In a notable development, government has approved allotment of 5 MHz spectrum in 700 MHz frequency band to IR for public safety and security services at stations and in trains. With this spectrum, IR has envisaged to provide long term evolution (LTE) based mobile train radio communication on its route. The project is expected to entail an investment of Rs. 250 billion. The project will be completed in the next 5 years. IR has also approved train collision avoidance system, an indigenously developed automatic train protection system, which will help in avoiding train collisions thereby reducing accidents and ensuring passenger safety. The purpose of the LTE for IR 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.
