A smart railway may conjure up images of a sleek, bullet train capable of travelling hundreds of miles an hour. A smart railway is not just exclusive to the designs of the train, but takes into account the implementation of a number of technologies including sensing solutions, Big Data, predictive maintenance and connectivity.
A shifting mindset shows how high-speed connectivity, like trains, is becoming more important to railway operators and passengers.
Making a “smart railway”
Before a railway can implement high-speed connectivity, and in doing so, become a “smart” railway, the operator will need to evaluate the current state of the infrastructure which includes identifying potential gaps in coverage and determining its capacity to support high-speed data transmission.
Upgrading a railway’s infrastructure can mean installing or upgrading fibre optic cables and strategically placing base stations and antennas which need to be connected to the fibre optic network.
The networks being looked at to deliver high-speed connectivity for a smart railway includes 5G networks and an upgrade of onboard Wi-Fi systems to Wi-Fi 6, the latest generation.
With high-speed connectivity, the risk of cyber attacks inevitably increases which means it needs to be an integral part of the process. Encrypting data transmitted over the network, deploying firewalls and conducting regular audits and updates should be part of this.
Investment in high-speed connectivity
UK investment into the railways is serious business. According to figures from the Office of National Rail and Road (ORR), between the years 2022-23 Network Rail invested £12.4 billion, £2.7 billion of which went into operating costs and £2.1 billion into maintenance. In recent years, railway operators are investing money into facilitating high-speed connectivity in trains, too, as it catches up to the roll-out of 5G.
News of the first Elizabeth line tunnels receiving 4G and 5G coverage in a move set to benefit millions of passengers, showed how connectivity is becoming a must-have. Transport for London (TfL) will work together with Boldyn Networks to deliver 5G mobile connection across the London Underground.
“Following the success of all underground Elizabeth line stations being connected, we’re delighted that TfL customers are now starting to enjoy 4G and 5G coverage in the tunnels. This will benefit a huge number of passengers travelling between Liverpool Street and Paddington,” said Billy D’Arcy, CEO of UK & Ireland at Boldyn Networks.
Blu Wireless said in June of this year that it secured investment from Maven Capital Partners to deploy its mmWave wireless solution, “which has the potential to materially improve connectivity on high-speed rail transportation,” said Alexander Sleigh, Maven Investment Director.
Helping operators with high-speed connectivity
High-speed connectivity doesn’t just benefit travellers who might want to stream media or browse the Internet; it helps the railway operators too. This was evidenced in an announcement of Nexxiot partnering with 3C Telemetry in March of this year to target the US railway industry.
The partnership will connect 3C Telemetry’s sensors to Nexxiot’s AI-driven analytics platform to offer insights into maintenance data patterns, adopting a predictive maintenance approach and digitising the railway industry.
“The partnership with Nexxiot allows a larger customer base to take advantage of the trusted positioning and sensing capabilities of the Nexxiot Globehopper, augmented by the advanced bearing, wheel, and specialty sensing of the 3C Telemetry line of sensors,” explained Ryan Minnig, Partner at 3C Telemetry in the announcement.
“In the face of long-standing industry challenges, the collaboration between Nexxiot and 3C Telemetry is a beacon of innovation and operational insight,” added Kenneth Mannka, EVP, Operations North America, Nexxiot.
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