An early warning system for detecting GSM-R wireless interference in the high-speed railway infrastructure

Railways are an important critical infrastructure because they transport commodities and goods (freight rail) and people (passenger rail). Like other critical infrastructures, the railway infrastructure is complex and geographically dispersed and has become increasingly dependent on information and communications technology (ICT). Therefore, the mitigation of ICT vulnerabilities is essential for protecting the railway infrastructure. This paper focuses on the European high-speed railroad infrastructure, in which a wireless system based on the Global System for Mobile Communications for Railways (GSM-R) standard plays an important role in distributing signaling information to trains. The paper examines the GSM-R vulnerabilities due to wireless interference and describes an innovative monitoring system based on software-defined radio technology that is designed for the early detection of wireless interference.