At a glance
CFL decided in 2024 to proactively begin the phased transition to FRMCS earlier than other European infrastructure managers, and selected Eviden to supply and integrate all necessary FRMCS Service components into its existing railway environment.
Outcomes
- Proof of concept successfully completed in September 2025
- Operational efficiency, safety and coordination of CFL personnel
The Client
The Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL) is Luxembourg’s national railway company. In 2023, CFL transported approximately 28.7 million passengers and in 2024, handled 2.3 billion ton-km of freight. With over 5,000 employees, it is one of the country’s largest employers. CFL plays a key role in both national mobility and cross-border rail transport.
All European railway infrastructure managers are expected to adopt the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) standard in the coming years due to the programmed end of life of GSM-R within 2035-2040 timeframe.
CFL takes a proactive lead in the transition to FRMCS
CFL decided in 2024 to proactively begin the phased transition to FRMCS earlier than other European infrastructure managers. This initiative will lead to the first commercial deployment of MCX in operational service in Europe by 2027, marking a significant milestone in the transition from GSM-R to FRMCS and setting a precedent for future railway communication systems across the continent.
This innovative approach has the immediate benefit to address important use cases like shunting (that are not addressed by GSM-R in Luxembourg), to start the renewal of one specific layer of their existing network with the replacement of aging GSM-R components and to get their operational and maintenance staff already trained on the next-generation technologies.
CFL’s critical migration from GSM-R to FRMCS is carried out gradually. From 2024 to 2027, Eviden is updating the FRMCS Service Stratum. After 2027, the FRMCS Transport Stratum will be updated by another telecom provider based on private 5G infrastructure. The complete GSM-R network will then be switched off after a period of coexistence with FRMCS.
Why Eviden
As a key player in FRMCS, Eviden delivers a full-featured FRMCS Service Layer solution, supported by a long-term roadmap and service commitment, designed to seamlessly integrate and complement the FRMCS Transport Layer solutions provided by leading 5G telecom vendors.
Delivering the components of the FRMCS Service Stratum to CFL
CFL selected Eviden to supply and integrate all necessary FRMCS Service components into its existing railway environment:
- Lifelink MCx Connect – Eviden’s mission-critical communication platform delivering robust, secure, and scalable services including Mission-Critical Push-To-Talk (MCPTT), Mission-Critical Video (MCVideo), and Mission-Critical Data (MCData), fully aligned with 3GPP standards. It is the core component of the Eviden solution
- Lifelink MCx Dispatcher – A web-based dispatcher application, offering operators an interface for railway dispatching
- Lifelink MCx Recorder – A centralized solution for voice recording, storage, and playback, supporting operational traceability and compliance requirements
- Lifelink MCx IWF – The interworking function that enables hybrid operational scenarios with smooth interoperability between Lifelink MCx Connect, CFL’s PBX system and the existing GSM-R infrastructure
- Lifelink MCx CMS – A centralized management system for confi guration, fault and performance management
A phased transition to full FRMCS compliance
The CFL project is organized into four phases:
Phase 1: First proof of concept – Interoperability of the MCX system with public 4G/5G network and CFL’s PABX
Phase 2: Second proof of concept – Interoperability of the MCX system with CFL’s GSM-R system
Phase 3: National deployment
Phase 4: Adaptation to the latest FRMCS and CCS TSI specifications
Eviden, a key player in FRMCS
Eviden delivers a full-featured FRMCS Service Layer solution, supported by a long-term roadmap and service commitment, designed to seamlessly integrate and complement the FRMCS Transport Layer solutions provided by leading 5G telecom vendors.
- FRMCS Service Layer
- FRMCS TOBA / Cab Radio
- Cybersecurity
- Services
Eviden is an active member of UNIFE and contributes to two key working groups:
- UNITEL, focused on the development and implementation of FRMCS
- The Cybersecurity Working Group, addressing security challenges across the rail sector
Eviden fully recognizes the critical importance of interoperability within the FRMCS ecosystem. To this end, it engages in comprehensive interoperability testing with major FRMCS stakeholders to ensure compatibility, reliability, and alignment with evolving standards.
Eviden has also achieved ETSI recognition through its successful participation in industry testing events, including:
- The 9th MCX Plugtests (2025)
- The 4th FRMCS Plugtests (2025)
In addition, Eviden is an active member of the European FP2-MORANE-2 consortium. Through this initiative, Eviden delivers key components of the FRMCS Service Layer, such as MCX, IWF and dispatchers, and actively supports the testing and validation of FRMCS specifications.
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Related resources
Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL)
Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL) chooses Eviden to deploy end-to-end next generation railway mission-critical communication systems.
5th FRMCS Plugtests at the UIC Headquarters
Eviden took part in the 5th FRMCS Plugtests at the UIC Headquarters in Paris, joining more than 100 experts from 45 companies to validate the interoperability and maturity of FRMCS standards and solutions, including MCX components.
Eviden supports your transition from GSM-R to FRMCS
Eviden acts as both a solution provider and system integrator, covering all key FRMCS service and application domains and components throughout the transition from GSM-R to FRMCS.