The Wireless Train Communication Network: Roll2Rail Vision

This article explains the main results obtained from the research carried out in work package two (WP2) of the Roll2Rail (R2R) project. The goal of this project is to develop key technologies and remove already-identified blocking points for radical innovation in the field of railway vehicles to increase their operational reliability and reduce life-cycle costs (LCCs). The project, started in May 2015, has been funded by the Horizon 2020 program of the European Commission. The goal for WP2 is to research both technologies and architectures to develop a new wireless train communication network (TCN) within the IEC 61375 standard series. This TCN is entirely wired today and used for train control and monitoring system (TCMS) functions (some of them safety related), operator-oriented services, and customer-oriented services. The paradigm shift from wired to wireless means a removal of wiring and implies, among other benefits, a significant reduction of LCCs due to the removal of cables and the simplification of the train coupling procedure.