ETR – Eisenbahntechnische Rundschau | Ausgabe International/2016
“Always-on” – modern vehicle IT as a basis for future-oriented passenger rail operations
Train operating companies involved in passenger services find themselves in a market where competition is intense. At the same time, the use of the internet by passengers on the move is increasing at a very rapid rate. If such companies are to keep pace with the growing competition from long-distance coach services, one way to improve customer experience in rail traffic is to provide reliable wireless access to the internet. This article presents an up-to-date vehicle IT system based on an all-IP vehicle communication infrastructure. One possible basis for this, which is becoming more and more attractively priced, is to equip the trains with a broadband data connection to the public mobile networks. This would address not only the possible transmission of data for optimised operations, for example in the sense of being able to transmit diagnostic data in real time for condition-based maintenance, but also the more demanding expectations passengers now have of high-performance onboard WiFi.