FRMCS & The Connected Railway 2027
FRMCS & The Connected Railway 2027 brings together railway infrastructure managers, train operators, telecoms and digital infrastructure specialists, technology providers, engineers and programme leaders to examine the transition from GSM-R to the next generation of railway communications.
Day One examines Great Britain's proof-of-concept priorities, migration decisions and the lessons emerging from European FRMCS programmes. Day Two focuses on delivering, integrating, securing and operating the new communications infrastructure and connected railway systems.
Across two days, twelve facilitated strategic and implementation roundtables will explore the technical, commercial and operational decisions shaping future deployment.
From UK Proof of Concept to a GB Migration Path
UK FRMCS readiness and proof-of-concept priorities; European testing and MORANE2; RMR spectrum and 5G architecture; dedicated, public and hybrid networks; GSM-R coexistence; infrastructure and rolling-stock migration.
The UK FRMCS Landscape: From GSM-R to National Migration Readiness
- Current GSM-R lifecycle and the case for migration
- Great Britain's FRMCS strategy, governance and roadmap development
- Current proof-of-concept, testing and validation activities
- Roles of Network Rail, RSSB, DfT, ORR, operators and industry
- The technical, commercial and operational decisions still outstanding
- Defining the transition from proof of concept to national deployment
What Must the UK FRMCS Proof of Concept Demonstrate?
- Defining PoC objectives, scope and success criteria
- 5G coverage, latency, throughput, capacity, reliability and availability
- Mission-critical voice, data and operational railway services
- Radio access, core network and trackside infrastructure integration
- Security, resilience and degraded-mode testing
- Exit criteria for moving from PoC into pilots and operational delivery
Europe's FRMCS Journey: Trials, Migration Strategies & Deployment Lessons
- European FRMCS testing and migration programmes
- National starting positions, architectures and deployment approaches
- GSM-R and FRMCS coexistence
- Interoperability and cross-border requirements
- Voice-first and voice-and-data migration options
- Lessons relevant to Great Britain's migration planning
MORANE2 & European Field Testing: What Is Being Validated?
- MORANE2 test environments and field validation programmes
- Radio access and core network interoperability
- Onboard and trackside systems integration
- Mission-critical service validation
- Cross-vendor interoperability and operational testing
- Technical and organisational challenges emerging from field trials
What Should Britain Learn from Europe's FRMCS Trials — and What Must GB Resolve for Itself?
- Which European technical approaches are transferable to Great Britain?
- What should the UK PoC validate before national procurement?
- How should testing inform network and migration architecture?
- What lessons can be drawn from railway telecoms engineering and digital infrastructure preparation?
- How should infrastructure managers, operators, suppliers and regulators coordinate decisions?
The Onboard Challenge: Rolling Stock, Train Communications & ETCS Readiness
- Fleet inventories and cab-radio migration
- Onboard FRMCS equipment and train-to-ground communications
- ETCS integration and existing rolling-stock compatibility
- First-in-Class vehicles, testing and authorisation
- Workshop capacity, vehicle downtime and conversion planning
- Responsibilities of owners, lessors, operators and OEMs
What Should the GB FRMCS Network Architecture Look Like?
Dedicated RMR, Public 5G or Hybrid Connectivity?
- 900 MHz and 1900 MHz Railway Mobile Radio spectrum
- FRMCS radio access and 5G core architecture
- Dedicated railway networks and public mobile network participation
- Hybrid architecture, redundancy and operational resilience
- Railway-specific coverage, capacity and mission-critical QoS
- Network ownership, integration and long-term service assurance
Choosing the GB Migration Architecture: Networks, Infrastructure & Coexistence
How should Britain move from GSM-R to FRMCS while maintaining reliable, safe and resilient railway operations?
- Dedicated RMR, public 5G or hybrid deployment models
- Spectrum availability, coverage and network ownership
- Trackside radio infrastructure, fibre, backhaul and site readiness
- GSM-R and FRMCS coexistence and migration sequencing
- Voice-first versus integrated voice-and-data migration
- Synchronising infrastructure, signalling and onboard systems
- Procurement and responsibility for national architecture decisions
Testing, Interoperability & Assurance: When Is FRMCS Ready for the Operational Railway?
- Laboratory, test-track and operational railway environments
- Multi-vendor radio access, core and onboard interoperability
- Mission-critical service performance and verification
- Coverage and resilience validation
- Certification, authorisation and operational acceptance
- Readiness criteria for implementation and national rollout
Strategic Roundtable Introduction
Delegates select one of six facilitated strategic discussions examining the critical decisions, dependencies and requirements for GB FRMCS migration.
Strategic FRMCS Roundtables
Six simultaneous working groups examining the policy, architecture, technology and migration decisions facing Great Britain.
UK FRMCS Roadmap & PoC Priorities
What must Britain's PoC demonstrate, and what decisions are required before national deployment?
GSM-R / FRMCS Coexistence
Voice first or voice and data? How should migration be sequenced without disrupting railway operations?
RMR Spectrum & Railway Network Architecture
Spectrum, radio coverage, capacity, railway-owned infrastructure and mission-critical network requirements.
Public 5G, Private Networks & Hybrid Connectivity
What role should mobile operators and hybrid architectures play in resilient railway communications?
FRMCS, ETCS & Connected Railway Systems
How should communications, signalling, onboard systems and future automation be coordinated?
European Trials & Interoperability Lessons
Which findings from MORANE2 and European programmes should directly inform GB requirements?
Six Tables — Six Recommendations for the GB FRMCS Programme
Each working group presents its key findings, outstanding decisions and one priority recommendation for GB migration planning.
From Strategy & Pilots to Implementation
European deployment lessons; 5G radio and core network integration; trackside infrastructure; testing and certification; commercial delivery; mission-critical communications; cybersecurity; digital railway services and automation.
From Strategy to Delivery: What Did Day One Establish?
Review of the strategic decisions, unresolved dependencies and priorities emerging from Day One's discussions.
From Trial to Deployment: A European Infrastructure Manager's Journey
- Network architecture and initial requirements
- Testing and field validation programmes
- Telecoms engineering and infrastructure readiness
- GSM-R coexistence and migration sequencing
- Rolling-stock and operational coordination
- Procurement, programme delivery and implementation lessons
Engineering FRMCS: 5G Networks, Trackside Infrastructure & Systems Integration
- Radio coverage planning, surveys and network design
- Radio access network and 5G core integration
- Trackside sites, masts, antenna systems and asset readiness
- Fibre, transmission networks, backhaul and connectivity
- Integration with legacy railway communications systems
- Coverage, resilience, performance and service assurance
Technical Questions & Transition to Implementation
Examination of the engineering, integration and interoperability challenges emerging from European and industry experience.
FRMCS Implementation Roundtables
Six simultaneous working groups examine the engineering, operational, financial and organisational challenges of taking FRMCS from strategy into implementation.
Trackside Infrastructure, 5G Engineering & Integration
Coverage, RAN, core networks, fibre, backhaul, site readiness and infrastructure delivery.
Testing, Interoperability, Certification & Assurance
What testing and approval processes must be completed before operational deployment?
Funding, Procurement & Programme Delivery
Business case development, investment, governance, supplier coordination and procurement sequencing.
Rolling-Stock Conversion & Onboard Integration
Cab radios, ETCS compatibility, fleet conversion, First-in-Class testing and operational downtime.
Mission-Critical Services, Control Rooms & Operations
Mission-critical voice and data, dispatch, control rooms, workforce devices, procedures and operational continuity.
Cybersecurity, Resilience & Degraded Operations
Secure network design, identity, segmentation, redundancy, fallback communications and recovery.
Six Tables — Six Recommendations for FRMCS Delivery
Practical recommendations from the implementation working groups, identifying key delivery challenges and priority actions.
From Discussion to Action: What Must Happen Next?
Bringing together the strategic and implementation recommendations from both days.
From Pilot to Programme: Procurement, Governance & Delivery
- Ownership and governance of national FRMCS programmes
- Programme funding and investment requirements
- Telecoms infrastructure and systems integration procurement
- Supplier ecosystem and industrial capacity
- Infrastructure, onboard and signalling programme coordination
- Deployment planning, delivery risks and operational acceptance
FRMCS Cybersecurity & Operational Resilience by Design
- Securing mission-critical railway communications networks
- Identity, access control and strong authentication
- Network segmentation and protection of safety-critical services
- Redundant architecture and geographic diversity
- Cyber resilience, recovery and incident response
- Fallback communications and degraded-mode operation
Mission-Critical Communications: Voice, Data, Dispatch & Control Rooms
- Mission-Critical Push-to-Talk, MCData and MCVideo services
- Railway operational communications and dispatch functionality
- Control-room systems and operational integration
- Handheld devices and trackside workforce communications
- Service continuity during GSM-R and FRMCS coexistence
- Reliability, fallback and degraded-mode procedures
The Connected Railway: Turning 5G Connectivity into Operational Value
- Railway data exchange and interoperable digital systems
- Train-to-ground connectivity and onboard applications
- Real-time diagnostics and remote monitoring
- Predictive maintenance and asset intelligence
- Digital platforms and operational decision support
- Improving fleet availability, reliability and railway performance
Beyond Migration: FRMCS, ETCS, Automated Operations & the Future Railway
- FRMCS as an enabling communications platform
- ETCS evolution and automated train operations
- Increasingly connected and intelligent railway systems
- Satellite and non-terrestrial communications
- Future mobile technologies and potential evolution towards 6G
- Designing digital infrastructure for long-term adaptability and resilience
The FRMCS Deployment Journey
Be Part of the FRMCS Discussion
Interested in attending, speaking or exploring a commercial partnership? Contact the conference organisers to discuss participation.
Contact the Event Team →18–19 May 2027 · Marble Arch, London. Venue to be announced.