Ismaning/Chessington, 24 September 2002 - Willtek Communications today introduced the new 4202R model from its Willtek 4200 Mobile Service Tester series, dedicated to secure railway safety. It is the only device able to verify the performance of railway communications systems including radios, phones and peripherals. It is essential for rail safety that these systems are kept in working order as they ensure fast communication with the train driver to prevent disaster in case of an emergency. When the alarm is raised the systems also cause warning lights to flash and alarms to go off once an emergency call comes in.

“The tests will increase railway safety and are expected to be carried out not only on the cab radio but also on radios used by shunting teams and many other railway-related activities”, says Matthias Weber, product marketing manager at Willtek. The testing does not take longer than ten to fifteen minutes. It will be performed frequently during regular train maintenance checks on every locomotive equipped with GSM-R (Global System for Mobile communications-Railway), the new communication standard for railways across Europe– replacing the analog system.

There are approximately 11,500 trains in Germany to be equipped with this system within the next 24 months, about 8,500 in the UK and approximately 12,000 in France.

The Willtek 4202R Mobile Service Tester is the first GSM-R test instrument for service applications. Apart from standard measurements for mobile phone testing and alignment, it also supports incoming and outgoing group calls at various priority levels; the Voice Group Call Service (VGCS) is an integral part of GSM-R. The 4202R can simulate a network and initiate a test call to the cab radio’s group identity at the highest priority level, so that the user can verify that the visual and acoustic alarms are fully operational. By initiating an alarm call at the terminal, outgoing alarm calls with their priority levels correctly set can also be tested.

The small size and low weight make the Willtek 4200 series the preferred choice to test and repair applications requiring mobility from the test equipment. The optional DC power supply allows the 4202R to be used on all locomotives and with the additional battery, the 4202R becomes independent of any train power supply system. The 4202R also supports software version checks by reading the radio’s software version number and presenting it in the test report. Thus technicians will be able to guarantee the use of the latest software in the radios, ensuring functionality, compatibility and reliability.

The 4202R is based on the Willtek 4202S Mobile Service Tester, a standard communication test-set used by 60 percent of service centres for the test, repair and alignment of mobile phones conforming to GSM worldwide. The 4202R version has the same features as the 4202S, qualifying it also for standard repair tasks. The voice group functions, in conjunction with the support of the special GSM-R frequency channels, provide additional benefits for railway applications and secure the railway safety measures introduced with GSM-R.

About GSM-R

GSM-R is an enhancement of GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) for railway purposes. GSM-R networks are currently being installed and tested. GSM-R is defined and supported by UIC project EIRENE together with ETSI Project Railway Telecommunications. UIC is the international union of railways; ETSI produces telecommunication standards for European and global use, such as GSM.