Cabinet nod to 5 MHz spectrum for railways to boost communication, signaling

After two years of deliberations, the government on Wednesday decided to allot 5 MHz spectrum in the 700 MHz frequency band to the Indian Railways to improve its communication and signaling systems. “It will help in improving the safety of passengers on the transport network,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said after the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Indian Railways envisages providing LTE based mobile train radio communication on its route. The national transporter said in a statement that the project would be completed over the next five years at a cost of Rs 25,000 crore. Railways is currently dependent on optical fiber for its communication network but with the allocation of new spectrum, it will be able to use high speed radios on a real time basis. Railways said in its statement, “It brings about a strategic change in the operation and maintenance regime of the Railways.” .