How to Ensure Reliable Railway Communication: The Example of China Railway

According to a government release, on June 14, 2025, with the opening of the Longlong High-Speed Railway from Meizhou West to Longchuan West, China's railway network officially surpassed the 160,000-kilometer milestone.

Today, the total network covers over 160,000 kilometers (50,000 kilometers of high-speed rail included) and carries an annual passenger volume of 4.312 billion. With such massive scale, ensuring the safety of construction and maintenance operations has become the lifeline of the industry.

Among China Railway Corporation's 2.045 million employees, frontline maintenance staff in engineering, electrical, and power supply departments occupy for more than 30%. Every day, they handle tens of thousands of tasks—track inspections, signal debugging, and power supply maintenance—often while trains are running. As trains approach, workers must evacuate the track area immediately. In these high-pressure moments, millisecond-level, interference-resistant, and reliable communication between supervisors, on-site safety staff, and station liaison officers is critical.

Yet, the challenges are daunting. Mountainous terrain and tunnels block public network signals, creating dead zones that affect communication and positioning. Around electrified railways, electromagnetic interference—from catenary harmonics or high-frequency construction equipment—causes spikes in communication errors. Cross-departmental coordination also suffers when instruction dispatching is delayed. Under such background, communication terminals built to railway-grade standards and adaptable to harsh environments are an absolute necessity.

To meet these needs, Hytera has developed a full lineup of railway-specific terminals, based on the Railway-Specific Digital Intercom Equipment (QC/R 980-2023) standard. These include:

●TP530 professional digital intercom for single-mode operations

●TPC560 and PDC580 dual-mode terminals for narrowband + 4G hybrid communication

●P50 and P50 Pro public network smart terminals for advanced cross-regional coordination

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The TP530 is built for tough construction environments. With an IP67 rating, it resists humidity and dust in tunnels. Its AI noise cancellation with voiceprint separation cuts out equipment noise over 130 dB, boosting voice clarity by 50%. A simple dual-knob design allows precise operation even with thick gloves, while Type-C fast charging and efficient power management deliver 12 hours of heavy use.

For areas with blind spots or interference, the TPC560 and PDC580 dual-mode terminals combine private narrowband with public 4G. If one network weakens, they automatically switch to the other. With 5W high transmit power, their communication range is 2.3 times further than traditional models, even in winding tunnels. Their anti-interference module also keeps the Bit Error Rate below 0.1%, ensuring reliable command delivery.

When it comes to large-scale coordination and emergency response, the P50/P50 Pro series uses 4G/5G networks to link cross-regional command centers. For simultaneous operations—such as rail welding, catenary inspection, and signal debugging—the system integrates GIS positioning and electronic fences to track work teams in real time. Dispatchers can send group voice alerts to relevant teams 15 minutes before a train passes, while updating progress directly with the station control center.

For example,in emergencies, such as a rockfall blocking a line, the command center can activate emergency mode instantly. On-site staff can stream live video with the P50 Pro, while a relay team deploys temporary communication equipment within 20 minutes, restoring connectivity for rescue operations.

The value of this system goes far beyond hardware. It turns the safety principle of “protect workers, clear trains” into a technical closed loop. With intelligent terminals, interference-resistant transmission, and visualized scheduling, dispatch delays are reduced to under 2 seconds, significantly lowering the risk of construction accidents.

As China's railway network continues to expand, this solution not only safeguards millions of frontline workers but also acts as a smart digital system, supporting China Railway's path toward high-quality growth—balancing both scale and safety.