The Norwegian National Rail Administration Jernbaneverket is set to improve the communication across its railway network to support safe, punctual rail operations. The state-owned agency has selected Nokia Siemens Networks and Expandium to implement a quality management system that will continually assess its GSM-Railway (GSM-R) network and identify any issues for immediate troubleshooting.

“It is critical to ensure high availability and quality of a railway communications network both for the safety of our passengers and to minimize train delays while maintaining control of our operating costs,” said Svein Erik Rasmussen, commercial manager, Jernbaneverket. “Nokia Siemens Networks has already provided us with its GSM-R solution, and has now offered us a new approach, along with Expandium, to manage that network and further improve its reliability and operational efficiency.”

Expandium develops solutions to enable railway operators to maximize their investment by making their communications network more robust, thus improving the safety of the passengers. By teaming up with Nokia Siemens Networks, the company has found a partner that already has expertise in installing specialised solutions for railway networks.

The quality management system by Expandium, ‚QATS Railway’, measures the quality of service in real time and includes the current technologies under the European Train Control System (ETCS) and GSM-R standards. Nokia Siemens Networks will install and integrate the system into the Norwegian rail authority’s existing communications network and provide project management services.

[www.jernbaneverket.no/english/] [www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com] [www.expandium.com]