Railways to get 5 MHz spectrum in 700 MHz band; project to cost Rs 25k cr

The Indian government, on Wednesday, approved the allotment of 5 MHz Spectrum in the 700 MHz frequency band to the Indian Railways for public safety and security services at stations and in trains. 

The Railways will utilise the allotted spectrum to provide long-term evolution (LTE) based Mobile Train Radio Communication on its route. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 25,000 crore and will be completed in five years. 

LTE will help Indian Railways voice, video and data communication services for operational, safety and security applications. It will be used for modern signalling and train protection systems and ensure seamless communication between loco pilots and guards. “It will also enable Internet of Things (IoT) based remote asset monitoring especially of coaches, wagons & locos, and live video feed of CCTV cameras in the train coaches to ensure efficient, safer and faster train operations,” Ministry of Railways said in a press note. 

The Ministry has also claimed that the project will boost investment and the ‘Make in India’ mission. 

The Spectrum charges may be levied based on a formula basis as prescribed by the Department of Telecommunications for Royalty Charges and License Fee for Captive use as recommended by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

The Railways has also approved TCAS (Train Collision Avoidance System), an indigenously developed ATP (Automatic Train Protection) System, which will help in avoiding train collisions, reducing accidents and ensuring passenger safety.