Kontron to supply radio solution for railway companies

The Kontron MCx solution provides a complete service for secondary lines and uses existing LTE/5G broadband mobile radio networks 'over the top'. This enables secondary lines to have future-proof, modern train radio without costly infrastructure investments. With this solution, Kontron Transportation is further expanding its customer base in the secondary line sector.  

The central functions of this solution include push-to-talk (PTT) and full-duplex individual calls, group calls, emergency calls, voice prioritisation, status displays, geo-referencing, status messages, dynamic train numbers and many other operationally relevant services, which have already proven themselves in practical use on secondary lines for several years. Additionally, the Kontron MCx solution takes into account the requirements of the state railway supervisory authorities (LEA).

As part of the deployment planning, Kontron works with the railway operator to comprehensively check the public mobile radio networks for network coverage and quality as a criterion for reliable and high-performance radio communication.

Kontron offers its MCx solution for secondary lines as a SaaS solution. This is a complete solution based on MCx technology as a hosted service in a German data centre. Thanks to the Cloud-based operating model, railway operators can benefit from the advantages of the modern MCx train radio solution - without having to invest in their own complex infrastructure and its maintenance.

For Holger Buse, Head of the Infrastructure Division and Head of Railway Operations at evb-Infrastruktur, the new MCx system will make an important contribution to the safe and modern operation of the railway infrastructure in the future: “As a replacement for the almost 40-year-old analog radio, we are relying on the Kontron MCx system as a forward-looking train radio solution that supports us in local passenger rail transport (SPNV) as well as in freight transport. Especially in the course of capacity expansions, future route reactivations and the planned expansion through the use of electronic interlocking technology, a powerful, reliable train radio system is indispensable. The  Kontron solution impressed us with its modern functions and easy implementation in the context of operations management.”

The evb is over 80% owned by the state of Lower Saxony and is a shareholder in numerous transport and logistics companies in the Elbe-Weser triangle region. As a railway infrastructure company (EIU), it has a 235km-long rail network and its own repair centres. Every year, more than 2 million passengers use the central RB33 route between Cuxhaven-Bremerhaven-Bremervörde-Buxtehude and the Moorexpress. evb focuses on future-proof services and combines regionality, competence and innovation.  

“With the introduction of Kontron's MCx-based train radio solution, we are enabling modern, safe and efficient communication for SinON employees and for all railway companies that operate on our network. This enables us to optimise our operational processes and increase safety on our network," said Sebastian Schülke, Technical Manager and Railway Operations Manager, SinON.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of the state of Lower Saxony, SinON operates, maintains and develops a rail network covering around 260km. The company took over the route network of Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen AG (OHE) in 2022 and is pursuing the goal of bringing more freight traffic onto the rails and strengthening sustainable mobility in the eastern Lower Saxony region. The most important project SinON is currently working on is the reactivation of the almost 60km long Lüneburg - Soltau line for passenger transport in 2027.  

“We have been supplying secondary lines in Germany with our MCx solution for several years now, which means that it is being used successfully in commercial networks. This means that we are already providing part of the future FRMCS solution and our rail customers benefit from functions that go far beyond the classic GSM-R functionalities. We are delighted that we have now gained two more railway customers with evb and SinON. This further strengthens our position in the regional railway market and strengthens the future viability of regional railway transport. The two projects will be implemented in the course of the year. We will then accompany our customers with long-term agreements for operation and support, backed by our highly motivated and competent team," concluded Richard Neussl, Managing Director, Kontron Transportation.