GSM-R antennas on the Infrabel network

Quarterly evolution of the number of GSM-R stations in service on the Infrabel network. Just like an ordinary GSM, GSM-R is a mobile means of communication, but only for the railways. The "R" in the GSM-R acronym stands for "rail". Thanks to GSM-R signals, a train driver can talk to the signal box, from which Infrabel regulates the railway traffic.
An antenna provides GSM-R coverage over a few kilometers. These stations are located close to the tracks. Just like ETCS, GSM-R contributes to greater safety on the railway network. ETCS stands for European Train Control System. It is an automatic safety system that constantly monitors the speed of a train. If a train is travelling faster than the permitted speed, the ETCS will intervene and initiate emergency braking.
More information about ETCS in our dataset : Deployment of ETCS on the Infrabel rail network
ETCS and GSMR are part of the European Union's ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) programme, which aims at the interoperability of rail driving and signalling systems.