This implementation of GSM-R is the first in the entire Baltic region and will enable LitRail to comply with the European Council (EC) railway standards, while making railway travel faster and safer. As part of the contract with BELAM, a principal member of the consortium responsible for the LitRail GSM-R rollout, Harris Stratex will provide its state-of-the-art NetBoss XT fault and resource management platform to manage all of the elements in the GSM-R communication system spanning approximately 88 percent of Lithuania's rail routes. The integrated solution, which includes trouble ticketing, increases the efficiency of railway operators and improves railway safety by providing a single integrated view of the health and status of the network, in addition to automating service desk functions to free up operator’s time. LitRail operators will now have real-time visibility and reporting of all the elements including ATCA based MSC, HLR, IN platforms, SGSN, GGSN, IP network, BTS, BSC, voicemail, SDH, Fixed Dispatchers System and Power Supply’s allowing operators to convey critical information quickly and clearly.
More than 20 different signaling systems currently coexist on railway lines in Europe. Having multiple systems increases the risk of railway breakdowns and extra costs. The goal of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is to create a single Europe-wide standard for train control and command systems by the end of 2012, which will enhance interoperability across all railways. The two main components of ERTMS are the European Train Control System (ETCS), a standard for on-board train control, and GSM-R, the GSM mobile communications standard for railway usage. The NetBoss XT implementation will accelerate the adoption of ERTMS standards in Lithuania. NetBoss XT will be deployed in a high availability cluster configuration, ensuring availability of critical information. This installation is expected to be completed in 2010.