Cabinet approves allocation of 5MHz spectrum for railways

TRAI had in 2019 recommended allotment of spectrum to Indian Railways, albeit only for captive use and not to offer any commercial services such as on board WiFi.

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved allotment of 5Mhz spectrum in the premium 700 MHz band to Indian Railways for captive use in areas of public safety and security services. With this spectrum, the Indian Railway will introduce LTE-based Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) on its route. This will help prevent train accidents and reduce delays by enabling real-time interaction between Loco Pilot, Station Master, and Control Centre. The project is targeted to be completed in five years and is estimated to cost over Rs. 25,000 crore. “The purpose of the LTE for Indian Railways is to provide secure and reliable voice, video and data communication services for operational, safety and security applications. It will be used for modern signalling and train protection systems and ensure seamless communication between loco pilots and guards,” the official statement said.