Connected car? How about connected train.
Ericsson on Thursday said it partnered with Canadian aerospace and transportation company Bombardier on a successful trial of LTE technology to allow communications-based train control.
According to Ericsson, the pair conducted 11 tests that simulated speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour to see whether LTE networks would be able to support communications-based train control (CBTC).
Ericsson said the trials also tested LTE’s ability to support other multiservice solutions for trains, including closed-circuit television (CCTV), voice, platform information, advertising and Wi-Fi for passengers.
The LTE networks used in the tests achieved uplink and downlink latencies “far below the threshold of 100 milliseconds,” Ericsson said, with packet losses near zero.
“The results of the tests performed to date are very promising and we will continue to test a variety of modems to ensure we can provide robust LTE networks for rail applications,” Ericsson head of Customer Group Industry and Society Charlotta Sund said. “We aim to develop solutions that ensure enhanced rail safety through communications-based train control and CCTV, as well as enhanced entertainment for passengers through services such as voice, platform information, advertising and Wi-Fi.”
Ericsson said LTE-enabled CBTC would support automatic train protection, operation and supervision. The Swedish telecom equipment giant said the LTE-based CBTC systems would be both more streamlined and reliable than older train control systems. With the ability to provide operators with more information about the exact position of trains, Ericsson said the system would also allow conductors to manage traffic in a more efficient and safe manner.
Filed Under: Infrastructure
