China’s Ministry Of Railways Chooses Nortel Mobile Network To Enable High-Speed Railway To Run Smoother

29 January 2008

China's Ministry of Railways (MOR) has gained powerful communications and train management capabilities for its busy system after selecting GSM-R mobile communications railway technology from Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT]. The highly secure wireless network provides new communications capabilities between trains and ground staff along the 510 km high-speed passenger line between Zhengzhou and Xi'an.

With fast trains traveling at speeds of up to 350 km/hr, conventional mobile networks are not reliable enough to depend on for critical communications. Purpose-built for such applications, the Nortel GSM-R solution enables drivers, dispatchers, shunting team members, train engineers, station controllers and other railway employees to reach each other anywhere along the line, even at full speed. Features such as group calls, connections based on the train's position, prioritization of calls during emergencies, and connection to employees by function rather than name all ensure the rapid response necessary for safe and efficient train operation.

"With its massive population and distributed manufacturing base, high-speed rail transportation has long been essential to China's economic success," said Jackson Wu, president, Greater China, Nortel. "Nortel was an early provider of GSM-R solutions, applying our Business Made Simple commitment to dozens of successful deployments on some of the world's most complex rail networks. The Ministry of Railways' decision to embrace GSM-R brings this critical rail link in line with global standards and ensures Chinese passengers will benefit from train services running at peak efficiency and safety."