GCC RAILWAY FRMCS FORUM: TOWARDS A HARMONIZED FUTURE RAILWAY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
About
FRMCS Forum
Date: 21/10/2026 (TBD)
Venue: Online (Teams/Zoom)
Duration: Half day
Professional fee: 12000 €
Background
Following the constructive discussions between the GCC Railways Authority (GCC RA) and the International Union of Railways (UIC), both organisations have expressed their willingness to establish a long-term cooperation in the field of railway telecommunications and digital transformation.
As a first milestone of this cooperation, UIC proposes an interactive FRMCS Forum focused exclusively on FRMCS as the future railway communication system and on its relevance for the development of the GCC railway network.
Rather than a conventional training session, the forum will provide a collaborative platform for GCC RA and UIC experts to discuss the technical, operational, strategic and financial/business dimensions of FRMCS, including migration considerations, interoperability requirements, deployment approaches and the wider implications of implementation choices.
The forum will also address the consequences of not implementing FRMCS, including potential impacts on interoperability, operational efficiency, digital transformation, lifecycle costs and future railway development.
Objective
The forum has been designed to address the specific needs and expectations of GCC RA. The objectives are to:
- Provide an update on the latest international developments related to FRMCS, including UIC activities, standardisation work and ongoing international initiatives.
- Present FRMCS as a technology, including its architecture, migration principles, interoperability requirements, spectrum considerations and implementation roadmap.
- Facilitate discussions on key technical and operational topics related to FRMCS deployment, including migration from GSM-R to FRMCS, deployment scenarios and regional harmonisation aspects.
- Examine the financial and business perspective of FRMCS implementation, including long-term value, lifecycle considerations and strategic relevance for railway development.
- Assess the consequences of not implementing FRMCS, including impacts on interoperability, operational efficiency, digital transformation, lifecycle costs and future railway development.
- Identify common priorities and define practical follow-up actions that may support future cooperation between GCC RA and UIC.
Proposed Agenda
| Time | Session | Content |
| 09:30–09:45 | Opening Remarks – GCC Railways Authority | Welcome and opening remarks by GCC RA, highlighting the GCC Railway objectives, regional interoperability priorities, and the importance of harmonising future railway communication systems. Brief remarks by UIC. |
| 09:45–10:05 | Global FRMCS Update – UIC | Latest international FRMCS developments, UIC activities, MORANE 2, current specifications, migration from GSM-R to FRMCS, and international implementation roadmap. |
| 10:05–10:25 | FRMCS Regulatory & Standardisation Update – ERA (TBC) | Update on the current status of FRMCS technical specifications within the European regulatory framework, including progress towards formal adoption, expected timeline and upcoming milestones. |
| 10:25–10:45 | FRMCS Technology & Deployment Framework | FRMCS architecture, interoperability requirements, spectrum considerations, migration principles and deployment approaches. |
| 10:45–11:00 | Coffee Break | |
| 11:00–11:10 | GCC Railway Spectrum Coordination Update | Brief update by the relevant GCC technical telecommunications body/team on regional coordination and the status of spectrum reservation/allocation for railway communications across GCC Member States. |
| 11:10–11:35 | GCC FRMCS Deployment & Regional Harmonisation | GCC-specific discussion on deployment towards 2030, including direct FRMCS deployment versus transitional/migration scenarios, spectrum harmonisation and cross-border interoperability. |
| 11:35–12:00 | Business Case & International Experience | International experience and benchmarks, implementation timelines, CAPEX/OPEX and lifecycle considerations, and implications of delayed implementation. |
| 12:00–12:30 | Interactive Discussion & Open Q&A | Open discussion with participants, GCC RA, UIC, ERA (TBC) and relevant GCC stakeholders covering technical, operational, regulatory, spectrum and implementation matters. |
| 12:30–12:50 | Recommendations & Next Steps | Consolidation of key findings, priority actions and practical next steps towards a harmonised GCC approach to FRMCS. |
| 12:50–13:00 | Closing Remarks – GCC RA & UIC | Summary of the Forum outcomes and closing remarks. |
Forum Approach
The forum will be organised as an interactive working session, encouraging active participation from all attendees. Rather than a sequence of presentations, each session will include moderated discussions, technical exchanges and strategic reflection on FRMCS as a future railway communication system.
Attention will be given to:
• sharing international experience and best practices related to FRMCS;
• examining FRMCS from technical, operational and financial/business perspectives;
• discussing migration strategies, interoperability requirements, spectrum management and deployment approaches;
• assessing the consequences of not implementing FRMCS, including impacts on interoperability, operational efficiency, digital transformation, lifecycle costs and future railway development;
• identifying common priorities and practical recommendations for future cooperation between GCC RA and UIC.
Expected Outputs
By the end of the forum, participants are expected to have achieved:
• A common understanding of the latest international FRMCS developments and UIC activities.
• A clearer understanding of FRMCS as a technology, including key considerations related to migration, interoperability, spectrum and deployment approaches.
• Identification of the main technical and operational priorities relevant to FRMCS implementation in the GCC context.
• A better understanding of the financial and business perspective of FRMCS deployment, including long-term value and lifecycle considerations.
• A shared assessment of the consequences of not implementing FRMCS, including impacts on interoperability, operational efficiency, digital transformation, lifecycle costs and future railway development.
• Agreed recommendations and practical follow-up actions to support future cooperation between GCC RA and UIC on FRMCS-related topics.
Forum Organisation
The forum will be jointly organised by GCC Railways Authority (GCC RA) and the International Union of Railways (UIC).
The event will be jointly announced by both organisations. Participant registration will be managed through GCC RA and UIC communication channels.
Following the registration period, GCC RA and UIC will jointly review the list of participants to ensure the participation of the most relevant stakeholders.
Expected Participants
• GCC Railways Authority (GCC RA)
• Ministries of Transport of GCC Member States
• National Railway Regulatory Authorities
• Infrastructure Managers
• Railway Undertakings
• Railway Telecommunications and Signalling Experts
• Digital Transformation Specialists
• Invited International Railway Organisations
• UIC Experts
Scope of Services Included
The proposed professional fee covers the complete preparation, organisation and delivery of the forum, including:
• Development of the forum programme and technical content
• Preparation meetings involving UIC experts
• Technical presentations and moderation by UIC specialists
• Coordination between UIC departments
• Communication support and event promotion through UIC channels
• Registration support and participant management
• Online event organisation and platform preparation
• Forum moderation
• Preparation of the Forum Summary Report and Minutes of Meeting
• Follow-up coordination with GCC RA
Register here: https://evenium.events/rzq2cwgj
