Private 5G/4G Cellular Networks for Railways, 2024-2030

FRMCS-Ready 5G/LTE Networks a $1.2 Billion Opportunity

This research indicates that cumulative spending on FRMCS (Future Railway Mobile Communication System)-ready 5G and LTE networks will reach $1.2 Billion between 2024 and 2027.

Private 5G and 4G LTE cellular networks - also referred to as NPNs (Non-Public Networks) in 3GPP terminology - are rapidly gaining popularity across a diverse range of vertical industries. The railways industry is no exception to this trend, as public transport operators increasingly turn to mission-critical LTE networks over aging GSM-R systems and other legacy technologies.

South Korea's KR (Korea National Railway) has deployed one of the world's largest LTE-based railway communications networks and China hosts many 1.8 GHz private LTE networks for CBTC (Communications-Based Train Control), video surveillance, broadband trunking and PIS (Passenger Information System)-related applications.  In France, SGP (Société du Grand Paris) has deployed a 2.6 GHz private LTE network to provide indoor and outdoor coverage for operational communications across all Grand Paris Express rapid transit system's stations, lines and depots. The PTA (Public Transport Authority of Western Australia) is installing a purpose-built 3GPP network, which includes approximately 160 cell sites, to replace its existing 400 MHz voice-only analog radio system. Among other examples, India’s NCRTC (National Capital Region Transport Corporation) is deploying a 700 MHz private LTE network for the Delhi-Meerut RRTS (Regional Rapid Transit System). The network supports mission-critical voice and data communications, ETCS (European Train Control System) Level 2 and 3 signaling as well as ATO (Automatic Train Operation).

Although a full-scale transition from GSM-R to FRMCS implementations is not expected until the late 2020s, FRMCS-ready 5G networks are also starting to be adopted to support operational and safety-related applications. In China, Shentong Metro, Guangzhou Metro, Shenzhen Metro and several other urban rail transit operators have recently adopted hybrid public-private 5G networks. Spain’s Adif AV is also deploying hybrid public and private 5G network infrastructure across its strategic logistics centers across the country in a bid to boost digitalization, process automation and cost reduction in rail freight transport.  In the United Kingdom, the ECH-R (England’s Connected Heartland Railways) project aims to deploy a standalone private 5G network to provide connectivity for operational teams and passengers along a section of the EWR (East West Rail) track between Bicester and Bletchley.  

DB (Deutsche Bahn), SNCF (French National Railways), SBB (Swiss Federal Railways), FTIA (Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency), PKP (Polish State Railways), Tokyo Metro, China State Railway Group and others are actively progressing with their pre-commercial 5G rail connectivity projects prior to operational deployment. The analyst predicts that global spending on private 5G and 4G LTE network infrastructure in the railways sector will grow at a CAGR of 23% over the next three years, collectively accounting for more than $1.2 Billion between 2024 and 2027. 

The Private 5G/4G Cellular Networks for Railways, 2024-2030 research package provides detailed market analysis and forecasts for private 5G and LTE networks across 16 vertical industries, including railways. The package includes the full edition of the Private LTE & 5G Network Ecosystem, 2024-2030: Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts report and a datasheet with additional private 5G/4G infrastructure investment forecasts for the railways sector.

Topics Covered & Forecast Segmentation

Report: The Private LTE & 5G Network Ecosystem, 2024-2030: Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts

This report covers the following topics:

• Introduction to private LTE and 5G networks
• Value chain and ecosystem structure
• Market drivers and challenges
• System architecture and key elements of private LTE and 5G networks
• Operational and business models, network size, geographic reach and other practical aspects of private LTE and 5G networks
• Critical communications broadband evolution, Industry 4.0, enterprise transformation and other themes shaping the adoption of private LTE and 5G networks
• Enabling technologies and concepts, including 3GPP-defined MCX, URLLC, TSC, DetNet, NR-U, SNPN and PNI-NPN, RedCap, cellular IoT, high-precision positioning, network slicing, edge computing and network automation capabilities
• Key trends such as the emergence of new classes of specialized network operators, shared and local area spectrum licensing, private NaaS (Network-as-a-Service) offerings, IT/OT convergence, Open RAN, vRAN and rapidly deployable LTE/5G systems
• Analysis of vertical industries and application scenarios, extending from mission-critical group communications and real-time video transmission to reconfigurable wireless production lines, collaborative mobile robots, AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and untethered AR/VR/MR (Augmented, Virtual & Mixed Reality)
• Future roadmap of private LTE and 5G networks
• Review of private LTE and 5G network installations worldwide, including 160 case studies spanning 16 verticals
• Database tracking more than 7,300 private LTE and 5G engagements in over 130 countries across the globe
• Spectrum availability, allocation and usage across the global, regional and national domains
• Standardization, regulatory and collaborative initiatives
• Profiles and strategies of more than 1,800 ecosystem players
• Strategic recommendations for LTE/5G equipment and chipset suppliers, system integrators, private network specialists, mobile operators and end user organizations
• Exclusive interview transcripts from 24 companies across the private LTE/5G value chain: A5G Networks, Anritsu, Ataya, Ballast Networks, CableFree (Wireless Excellence), Cavli Wireless, Celona, Digi International, Druid Software, Ericsson, Future Technologies Venture, InfiniG, JMA Wireless, MosoLabs, Neutroon, Nokia, Pente Networks, Picocom, RADTONICS, Shabodi, Sigma Wireless, Telrad Networks, T-Mobile US and X4000 Communications
• Market analysis and forecasts from 2024 to 2030

Datasheet: Private 5G/4G Cellular Networks for Railways, 2024-2030: Infrastructure Spending Forecasts

This datasheet provides private 5G/4G infrastructure forecasts for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:

• Infrastructure Submarkets
  • RAN (LTE & 5G NR Radio Access Network)
    • Base Station RUs (Radio Units)
    • DUs/CUs (Distributed & Centralized Baseband Units)
  • Mobile Core (EPC & 5GC)
  • Transport Network
• Technology Generations
  • LTE
  • 5G
• Cell Types
  • Small Cells
  • Macrocells
• Regional Markets
  • North America
  • Asia Pacific
  • Europe
  • Middle East & Africa
  • Latin & Central America