The GSM-R Functional Group (FG) and the Operators Group (OG) are expert groups having as main task to maintain the EIRENE Functional and System Specifications (FRS & SRS).
The latest EIRENE Versions are FRS 7.1 & SRS 15.1.
EIRENE 7/15 is today part of the TSI CCS Annex A for Mandatory Documents.
The two groups were created in 2001, alongside the new UIC GSM-R Project.
The Functional Group was tasked with preparing Functional Requirement Specifications (FRS), which mainly describe the mandatory features required for interoperability.
The Operators Group was tasked with developing System Requirement Specifications (SRS), based on functional requirements.
The first FG meeting took place on the 13 March 2001, in Zurich, while the first OG meeting took place on 15 March 2001, in Paris.
Today the two groups are meeting three times a year in order to perform their duties. There are ad hoc OG groups meetings to address specific issues in between.
To this extent, as well as to discuss some stringent points, an FG & OG common plenary meeting took place in Paris, on 15 and 16 September 2010.
The meeting was opened by Mr Emilio Maestrini, Director of the Rail System Department, who thanked the two groups of experts for the work performed within the last 10 years, on behalf of UIC.
The GSM-R change requests on the agenda were discussed and resolved successfully.
One important point of discussion was evolution in EIRENE Specifications. The next EIRENE Baseline, ‘8/16’, is intended to freeze the features that are mandatory for interoperability for a number of years.
Therefore, the FG & OG common plenary discussed the features which are to be considered for the next EIRENE baseline – also known as ‘8/16’. As such, their work was to address ranking of the features within the following categories: ‘very important’; ‘must be in ‘8/16’’; ‘important - work will concentrate on the feature, but outcome will not impact ‘8/16’ planning’, and ‘nice to have’.
A list of features was therefore compiled and the features placed in ranking order. The next step will be to analyse a possible time plan, discuss it with the GSM-R Industry Group, and when this common plan has been finalised, present it to CER and EIM and then to the ERA ERTMS Control Group. This will open the way for agreement on a common strategy for evolutions in EIRENE Specifications.
The notion of having a plenary meeting was welcomed by participants, so another plenary is planned to be held in 2011.
