastructure that performs — yet it’s often misunderstood or brought in too late.

Our State of System Integration 2025 report explores what’s working, what’s not, and where the biggest opportunities lie to improve how integration is delivered across projects.

Based on insights from professionals across the sector, it’s designed to spark an important conversation and support better outcomes.

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