Scanet

Scanet
TypeTrain radio
LocationNorway
ProtocolsAnalog
UseNorwegian railway network
OwnerNorwegian National Rail Administration
Established1993 (1993)
Closed2007 (2007)

Scanet is a defunct, analog train radio system used by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) and later the Norwegian National Rail Administration. The system was developed by Ascom Radiocom and was installed on the primary railways in Norway between 1993 and 1996. The system allows radio communication between a train dispatcher, and train drivers and other users involved in railway operations. Scanet has three main components: the central traffic control, base stations which are located along the railway lines, and mobile station located in the trains. The system is further connected to the internal railway telephone network, where it functions like a regular telephone. Scanet is also connected to the automatic train control system.[1]

However, several lines lack the system, including the Arendal Line, the Flåm Line, the Meråker Line, the Nordland Line, the Rauma Line, the Røros Line, the Eastern Østfold Line, the northern part of the Gjøvik Line, and several tunnels along the Bergen Line and the Sørlandet Line. The Åsta accident in 2000 spurred the need to give all parts of the railway coverage with train radio.[2] On these lines, the dispatcher and drivers must communicate using the Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT 450) standard, which by 2002 was being planned terminated by Telenor.[3]

Scanet was replaced by Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway (GSM-R) in 2007.[4] The system, delivered by Nokia Siemens Networks, was on time and on budget, and made Norway one of the first countries to fully implement the system throughout Europe.[4] After GSM-R was fully implemented on 1 November, Scanet was gradually closed.[5] The new system has been characterized as simpler to use and giving better audio quality than Scanet.[6]

  1. ^ Solberg, Bjørn Olav (1994). "Train radio system for Norwegian State Railways" (PDF). Telektronikk (4). Telenor: 73–81. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  2. ^ Enghaug, Paul (11 February 2002). "NSBs nye togradio holder bare fem år". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 11.
  3. ^ Melsom, Jens (10 January 2002). "Kommentarer til høring– Fremtidig bruk at NMT-450 frekvensbåndene" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  4. ^ a b Savvas, Antony (19 November 2007). "Norwegian rail system migrates to mobile network to improve safety". Computer Weekly. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  5. ^ "Høring – Endring av togframføringsforskriften og signalforskriften bl.a. som følge av innføring av GSM-R som togradio mv" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Railway Inspectorate. 6 July 2007. Archived from the original on 24 October 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  6. ^ Nørbeck, Fredrik (2008). "GSM-R" (PDF). Lokomotivmands Tidende (3). National Union of Norwegian Locomotivemen: 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2010.