Lower Austrian Public Transport Network (NÖVOG) has replaced its end-of-life train communication system with an operational mission-critical services (MCX) system for the tourist railway train Salamander of the Schneebergbahn, which runs under the summit of Schneeberg, the highest mountain in the province of Lower Austria. 

Frequentis supplied an end-to-end system solution, part of the MissionX portfolio, integrated with a 4G network for mission-critical communications according to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Standard “mission-critical services”. This includes application and management servers, applications for mobile devices and control centre dispatchers, as well as recording. The solution provides NÖVOG with seamless and streamlined mission-critical communications over 4G for all end users, from the control centre to the train driver, as well as other staff in the field. 

“The new communication solution improves our operational capabilities and re-invents our way of solving day-to-day critical communication tasks down the line. We are excited to be working with Frequentis on this project,” says Michael Rödlach, Head of Communication Systems at NÖVOG. 

The Schneebergbahn, introduced in 1897, was the first Austrian cog railway train. It takes passengers up to an elevation of 1800 metres. 

“It is really inspiring to be working with a partner such as NÖVOG, implementing the same cutting-edge technology which forms the basis for the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS),” says Tom Karl, Frequentis Vice President Public Transport. “By enabling trains to communicate over standardised 4G, with an added security layer, we lessen the need for expensive infrastructure. Frequentis is also part of the European transition to FRMCS and we are pleased to be driving railway communication digitalisation forward, even 1800 metres up.”