TRA Alert: EU sets up expert group on satellite use in ERTMS
The EU has set up an expert group to assess whether satellite communications could support safety-related connectivity for ERTMS and the sector’s future migration to FRMCS.
The group will examine how satellite links could add resilience on lines where terrestrial coverage is weak or costly to extend, and how any satellite component would align with existing safety, signalling and approval frameworks as GSM-R is phased out.
The initiative comes as the sector prepares to replace GSM-R over time with the Future Railway Mobile Communication System. The work is framed as an assessment phase, not a deployment decision.
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