The Mayan Train, one of the flagship works of the current administration, will have a radio communication system that will guarantee the operation and safety of the trains, thanks to the fact that this infrastructure can be used by the Army and the National Guard to monitor only the railway infrastructure, but even the surrounding towns.
Teltronic México is the company in charge of deploying the infrastructure and equipment of the radio communication system called Tetra, which will be used in the drivers’ cabins to speak or send critical data to the stations. The company currently provides technology in the modernization project for Line 1 of the Collective Transport System, in addition to being involved in the Guadalajara metro, among other projects.
Óscar Fernández, director for Teltronic de México, explained in an interview that developing radio communication for the Mayan Train “is a challenge” if one takes into account that it will have to pass through the jungle and through remote places without internet coverage, coupled with the insecurity that the country faces.
“(The radio communication system) will also be used by Sedena troops to provide protection to the route and the surrounding towns. It is a fairly ambitious project and it will not only be used for the train but also to increase the safety of the neighboring towns”, assures the Teltronic director.
How is a radio communication system deployed?
The so-called radio communication systems are called “mission critical”, since when there is an accident such as earthquakes, floods or security issues, and the networks are saturated or cut, this mechanism works as a backup for communication.
The Mayan Train’s radio communication system will allow drivers to know in advance if there is an emergency during the march. But designing it is complex, especially in remote locations.
Fernández comments that for the Mayan Train, Teltronic must install 100 communication towers, in addition to using the 380 and 400 MHz radio spectrum that the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism (Fonatur) requested from the Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT), as well as Place equipment inside machines and stations.
In addition, one of the requests and rules outlined by Fonatur for the development of the Mayan Train communication system was sustainability, which is why it demanded that the equipment to be installed inside the trains and outside the tracks be of low energy consumption. Energy.
“Manufacturers are aware of the footprint we leave in our projects and this was part of the original requirement of Fonatur and the supervising company,” said Fernández.
For the development of the project, it was taken into account that the layout of the tracks will pass through remote areas and places in protected environments, for which very low consumption equipment and alternate power sources will be used. “More green and less impact equipment. These equipment are practically supported by solar panels,” added the Teltronic manager.
Times and costs
The Teltronic manager explained that one of the most important points to win the tender launched by Fonatur was “the use of sustainable and modern technology, but at an economic cost.”
The company assures that its proposal was almost 300 million pesos cheaper than that made by other companies. Thanks to this, Fernández assures that the federal government achieved savings of up to 50% of the original budget for the radio communication system.
Once the Mayan Train is finished, the Teltronic company will have, for two more years, interference in the operation of the work and will later offer maintenance.
Fernández comments that the time to deploy all the elements of the radio communication system will depend on the progress of the Mayan Train. Currently the company has already begun to supply equipment for the section that will pass through Mérida and Cancún. According to the project schedule, the radio communication system is expected to work at the user and train level in at least four sections towards mid-2023.
The Mayan Train will have seven sections. The most important, due to its tourist importance, will be section five, which goes from Tulum to Cancún and will be built by the Army, in addition to sections six and seven.
Teltronic will work together with other companies that will participate in the construction of the Mayan Train and will advance in the deployment of the radio communication system as the civil work progresses. For example, in section 1 it will be coordinated with Mota-Engil Mexico and with China Communications Construction Company LTD, which participates in an agreement with Grupo Cosh, Eyasa and Gavil Engineering.
In the construction of section 2, it will participate with Operadora CICSA in an association agreement with FCC Construcción; while in section 3 with Construcciones Urales, in association with GAMI Engineering and Installations and AZVI. In section 4, it will be coordinated with Grupo Ingenieros Civiles Asociados.
