FRMCS – Future Railway Mobile Communication System
(FRMCS) is a worldwide telecommunication system designed by the International Union of Railways (UIC), in collaboration with various stakeholders from the rail sector. It is intended to be the successor of the Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway (GSM-R), which is the current standard for railway voice and data communication. FRMCS is also a key enabler for rail transport digitalization, as it will support innovative applications and services for passengers, operators and maintenance.
FRMCS will be based on 5G technology, which offers high capacity, performance and reliability, along with support for massive machine-type communication (mMTC) and Internet of Things (IoT). FRMCS will enable ultra-reliable, low-latency mission-critical communication, which is essential for safety and operational efficiency. FRMCS will also support multiple spectrum bands, access technologies and network architectures, giving more flexibility to railway operators.
FRMCS is still under development and standardization, with the involvement of UIC, ETSI, 3GPP, Shift2Rail and other organizations. The first operational implementation of FRMCS is expected to start in 2025.