Investigation on LTE for Advanced Real Time Two Way Communication for Railway Operational Excellence: Case of Addis Ababa – Djibouti Line
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Date
2016-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Railway communication network constitute an important element of the railway environment.
It plays a crucial role in railway’s operation effectiveness, capacity, safety and passenger
experience. The actual communication system for the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway line
provides basic train operation and protection. However in the long term stage (2035), due to
the increase of expected cargo and passenger traffic, it may become an obstacle. Hence the
communication system would need an upgrade and alternative mobile technologies are
considered to replace it.
In this research work, GSM-R technology, which is state-of-the-art railway mobile
communication technology, is investigated and its main shortcomings are exposed, namely:
lack of capacity, limited data transmission capabilities, inefciency in radio resource usage
and risk of obsolescence. Due to these signicant drawbacks, the Long Term Evolution (LTE)
mobile technology is selected.
This thesis is focused on designing LTE radio coverage network for the Ababa-Djibouti
route. LTE relevant features and capacity is analyzed. A set of critical and non-critical
applications, which enhance railway operation in terms of capacity, safety as well as
passenger comfort, are proposed for the line. LTE radio network design parameters and
appropriate algorithms are well selected. The link budget calculation is done by selecting a
suitable path loss model.
Radio coverage is based on an extensive work on the geographical and morphological nature
of Addis Ababa-Djibouti route. Atoll software is used for simulation so as to optimize the
network.
Results of the simulation show that the whole line is well covered in terms of signal strength.
Also the required total data rate capacity to be able to support the proposed applications is
achieved.
All in all, this thesis has tried to design LTE radio coverage network specific to the railway
environment since LTE technology has only been designed for commercial purposes.
Moreover it presents a feasible evolution in the eld of railway communications
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Keywords
LTE, GSM-R, Coverage