The pilot test, which covers the unified multi-service capabilities of several systems, including CBTC, Passenger Information System (PIS) and closed-circuit television (CCTV), represents a significant step forward in the LTE commercialization of CBTC services.
Alstom is the world's first train manufacturer to integrate LTE 4G into its signaling system solution, the Urbalis Fluence CBTC solution, which greatly improves the viability of eLTE, providing a wireless ground-to-train communications network for subway operations.
The LTE pilot project was launched following the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Huawei and Alstom in April 2014, which agrees that Huawei will provide the eLTE network needed for the pilot test, in addition to Alstom providing the train and LTE-compatible integrated equipment.
The pilot test was conducted on metro lines near the Valenciennes metropolitan area in France, with Huawei optimizing network planning, broadband data services, and mission-critical voice trunking services, while Alstom provided technology integration support. During the pilot, Huawei and Alstom performed various tests, including laboratory and statistical tests on trains, dynamic testing on metro tracks, and tests of the capabilities of multiple eLTE services.
Huawei first developed the eLTE broadband trunking solution focusing on multimedia applications, trunking-type voice delivery, and broadband data services based on 4G LTE standards to meet the growing demands of the rail transport industry.
Huawei's eLTE solution enables metro operators to ensure safe train operation by upgrading CBTC train signals to eLTE while providing mission-critical trunking voice delivery and broadband data services, such as live CCTV video streaming and a Passenger Information System (PIS). With eLTE, metro operators can effectively reduce operating and maintenance costs, obtain passenger information quickly, and significantly improve train serviceability.
Huawei's eLTE solution, which incorporates PIS and CCTV capabilities, has provided Zhengzhou Metro Line 1 with reliable, real-time, bidirectional wireless transmission channels for its voice, data, and video services from ground to train, improving the line's overall communication efficiency and operational capabilities. As a result, since the start of services in 2013, Zhengzhou Metro Line 1 has never experienced any significant operational failures in its LTE equipment.
Furthermore, thanks to the deployment of the Huawei eLTE solution, the approximately 600-kilometer-long Shuo Huang Railway (SHR) has been upgraded to provide services including synchronous control of multiple locomotives, wireless train-to-ground data communications, trunking voice delivery, and onboard video surveillance. As a result, the Huang Shuo Railway has significantly improved its transport efficiency, increasing its annual freight capacity from 200 million to 350 million tons.
