Hoeft & Wessel Wins Swiss Rail Mobile Communications System Contract

The Swiss Federal Railways Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB) has awarded Hoeft & Wessel a contract to develop and supply a new mobile solution for voice and data communications in the field of shunting and construction operations.

The company's Almex Division will develop and supply a new light and integrated shunting accessory (LISA) system.

The LISA system provides SBB with a secure communication system at its construction sites and shunting operations based on GSM-R digital radio.

The key project includes converting the old analogue radio system to GSM-R, the digital radio system to meet the requirements of railway services.

The communications system has a total value of around CHF9.9m ($10.2m), with development and rollout to be completed in two and a half years.

The SBB shunting and construction workers will be equipped with a total of 2,700 mobile terminals.

The Almex business division of the German-based engineering technology group Hoeft & Wessel Group is a ticketing and telematics systems provider for public transport in Europe.