FRMCS (Future Railways Mobile Communication System) is the acronym for the GSM-R successor, expected to be made available in 2022. UIC has launched the FRMCS Project phase two scheduled to take place between 2017 and 2019. For this important system, one of the ERTMS recognised game changers, UIC will deliver the Functional and System Requirements Specifications, liaise with frequency authorities and ETSI TC RT and 3GPP , document the Business Case, define with ETSI TC RT the applications interworking conditions, discuss migration aspects, determine the conditions for ensuring a smooth transition from GSM-R to FRMCS including future interworking and roaming conditions, investigate the gaps with the present 3GPP R15 features for FRMCS, document the preconditions for the system Proof of Concept and validation Trials, including ETCS trials.

On 13 July 2017, the UIC FRMCS Project representatives met at the UIC HQ and discussed the initial planning of the FRMCS Functional Specification. ERA representatives participated in the meeting.

The remit of the specification, that will be based on the UIC User Requirement Specification, the work frame and an initial roadmap for the FRMCS FRS - which will be a UIC IRS - were agreed.

A detailed plan for the FRMCS FRS, the strategy on the alignment with the TSI, will be discussed with the UIC FG & OG plenary and the FRMCS stakeholders and will be agreed within the Q4 of 2017.