Siemens says that it is to set up a national GSM-Railway (GSM-R) network for the Finnish Rail Administration. The GSM-R solution will replace the existing analogue radio systems with one digital infrastructure for voice and data exchange.

Siemens Mobile will deliver the first stage of the GSM-R network to the Pieksamaki-Lisalmi line by the end of this year.

The complete network will be ready by the end of 2006. The contract will cover 5,000 kilometers of rail track.

GSM-R is a communication system for traffic control, serving amongst others engine drivers as well as personnel working on railroad works both along the rail network and in railway stations. The system ensures a more secure and smooth flow of train traffic.

Within the scope of the order, Siemens mobile will install the entire network infrastructure and will provide installation, support and maintenance services for 15 years. Siemens mobile has already secured contracts with rail companies in Sweden, Italy, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Belgium for GSM-R networks.

GSM-R technology was developed in an EU-funded MORANE (Mobile Radio for Railways Networks in Europe) project in which Siemens mobile has played a part since the beginning. The project's goal is to develop a uniform digital radio system for European railroad traffic. GSM-R is a platform for voice and data communications as well as for traffic control system (ETCS, Electronic Train Control System).

The system is mainly based on the mobile communications standard GSM and it includes special features developed for rail traffic. As they are closed networks, it is possible to build special applications needed for the railroad environment. GSM-R is already in commercial use in several European countries