Eastern Railway selects Nortel as GSM provider

Eastern Railway, one of India's major railways, has issued a formal 'Letter of Award' to Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) selecting Nortel Networks as the sole provider of a GSM for Railways (GSM-R) digital wireless network.

TCIL will deploy a communications network based on Nortel Networks GSM-R technology for the 261-kilometer, 24-station rail line running between Eastern Railway divisional headquarters in Howrah (West Bengal's second largest city) and Pradhankunta. The new communications network is scheduled for completion within 12 months.

The new network will help reduce railway operational costs, improve railway safety and deliver new services for passengers and employees.

"We are looking forward to offering advanced telecommunications services to India's railway network," said G D Gaiha, chairman and managing director, TCIL.

The GSM-R network is part of an initial phase by Eastern Railway to modernize its national railway communications system. Eastern Railway serves one of 16 key railway zones in India selected to deploy GSM-R, a European Union-sponsored wireless technology now being deployed across Europe and Asia.

"Our proven track record in providing end-to-end GSM-R solutions will provide Eastern Railway with industry-leading reliability, performance and safety, which are critical factors in a region where rail travel plays a significant social and economic role," said Ashoka Valia, managing director, Nortel Networks India.

Nortel Networks GSM-R solution for Eastern Railway is designed to provide uniform transmission of voice and data for operation of the train line.

This will include communications between train conductors, on-board crew, train dispatchers, station personnel and other operations groups, such as shunting (attaching and separating rail cars).