Since calendar week 12 of 2024, test runs have been taking place on the section of the Mecklenburgische Südbahn between Karow and Malchow Island. This is part of the Gigabit Innovation Track (GINT) project, a joint initiative of Deutsche Bahn, network supplier Ericsson, telecommunications provider O2 Telefónica and radio mast operator Vantage Towers.
The project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV), aims to test the possibilities for mobile communications and data connections for rail travellers at gigabit data rates. In addition to providing high data rates for passengers in passenger transport, the focus is also on the introduction of the 5G-based train radio system FRMCS (Future Rail Mobile Communication System).
"The necessary infrastructure along the line was erected in just ten weeks starting in September 2023," says Dr Ralf Böhme, Managing Director of RIN and continues: "The project is the first of its kind in Germany, with various innovative technologies being used for the first time, including modern radio masts from Vantage Towers. We are delighted that one of our lines is being used for this and that our pragmatic approach and the high level of commitment of our employees have enabled us to create the necessary conditions for the project to get off to a successful start in record time."
For the project, approx. 12 km of rail base cable were installed to connect the radio masts, along with a total of 13 new radio masts directly on the track. The project partner Vantage Towers AG was responsible for this work and used an innovative mast system with steel masts around 15 m high. The foundations of these structures are based on innovative concepts, each resting on four ground anchor rods. These rods are connected to a frame that both transfers the load into the anchor rods and supports the equipment platform attached to the mast. Fuel cells for power supply during radio operation are located at eight positions on this platform. These locations were chosen to avoid the costly process of laying power cables along the railway line. The fuel cells themselves represent innovative systems.
The test runs on the line section are used, among other things, to evaluate the possible data transmissions in passing trains. DB AG's advanced TrainLab (aTL), a rolling "rail laboratory" equipped with a wide range of measurement technology, runs for this purpose over the track between Karow and Inselstadt Malchow, which can also be used at higher speeds. It can reach speeds of up to 140 km/h on the dead-straight section between the Karower Meiler and the AGRONEUM in Alt Schwerin, a top speed for all branch lines in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania! These high speeds also play a role in the assessment of possible data transfers.
Frank Brechler, the railway operations manager responsible for project management at RIN, comments on the project as follows: "In February 2023, I was asked by the aTL team whether we could make our infrastructure available for trials. It was immediately clear to me that this was about something bigger than the sporadic test runs with the advanced TrainLab, which had been taking place on the RIN network for several years. I was immediately aware of the challenge of equipping an entire line with innovative infrastructure systems, some of which had not yet been approved for railways and were to be put into operation within a very short time. In fact, we managed to implement all the systems on schedule, supported by the State Railway Supervisory Authority. Together, we implemented the spirit of the railway regulations. I hope that the project will be a success and ask for understanding for the longer waiting times at the level crossings during the test runs; they will bear witness to an innovative project."
Further test runs will be carried out by the end of the year before a decision is made about the future of the systems installed.
