If you’re a world traveller, you’ve probably already heard about the LGV Perpignan-Figueras, a new high speed rail line, currently under construction, which will connect the French and Spanish rail systems. Work began on the 44 km passenger/freight line in late 2004 and it is expected to be completed in 2009. Once completed, it will interconnect with two other yet-to-be-completed high speed rail lines, the Barcelona-Figueras and Montpellier-Perpignan lines, thus integrating it with the Southwest Europe High-Speed Train Axis (and completing much of the trans-European transport network initiative promoted by the European Union). As a result of this new rail line, travellers will be able to get from Paris to Barcelona in 5 hours, 35 minutes, and from Perpignan to Madrid in 3 hours, 50 minutes – a significant reduction in travel time.

It is said to be the first international high-speed rail line in Spain.

Facilitating communications for the new rail line’s operators - as well as the passengers - is Nortel’s IP communications technology. Nortel recently signed a contract with TP Ferro, the consortium handling the Perpignan-Figueras project, to provide the communications infrastructure for the new rail line. Most critically, the GSM-R network will provide communications throughout an 8 km tunnel cutting across the Pyrenees, which is being constructed as part of the project.

"Nortel’s GSM-R solution allows the complete integration of vital rail communications between the GSM-R networks of the French Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) and the Spanish Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF)," said Victor Sanz, project director, IFP Figueres-Perpignan. "Interoperability of communications is a key element of the trans-European rail system that is designed to reduce travel times across international borders significantly for all kind of railway users."

The GSM-R standard, which was developed specifically for railway communications, is now in use on more than 35 different rail systems in Europe alone. The wireless platform is generally considered the best alternative to in-track cable systems and is ideally applied to regions where there the geography/topography doesn’t lend itself to laying down cable. By placing base station towers along the tracks, spaced apart by 3 to 4 km, one can achieve a high degree of redundancy, as well as higher availability and reliability. Interestingly, most high-speed trains are actually controlled by these systems and cannot operate without them. The train’s central control system is always connected to the central office’s system via a circuit switched modem – and in the event connectivity is lost, the train simply stops. The train conductors use these systems to talk to everyone up and down the rail line (and on the interconnecting lines).

GSM-R delivers key features for railroad operators including group calls, voice broadcast, location-based connections and call pre-emption in the event of an emergency. It also supports applications such as cargo tracking, video surveillance and passenger information services.

GSM-R has become so widely adopted that it is now recognised by the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) as the standard communication technology of the rail industry.

Nortel has been providing GSM-R technology to the world’s busiest international railway systems for years. In fact, the company has provided this technology and related support to Europe’s three largest railway operators - RFF in France, Network Rail in Great Britain and Deutsche Bahn in Germany. It has also deployed GSM-R networks for railway lines between Bilbao and Santander for Spain’s Adif.

"GSM-R provides railway operators and infrastructure owners with improved voice and data services tailored for railway operations, supporting high-speed train operation of up to 500 kilometers per hour," said Michel Clement, president Southern Europe and Africa, Nortel. "GSM-R improves operational communication and helps to advance staff performance and employee safety through safe and uninterrupted communication in day-to-day operation."