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New digital test field for rail travel of the future
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing speaks at the ceremonial commissioning of the digital test field in Annaberg-Buchholz. photo
© Jan Woitas/dpa
In the Erzgebirge, research is being carried out on rail travel of the future. A state-of-the-art 5G network will be available on the test track in the future. Research is being carried out into automated driving, for example.
There is a digital high-speed test field for rail travel in the Erzgebirge Future started. For this purpose, a triple 5G network was built along a 25-kilometer route between Annaberg-Buchholz and Schwarzenberg. Not only the new FRMCS railway radio is being tested there, but also applications in which it is supplemented by public mobile communications networks.
“The digitalization of the transport system is a mammoth task that we are devoting ourselves to with innovative ideas,” said Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP). The digital test field would develop important foundations for innovations in automation and digitalization on rail. “5G is a must in the future,” emphasized Wissing. This applies not only to rail operations, but also to passengers. They expected a stable and high-performance internet connection on the train.
For example, on the line in the Ore Mountains, remote control of trains is being tested. This requires the transmission of camera data in real time. 5G makes it possible to transmit even large amounts of data quickly, including a fast response – the so-called latency. This offers new opportunities not only for consumers, for example in gaming or quickly downloading videos. This also plays a role in new applications such as telemedicine or in connection with artificial intelligence.
According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, the Federal Ministry of Transport has funded the construction of the 5G network for the “Digital Railway Test Field” in the Ore Mountains with 17.75 million euros. It is operated by Vodafone, and in addition to Deutsche Bahn, the Technical University of Chemnitz, which operates a branch in Annaberg-Buchholz, is also involved.