Mobile Train Radio Communication in India

Mobile Train Radio Communication in India

Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) System commissioned in Western Railway Trains; First Time in Indian Railways
Advanced Communication System Aid in Preventing Train Accidents
Provision for Broadcast Call; Prompt Communication; GPS Enabled Tracking System

Mobile Train Radio Communication PPT Slideshare – Click Here

General Manager, Western Railway, Shri Alok Kansal inaugurated the newly commissioned Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) system at Divisional Railway Manager’s Office in Mumbai today, 1st March, 2025. The Mobile Train Radio Communication system is an effective and a technologically advanced communication system which can play an intrinsic role in preventing train accidents and reducing delays through effective communication. It facilitates an instant and constant interaction of train crew with the Control Centre and the Station Master.

“MRTC acts in a similar way to that of Air traffic control (ARC) for aircrafts. The system will monitor, track and aid in communication between the trains and the control room thereby ensuring smooth movement of rakes as well as help in preventing adverse events, ” said Shri Alok Kansal.

Speaking about the need for an MTRC system, Shri Kansal said, “This is the first time that MTRC is commissioned in Indian Railways. It is a historic move of the Indian Railways. The new system has already been installed in 90 out of 100 rakes running between Churchgate and Virar.” The current MTRC system has been commissioned in Churchgate-Virar section. The 60-kilometre suburban section between Churchgate-Virar is a high-density-traffic route where trains run with headway (at an interval) of approximate 3 minutes in peak hours. The section transports over 3.4 million passengers every day by operating over 1300 services.

The newly commissioned system is an integrated system with the ongoing Train Management System, so that controllers can communicate with Driver and Guard by using the train number as well as cab number code. In case of emergency, MTRC has a provision for broadcast call too. The section controller can initiate Broadcast call to all Motormen/Guards of trains and same announcement can be extended for passengers of the train. “MTRC uses lowest time to connect calls i.e 300 milliseconds. It also has a provision of pre-defined, one – touch dialing thereby ensuring prompt communication. It ensures safety of passengers by providing effective communication between Driver and Control Room. With this new system we can track the location of trains through GPS and even find out if a level crossing is open or closed,” he added.

Benefits of MTRC System are as follows:

Single touch dialing to call any of the Two Section Train Controllers, Dy. Train Controller, EMU Controller
Auto Call Answer for Cab Radios for Motorman and Guards to receive only audio (Only from Controllers and call from another cab of same rake)
Contact numbers of three controllers (TPC, SIG and TMS) are fed into the phonebook for easy access while dialing
Motorman can directly communicate defect of EMU-to-EMU Controller which reduces detention of other trains
In any Unusual Situation, i.e. if the called MTRC phone is busy then on making emergency call the overriding feature the speech will get through and communication will be established. Emergency call goes to Dy. CTNL

It was also mentioned that, earlier, the existing very high frequency (VHF) based communication does not give facility for communication between the crew of running train and controllers of Control Office. Alok Kansal also pointed out that how with the deliberate efforts of the department the number of accidental deaths and injured per day has come down from around 4.50 in 2019 to 1.30 in 2020.

It was informed that as a move towards Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, the work for the provision of new Digital MTRC system has been awarded to M/s. Consort Digital Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi at an estimated cost of Rs. 5.98 Crore. The company will provide technical and maintenance support of the system for seven years.

“Western Railways is committed to provide best of the services to the public, be it with the number of trains, quality of service or safety of travellers. This newly commissioned MTRC will enable passengers’ convenience and in case of emergency prompt communication through its advanced technology,” stated Shri. Kansal

Harish Gupta, Principal Chief Signal & Telecom Engineer, Shailendra Kumar, Principal Chief Operations Manager, Naresh Lalwani, Principal Chief Safety Officer, G. V. L. Satyakumar, Divisional Railway Manager/ BCT, S. Bandopadhyay, Chief Communication Engineer, Kuldeep Kumar Jain, Chief Electrical Engineer / RS, Sumit Thakur, Chief Public Relations Officer and Sachin Sharma, Secretary to GM were also present during the event.

The PPT presented by General Manager, Western Railway can be accessed here

Here’s a detailed look at Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) in India — what it is, how it works, where it’s deployed, and why it matters.

1. What is Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC)?

MTRC is a two-way wireless communication system that allows direct voice and data exchange between the locomotive driver, guard, control center, and station masters along the route.
It operates using digital VHF/UHF radio or GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway) technology.
It is part of Indian Railways’ push toward real-time communication for safety and operational efficiency.

2. Objectives of MTRC

Improve Train Safety: Quick transmission of emergency messages (e.g., obstruction on track, brake failure).
Enhance Operational Control: Controllers can directly instruct loco pilots during congestion or rescheduling.
Disaster Response: Coordination during accidents or natural disasters.
Real-time Status Updates: Reduce delays caused by miscommunication.

3. Technology Used

Indian Railways employs two main MTRC technologies:

a) VHF/UHF-based Train Radio

Used on many suburban and intercity routes.
Coverage provided by radio towers every 8–15 km.
Cheaper, simpler to deploy, but limited in data capabilities.

b) GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway)

Based on 2G GSM technology, adapted for railways.
Uses dedicated railway spectrum (primarily 900 MHz).
Enables voice + data communication, cab-to-cab calling, emergency priority calls.
Future-proof for integration with signaling systems like ETCS Level-2.

4. Deployment in India

First introduced on Howrah–Dhanbad and Delhi–Agra sections.
GSM-R now operational on select high-density routes:
- Delhi–Agra
- Delhi–Ambala
- Howrah–Kharagpur
- Mumbai Suburban (Churchgate–Virar on WR, CSMT–Kalyan on CR)
Over 2,500 km of track covered with GSM-R; more sections under installation.
Mumbai suburban network uses TETRA-based digital radio for local train communication.

5. Features of MTRC Systems

Feature	VHF/UHF Radio	GSM-R
Voice Communication	✔	✔
Group Calls	Limited	✔
Emergency Calls	✔	✔
Data Communication	❌	✔
Integration with Signals	❌	✔
Range	8–15 km/tower	15–25 km/tower

6. Benefits to Indian Railways

Safety: Direct emergency channel between driver and controller.
Efficiency: Reduces dependency on wayside phones and manual relays.
Punctuality: Faster decision-making during disruptions.
Crew Coordination: Guard, driver, and control staff can communicate in real time.
Foundation for Automatic Train Protection (ATP): GSM-R supports integration with Kavach system.

7. Future Plans

Replace analog VHF systems with digital solutions on all major routes.
Expand GSM-R to high-density corridors, including Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC).
Integrate with Kavach (Indian ATP) for automatic braking in emergencies.
Explore LTE-R (4G/5G for Railways) for high-speed data in the future.

✅ In short: MTRC is Indian Railways’ backbone for on-train voice/data connectivity. While still expanding, it’s already a critical safety and operational tool on busy routes, and it will play a major role in modern signaling and train control systems.

If you want, I can prepare a route-wise deployment map of MTRC in India showing which lines have GSM-R, VHF, or TETRA coverage. That would make it easier to visualize.