Day 2: FP2-MORANE-2 Project Update

ottobre 15 2025

On Day 2 of the 4th Global UIC FRMCS Conference, we heard from the FP2-MORANE-2 work package managers, who were seated symbolically on a platform behind the physical end-to-end FRMCS equipment - including Remote Radio Units (RRUs), onboard radio modems, the well-known TOBA box, and dispatch equipment.

The purpose of the FP2-MORANE-2 project is to test specifications, handovers, and interworking — not specific products. The project currently plans trials on tracks within the following rail networks:

Spain (ADIF)
Sweden (Trafikverket)
Germany (DB InfraGO)
Spain HS (ADIF)
Netherlands (ProRail)

Of the five test tracks, two already have the necessary physical infrastructure, power, and transmission systems to support FRMCS installed and commissioned. The trials use equipment from a range of vendors, including: Ericsson, Kontron, Nokia, Hitachi, Funkwerk, Viavi, Teltronic, Siemens, Alstom, and Frequentis.

What is MORANE-2?

The MORANE-2 (Mobile Radio for Railway Networks in Europe 2) project is a major European initiative focused on modernizing railway communications and paving the way for the deployment of the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS). As the current GSM-R network approaches obsolescence, MORANE-2 aims to validate, test, and refine FRMCS specifications to ensure they meet operational, safety, and interoperability standards across the EU rail system.

This work will enable FRMCS to be integrated into the revised Control-Command and Signalling Technical Specifications for Interoperability (CCS-TSI). Running from December 2024 to September 2027 with a budget of approximately €13.5 million, MORANE-2 brings together 13 European railway organizations alongside technology leaders and infrastructure managers.

The project combines extensive laboratory testing with real-world field trials on railway networks in Spain, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands. By ensuring FRMCS is robust and future-proof, MORANE-2 will support safer, more reliable, and more efficient railway operations across Europe