Huawei Helps Turkmenistan to Build Steel ‘Silk Road’

Background

At the center of the Eurasian continent, Turkmenistan has been an important transport hub since ancient times, when the Silk Road served as a caravan route stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to China. Due to Turkmenistan’s recent economic growth, the country’s railways have become an essential means of transportation between Europe and Asia.

To improve railway efficiency and boost economic growth, Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Railway Transportation plans to deploy cutting-edge communications technologies and modernize existing railway networks in multiple phases over 10 years.

Challenge

Since Turkmenistan’s time as a member of the Soviet Union, the country’s railway network had used outdated communication systems that limited the operational efficiency of main lines. For example, a trip on the 540-kilometer Ashgabat-Karakum-Dashoguz line took more than 20 hours because the maximum safe speed allowed by the dispatch system was only 60 kilometers an hour. The railway also had security challenges in protecting almost 5,000 kilometers of track and a large number of stations.

Solution

To address these challenges, Huawei provided an end-to-end GSM-R solution that covers core and access networks. Working with signal equipment along the railway, the solution implements a dispatch network that delivers full wireless coverage over all railway sections. The solution leverages high-speed adaptive algorithms and cell priority features to seamlessly interconnect dispatch systems in various regions.

Huawei also provided auxiliary systems such as telephone, video conferencing, and power supply systems, delivering a comprehensive operational communications solution for the railway network. Huawei has helped Turkmenistan upgrade the communications systems for more than 1,200 kilometers of railway lines.

Benefits

By upgrading the railway communications network, Turkmenistan has enhanced freight and passenger capacity within the country and facilitated transportation across Central Asia. A unified platform in core equipment rooms supports smooth evolution in the future to a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network, helping Turkmenistan operate and maintain its steel 'Silk Road'.