INDUSTRY R EP ORT TheConnectedJourneyThrough Transport'sTransformativeDecade
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CONTENTS FOREWORD MagnusFriberg(ChiefExecutiveOfficer,Icomera) Page4 PARTONE CateringfortheEvolvingNeedsofBusinessandLeisureCommuters OnboardWi-FiWelcomingNewandReturningPassengersinRecordNumbers PaulBarnes(ChiefMarketingOfficer,Icomera) Page12 CreatingSeamless,EngagingandEnjoyableCustomerJourneys MattSeaman(ChiefExecutiveOfficerandFounder,GoMedia) Page16 AccessibletoAll:DigitalTechnologiesOvercomingPhysicalandLinguisticBarriersto PassengerTransportUse SvenKoster(HeadofNewBusinessDevelopmentandInnovation,GoMedia) LynnBacigalupo(ProjectManager,Icomera) Page20 PARTTWO CreatingaSafeEnvironment AnthonySpadaro(ProductManagerVideoSurveillance,Icomera) Page26 UtilisingReal-timeVideoSurveillance&AnalyticstoMaintainSafer,MoreReliable TransportNetworks Page30 BuildingCybersecurityBestPracticesintoNetworkArchitectureDesignandIncident ResponsePlanning MarkHoffman(SeniorBusinessContinuityConsultant,Icomera) ChrisBaker(GlobalCybersecurityEngineer,Icomera) NotesandReferences Page46 TheFast-TracktoFuture-ProofConnectivity MatsKarlsson(ChiefTechnologyOfficeandFounder,Icomera) Page40 Page36 TimeTravel:TakingOlderRollingStockintotheFuture MikeMortimer(Director,DG8DesignandEngineering) MarkHoptroff(Director,DG8DesignandEngineering) PARTTHREE RespondingtoRapidlyChangingNeedsinaCost-Effective,ResilientWay 3
In2015,theUnitedNationsproducedalistoftheglobaltrendsandchallengesthatitdeemedtobethemost pressing¹.In2016,theWorldEconomicForumfollowedsuit,issuingalistofthe10mostimportantissuesfroman economy-centredviewpoint².Reportsbygovernmentsandotherorganisationshavealsoservedtohighlight emergingthreatstoourwayoflife.
Itisonethingtoobservethattheworldischanging.Itissomething elsetofeeltheimpact,respond,andactivelyinfluencethedirection ofthatchangeforthebetter.
Unsurprisingly,therearetrendsandchallengesthatappearacrossmultiplelistsandreports.Moreinterestingly, manyappeartobemorerelevanttodaythanatanypointinlivingmemory. Iwouldliketohighlightjustfive,innoparticularorder:
•ClimateChange –Globalwarmingdrivenbyhuman-inducedemissionsofgreenhousegasesandtheresulting large-scaleshiftsinweatherpatterns.Nineteenofthehottestyearsonrecordhaveoccurredsincethenew millennium³ andtransportaccountsforaroundone-fifthofglobalcarbondioxide(CO2)emissions⁴
FOREWORD Magnus Friberg
ChiefExecutiveOfficer,Icomera
ThisistheopportunityopentoIcomeraandthewidertransport industrytoday. Weareataturningpointinhowwetravel.Aswitheveryjourney,to knowwherewearegoing,wefirsthavetounderstandhowwegot here…
GlobalTrendsandChallengesShapingtheGoalsofPassenger TransportovertheNextDecade
•AgeingPopulations –Anincreasingmedianageofthepopulationbecauseofdecliningfertilityratesandrising lifeexpectancy.In2018,forthefirsttimeinhistory,peopleovertheageof65outnumberedchildrenunderthe ageoffive.By2050,oneinsixpeopleintheworldwillbeover65,upfromonein11in2019�. Thisincreasesthe percentageofthepopulationwhowillstruggletodocertainactivities,liketravellingindependently,ifissuessuch asuniversalandinclusivedesignarenotaddressed. 4
–Theblurringofboundariesbetweenthephysicalanddigitalworlds, encompassingadvancesinartificialintelligence(AI),robotics,theInternetofThings(IoT),andother technologiesforincreasedautomationandimproveddataexchange.Itisestimatedthat127newIoTdevices areconnectedtothewebeverysecondinthepursuitofthebenefitsonoffer�.
•Cateringforanageingpopulationandthosewithaccessibilityneeds
•AcceleratingtheFourthIndustrialRevolutioninasmart,clean,andsafeway,sothatitcanplayamorecentral roleinaddressingalloftheabove
•Protectingcitizensfromphysicalandcyberthreatsarisingfromconflictsandviolence
•GlobalPandemics
Thetransportindustryhasanimportantroletoplayhere. 5 90% 136%
Currenteventsarefocussingthemindsofpoliticalandbusinessleaderstoaddresstheseglobaltrendsand challengesbyworkingtogethertoachieveglobalgoals.Headlineactivitiesinclude: •Reducinghuman-inducedemissionsofgreenhousegasestofightclimatechange
Theseissueswillcontinuetodominatetheglobalagendaoverthenextdecade,duetothecyclicalcausalityoftheir relationshipswithoneanother.
COVID
•ConflictandViolence
–Therapidspreadofadiseaseoveralargenumberofpeopleindifferentcountries/on differentcontinentsandthesubsequentwavesandassociateddisruption.DuringtheearlymonthsoftheCOVID19pandemic,travelinmajorcitiesfellbyover90%,witheconomichubslikeNewYorkandLondonseeing mobilityat4%and7%ofpre-pandemiclevels,respectively,inApril2020�
–Rangingfromentrenchedconflict,toorganisedcrime,urbanviolence,andviolent extremism�.Increasingly,thesearespillingoverintoonlineattacks.Forexample,in2020-2021therewere136% morecyber-attacksoncriticalinfrastructureintheUSAthanintheprevioustwoyears�.
•TheFourthIndustrialRevolution
•Reducingthespreadofdiseasetomitigateagainsttheeffectsofglobalpandemics
2.Itmustofferasafeenvironment thatminimisesthespreadofdisease,andguardsagainstphysicalandcyber threatstotheindividualandtowiderinfrastructure.
AsIsaidearlier,weareataturningpointinhowwetravel,intermsoffrequency,distance,mode,ourwholeapproach. Butimportantly,wewillcontinuetotravel–forwork,leisure,oraccesstoservices.
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Sustainabilitywillbekeytotravellinginawaythatsupportshumanity’spursuitofglobalgoals–environmentally, economically,andsocially.Passengertransportisthemostsustainableformoftransport–movingmorepeople withfewervehiclesandreducinggreenhousegasemissions.Buttheindustryhasundoubtedlybeenhithardbythe COVID-19pandemic.Itwillhavetoovercomemanychallengesonitsjourneybacktopre-COVIDusagelevelsand, beyondthat,tomeettheincreaseindemandthatcomesfromshiftingsociety’stravelhabitsfurthertowards sustainable,greenmobility. Sohowcantheindustryattractmorepassengersinapost-pandemicworld?
3.Itmustdothisinacost-effectiveandresilientway thatalsoallowsittoadapttorapidlychangingenvironmental, societal,andeconomicneedsinthefuture.
Simplyput,itmustsupporttheglobalgoalsthathavearisenfromglobaltrendsandchallenges:
1.Passengertransportmustcaterfortheevolvingneedsofbusinessandleisurecommuters, regardlessofage ordisability.
ATransformativeDecade Aroundtheworld,plans,targets,andfundingtosupportthepursuitofthesegoalsarestartingtomaterialise. Collectively,theylaythefoundationsforatransformativedecadeforpassengertransport.Highlightsinclude: •Canada –InFebruary2021,CanadianPrimeMinisterJustinTrudeauannouncedplansforthefederal governmenttospendanadditional$14.9billiononpublictransportationprojectsacrossthecountryoverthe nexteightyears,withapermanenttransitfundof$3billionperyearstartingin2026¹�.Thefundingwilloffercity plannerslong-termpredictability,supportingalarge-scaleupgradeandexpansionofservices.
•Europe –InFebruary2022,33railwaycompaniesfrom24EuropeancountriesofficiallylaunchedEurope’sRail JointUndertaking,aimingtosignificantlyincreasethemodalshareofRailtransportby2030.Thegroup committedtoreducingRailtransportgreenhousegasemissionsby30%by2030,andtoreachingclimate neutralityby2050,inlinewiththeEuropeanUnion’soverallobjectives.Expectationswerealsoexpressedfor Europe’slargestRailresearchandinnovationprogrammeworth€1.2billion¹�
•UnitedNationsClimateChangeConference(COP26) –InNovember2021,197countriesagreedtotheGlasgow ClimatePact,aimedatstavingoffdangerousclimatechange.ThisreaffirmstheParisAgreement’sgoalsof keepingtheincreaseinglobalaveragetemperaturesbelow2°Cabovepre-industriallevels,andpursuingefforts tolimittheincreaseto1.5°C.Thepactalsorecognisesthatthesegoalsrequirerapid,deep,andsustained reductionsinglobalgreenhousegasemissions,reducingglobalcarbondioxideemissionsby45%by2030,and tonetzeroby2050¹�.
•UnitedKingdom –InMay2021,theUKDepartmentforTransportpublishedtheWilliams-ShappsPlanforRail, statingitsintenttocreateanewstate-ownedpublicbodythatwilloverseeRailtransportinGreatBritainfrom 2023.GreatBritishRailways(GBR)willintegratethepreviouslyfragmentedrunningofthenationalRailsystem, owningtheinfrastructure,settingmostfaresandtimetables,andplanningandrunningthenetwork¹¹.This announcementcameonlymonthsafterthepublicationofastrategyforbetterbusservicesinEnglandthrough anambitiousreformofthewaytheyareplannedanddelivered¹²
TheConnectedJourney
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WhenIcomeradevelopedanddeployedtheworld’sfirstonboardWi-Fiservicein2003,wecreatedanewamenitythat broughtthepassengerexperienceintothe21stcentury.ThiswasfouryearsaheadofthefirstiPhone,andeven4G networkswerestillanothersixyearsaway.Wesubsequentlybecametheworld’sleadingproviderofwireless connectivityfortrains,trams,buses,andcoaches,andinthesameperiod,establishedatrackrecordofconsistently identifyingandmeetingthefuturerequirementsofthepassenger.
•UnitedStates –InNovember2021,USPresidentJoeBidensigneda$1.2trillioninfrastructurebillintolaw.The packageprovides$39billiontomoderniseandexpandpublictransittomeetriderdemandand$66billionfor passengerandfreightRail,makingitthelargesteverfederalinvestmentinpublictransit,andthelargestin passengerRailsincethecreationofAmtrakover50yearsago¹³
1.Connectivity
Wecontinuetobetheworldleaderinthisareatoday.In2020,Icomerasuccessfullydesigned,manufactured,and trialledtheworld’sfirst5G-enabledrouterforconnectedRailvehiclesolutions¹�,integratingitwiththerestofour next-generationhardwareandsoftwareconnectivityplatform.Wedeliveredoveronegigabitofdatapersecondtoa trainusingonlycommerciallyavailable4Gand5Gcellularnetworks,surpassingthebenchmarkreferredtointhe industryas‘theGigabitTrain’.
2.ConnectedApplications
WhenIcomerawasfoundedin1999,wetookournamefromthephrase‘IntelligentCOMmunicationERA’.Providing thefastest,mostreliableconnectionavailableformovingvehiclesandthepassengersonboard,alongtheentirety oftheirroutesthroughruralandurbanlandscapes,wasatthecoreofeverythingwesetouttodo.
8 TheBuildingBlocksforDeliveringTheConnectedJourney
Now,thisforeseeable-future-prooftechnologyisbeinginstalledonvehiclesincountriesaroundtheworld,readyto simultaneouslysupportthemyriadofconnectedonboardsystemsandservicesthatwillcollectivelyaddressthe overarchinggoalsofthetransportindustry.
Historically,PassengerWi-Fihasbeenthemostobviousapplicationfor‘Internetonboard’,turningtraveltimeinto productivetime.Butasanincreasingnumberofotherpassengerservicesgodigital,theytooarebecoming connected. IcomeraacquiredpassengerinfotainmentprovidersGoMediainSeptember2020.Wearenowutilisingthisdedicated teamtodeliversomeofthekeyservicesrequiredforthecontemporarydigitalpassengerexperience–businessor leisure.Theserangefrompersonalisedjourneyinformationforallpassengers,includingthosewithaccessibility needs¹�,beforetheytravel,toonboardentertainmentandtwo-waycommunicationchannels¹� withtheoperatorwhile thejourneyisinprogress–somethingthatisjustnotpossiblewithtraditionalinformationchannels. Whilemakingnoclaimstohaveseeninadvancehowallrecentglobaleventswouldunfold,thefutureofourindustry willbeheavilybasedondigitalisation,usingthesametechnologiesthatIcomerahasconsistentlypresentedover manyyears,albeitthetimelinesformassadoptionhavenowbeenmassivelyaccelerated,andtherewillbeagreaterthan-expectedemphasisplacedonmakingsafetyandoperationalimprovementsvisibletopassengers. Onethingthatmanyofthetechnologiesandstrategiesunderpinningthefutureoftravelhaveincommonisthe importanceof,andrelianceon,real-timeoron-demandaccesstoinformationforallparties–Restoringconfidence fromdoortodestination,makingeveryridetime-efficientforthepassenger,andcost-effectivefortheoperator. Withanincreasingnumberofonboarddevicesorsystemsrequiringconnectivity,theincreasingvalueofthedata theygenerate,andtheincreasingimportanceofitstimelyavailability,ensuringthereliableandsecuretransmission ofthedatathatallthesesystemsgenerateandutilise,toandfromthemovingvehicle,iskey. ThisispreciselythechallengethatIcomerahasbeenaddressingforthelast20years,anditisthecornerstoneofthe roleweintendtoplayinredefiningthewaywetraveloverthenext10.
3.ExpertiseatEveryStep
Asvehiclesbecomeevermorecomplexdigitalecosystems,theskillsrequiredtodesign,install,maintain,and supporttheonboardnetworkalsoincrease.
SouthWesternRailwayProject Spotlight onpage28].Sensorsthatmonitortheconditionofinfrastructurealongaroutecanalsobesupportedto ensurearesilientandreliable‘predictandprevent’maintenancestrategy.²� [Learnmoreinour NetworkRailProject Spotlight onpage29]. 9
Inadditiontosolutionsthatdirectlydeliverpassengersatisfaction,wearealsowitnessingaperiodofintensive digitalisationwhenitcomestoimprovingsafetyandoperationalefficiency.Givenourlargeinstalledbase,Icomera hasbeeninvolvedinmanyofthesetrials,developinganddeployingsolutionsthatarenaturalextensionsofourcore competencies,orworkingwithotherindustryleaders.Theseincludereal-timemonitoringofpassengernumberswith AIsoftware-enhancedcameras¹�,makingiteasierforpassengerstochooselesscrowdedenvironmentstotravelin, andfeedingbackintooperators’fleetandstaffcapacityplanning[Learnmoreinour
SincebringingthisdeepdesignandengineeringknowledgeintoIcomera,wehavesuccessfullydeliveredsomeofthe mostfully-realisedDigitalVehicleprojectsforpassengertransporttodate²².Post-launch,thesevehiclesare monitoredbyourNetworkOperationsCentre(NOC),providingroundtheclockproactiveandreactivesupportand contributingtoahighperformanceandhighavailabilityenvironment.
Successfullybringingnewtechnologiesintoapassengertransportenvironmentrequiresdeepexpertiseinelectrical andmechanicaldesignandintegration.Tothisend,IcomeraacquiredUK-basedDG8DesignandEngineeringin 2019.DG8havelongbeenseenastheindustryexpertswhenitcomestophysicallyintegratingnewtechnologywith existingassets.Asacaseinpoint,theywereresponsibleforthemechanicalandelectricalinstallationdesignofthe retrofitted‘HydroFLEX’hydrogentrainthatwasshowcasedatCOP26²¹ [Learnmoreinour HydroFLEX Project Spotlight onpage39].
ThenextlegofTheConnectedJourneyisonlyjustbeginning,butlookingaheadwecanseeapaththatwillforever changethewaywetravel,makingpassengertransportmoreattractive,moreseamless,andpartofasmarter, greenerfutureforeveryone. 10
4.Scale Successfullyconnectingtensofthousandsofvehiclesworldwide,weknowwhatittakestointroduce,deliverand supportnewtechnologiesastheyareadoptedenmasse.
IcomeraispartofEQUANS,withthereachtooperatelocallyinallgeographicalregions.Webelievethatbeingonthe groundalongsidetransportoperators’teams,wherevertheyare,isvitaltodeliveringafirst-classserviceandsolution. OurpartnersinEQUANS’Transportgroupaugmentourofferingwithadditionaldigitalsolutionsandexpertisein infrastructure,acombinationthatallowsthegrouptoaddresstransportsystemsasawhole.
EmpoweringTransitions
Ofcourse,thefutureoftransportwillnotdevelopinisolation.Itwillbeimportanttounderstandtheinterplaybetween everyareaofsmartconnectedmodernlivingasitevolves.ThisiswhereIcomeraandourpartnersbenefitfromthe foresightaffordedbyEQUANS’globalview,employing74,000peopleworkingalongsideindustriesandlocal authoritiestoconnect,power,andprotectbuildings,cities,andinfrastructure.
IcomerasupportsEQUANS’ambitionof“EmpoweringTransitions”byacceleratingpassengertransport’sdigital transition.WewillcontinuetodrawonpastexperiencesandexplorenewapproachestobetherightDigitalPartner foranindustrywhoseworkistakingonagreatersignificance.
11 CateringfortheEvolvingNeedsofBusinessandLeisure Commuters,RegardlessofAgeorDisability PARTONE
It’sbeentwodecadessinceIcomeradeployedtheRailindustry’sfirstcommercialonboard PassengerWi-Fiservice,creatingthemarketsegment.Intheyearssince,fastandreliable connectivityonthegohasevolvedfrombeingaluxuryconsiderationtoanessentialservice, keepingtravellersconnectedforbothworkandleisurepurposes.
Whilewewitnessedfirst-handtheimpactofCOVID-19ontravelaswesawWi-Fisessionnumbersfallingacrossthe worldinreal-time,today,IcomeraisconnectingmoreRailusersthaneverbefore,aspartofthenewpost-pandemic passengerexperience.
OnboardWi-FiWelcomingNewandReturning PassengersinRecordNumbers 12
PassengerWi-FiUsageThroughthePandemic IcomeraPassengerWi-Fiusagefiguresprovidedaninternationalviewofemergingtrendsduringthepandemic.We madethisdataavailabletotransportauthoritiesandoperatorstosupportshort-termoperationaldecision-making–suchasservicescheduleadjustmentswhereWi-Fisessionusageandtransportservicecapacitydidnottally–and longer-termstrategicplanning. Inthegraphbelow,Icomera’slargedatasetofRailPassengerWi-FiusageinEuropeandNorthAmericaispresented monthlyasapercentageofthecorrespondingmonthin2019. inJune2022vs.June2019.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% 140% 160% PassengerWi-FiUsagevs.2019Levels Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2020 2021 2022 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun RailPassengerusageofIcomeraWi-Fi
AUTHOR: PAULBARNES PaulBarnes isIcomera’sChiefMarketingOfficer.BasedinCambridge,UK,Paulutiliseshis backgroundinanalytics,strategicdevelopment,andcommunicationtoidentifyandpromote technologiesthatencouragesustainabletravelchoices.
134%
3.Adapttochangingcommutingpatterns
2.Attractnewcustomers
13 Q22019 Q22022 Post-PandemicRecovery 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% %ofWeeklyRailWi-FiSessions 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% PassengerWi-FiUsagevs.2019Levels Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 25% ofWi-Fisessionsnowtakeplaceatweekends, upfrom21%pre-pandemic.
1.ThephasingoutofCOVID-19testingandisolationrulesinmanycountries,leadingtoanincreaseintravelaswe learnto“livewithCOVID”,attendmorein-personevents,andgraduallyreturntoofficework.
SpeakingtoCBCnewsinJune2022,theTorontoTransitCommission(TTC)revealedthatweekendsaretheirnew peaktimes,nowthattheirpreviouslyregularweekdayridersareheadingintotheofficelessfrequentlyandatvarying timesthroughouttheweek²³.Germany’snationalRailoperator, DeutscheBahn,reportedthatMonday-Friday passengernumbersinMay2022werejustbelowpre-pandemiclevels,whileSaturdayswere18%higher,andSundays 25%higher²⁴.AsTTC’sspokespersonStuartGreenhighlighted, “Thesearethingsthatweneedtobeawareofsothat wecanmakesurewe’redeliveringthebestservice,attherighttimesofday,ontherightroutes”.
OurownPassengerWi-Fiusagedatafromthesecondquarterof2022givessomeindicationofhowtravelpatterns arechanging.AlthoughwestillseehigherWi-Fiusageonweekdays,weekendtravelnowaccountsforagreater percentageofweeklyWi-Fisessions(25%)thanduringthesameperiodin2019(21%).SaturdayandSundayWi-Fi usageiscurrentlyat143%and147%ofpre-pandemiclevelsrespectively,whilethetraditionalworkingweekdays rangefrom112%-124%.
2.PassengerWi-Fibecomingmorewidelyavailableastransportoperatorsinmanycountriespushedaheadwith technologyupgradeprogrammesoverthelasttwoyearstokeeppacewithsociety’sshiftingapproachtotravel.
Afterthedramaticdrop-offinMarch2020,whengovernmentsandbusinessesaroundtheglobeissuedsocial distancingguidelines,bothregions’lowpointsoccurredinthew/cApril6th.Overthenext24monthsweobserved the(attimesfragile)recoveryofWi-FiusagetoMarch2022,beforefinallyseeingnewall-timehighusagelevelsinthe secondquarteroftheyear, peakinginJuneat134%of2019levels. Thisisdrivenbyacombinationofthefollowing:
TheEvolvingLandscapeofPassengerRoutines
Inourconversationswithtransportoperatorsoverthelast12months,werepeatedlyheardthesamethreegoals: 1.Regaincustomerswhostoppedusingpassengertransportbecauseofthepandemic
Ifanindividual’sjourneycancontributetowardstheirday,andnotdisruptit,thenpassengertransportwillbecome theobviousandmosteffectivemodalchoice.AnneMarieAikins,HeadofMediaandPublicRelationsfor Metrolinx, agrees,adding “That’sgoingtobeakeyelement—tousethecommuteaspartofyourworkdayorrelaxing” partlywhyMetrolinx,theCanadiantransportationauthorityservingtheProvinceofOntario,hasimplementedfreeWiFiontrains,busesandinstationsfortheirGOTransitservice.
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.Thisis
²�.Withemployersbecomingmoreopentoemployeesworkingfromanylocation,manypassengersare keenerthanevertotakeadvantageoftheircommutetocarryoutwork-relatedtasksandstayproductive. Forbusinesscommuters,theincreasedavailabilityandreliabilityofWi-Fiontrainsandbusescansupportthe flexibilityinworkhoursandlocationsthatthe“workfromhome”transitionhasintroduced,allowingthemtosend emails,researchinformationforwork-relatedtasks,andmakeconferencecalls.Passengertransportwaslistedas oneofthemostpopularmeansbywhichpeoplechosetoparticipateinZoomconferencecallslastyear,with 11%of Zoomusersjoiningacallwhiletravelingonboard
²�
Asignificantpercentageofthepopulationhastransitionedtohybridhomeandofficeworking.Inarecentsurveyby businesstravelmanagementcompanyTravelPerk, 76%ofrespondentsconfirmedashifttohybridworkintheir companies
Forleisuretravellers,PassengerWi-Fioffersanimmersiveexperience;whenpassengersareengaged,theperceived journeytimeisreduced,andthishasapositiveimpactonpropensitytotravel.Passengerscancommunicatewith friendsandfamilyviasocialmedia,shoponline,catchupwiththelatestnews,orevenlearnanewlanguage.Many travellersalsousetheircommutetocarryoutdigitalchoressuchaspayingbills,renewinginsurancepolicies,and searchingfornewpropertiesorjobs.
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Thepressureisontransportoperatorstomeetthesenewstandardsofservice.Fortunately,theinvestmentin PassengerWi-Fihasbeenshowntopayofftimeandagain.StudieshavefoundtheintroductionoffreeWi-Fiontrains increasesfrequencyoftravelforbothnewandexistingpassengers²�,andthatmobileInternetaccesshasimproved thevalueoftraveltimeontrainstothepointwhereitcanreducecardependencyforcommuters²�
Wi-FiThatWorks!
Thepaceoftechnologicalchangecanmakeitdifficulttoforecastwhatapplicationswillbecomepossibleinthe nextdecade,howtransformativetheywillbe,ortheextentoftheefficienciesandcost-savingstheymightfacilitate. Buttoday,asweconnectmoreuserstoonboardWi-Fithaneverbefore,wecanattheveryleastseizethe opportunitytowelcomenewandreturningcustomers,withthebestfirstimpressionofhowpassengertransport willservethemintheyearstocome.
Todeliveronitsproductivitypromise,it’svitalthattheWi-Fiofferedonvehiclesnotonlyworks,butworkswell; indeed,aquality,reliableWi-Ficonnectioncanproveasimportantasseatavailabilityorpunctualityinenhancingthe passengerexperience.
AccordingtorecentdatafromUKRailoperatorLNER²�,passengersnowexpectinstant,flawlessconnectivityontrains:
Thisconsiderationisespeciallyimportantifoperatorsaretobemoresuccessfulinattracting‘GenerationZ’–digital nativesbornsincethemid-1990s–totravelbypassengertransport,ratherthanusingthenextmodesofpersonal transport(e.g.ride-hailingservicesandautonomousvehicles).Lesslikelytodrivecars,andmoreacutelyawareof issuesaroundtheclimateemergency,thisdemographicgroupcouldbekeyinhelpingdrivethereturntopassenger transportpost-pandemic.However,GenerationZarealsothemostdiscerninggroupofconsumerstocaterfor,raised inaworldofnear-instantdeliveryofservicesandwithveryhighexpectationsofqualityandreliability. 69% ofcustomers seegoodqualityWi-Fi asanimportantconsideration whenchoosinghowtotravel 75%Thisrisesto forthosepassengers whoaretravelling bythemselves …and 79% forbusinesstravellers whonowexpectoffice-grade workingconditionsonboard
It’simportanttorememberthat,inadditiontomeetingtherisingexpectationsofcustomersanddrivingridership,the sameunderlyingInternetconnectionusedforPassengerWi-Ficanalsosupportarangeofotheronboardsystemsat minimalcostwhencomparedtoinvestinginseparatecommunicationpipelinesforeachone,furtherstrengthening thebusinesscase.
AUTHOR: MATTSEAMAN BuildingonawealthofexperiencegainedfrommanagingvariousUKTVplatforms(Freeview/ Sky/ITV/Virgin), MattSeaman foundedGoMediain2015withthesimpleaimofmakingtravel timebothenjoyableandproductive.
•Pre-boarding -Passengerscanbesentpushnotificationstotheirsmartdeviceconfirminginformationon departuretimeandplatform,aswellasvehicleoccupancylevels,forexample.Thishelpsminimisethetimethey needtospendinapublicspacewaitingforasuitableservice,andmakesiteasiertofindafreeseatinaquiet carriageoncetheyboard.
CreatingSeamless,EngagingandEnjoyable CustomerJourneys 16
•OnBoard –Whiletheytravel,passengerscanbegivenreal-timeaccesstoinformationviatheirsmartdeviceor in-vehiclescreens,providingthemwithliveupdatesontheirjourneyprogress.Theabilitytoalerttravellerstoany issuesattheearliestpossiblemomentgivesthemadegreeofcontrolandreassurance;thoughnevergoodnews, ifpassengersknowwhenandwhydelaysoccur,theyarefarmorelikelytobeunderstanding.
It’svitalthattheincreaseddigitalisationwithintheindustryhelpssimplifyjourneyplanningforpassengers, empoweringthemtoplanandbooktheirjourneysindependently,quicklyandeasily.
Asthatwiseoldindustryadagegoes:“ThePassengerAlwaysComesFirst”.It’sanintegral commitmentthatwestrivetomeet,bothassuppliersandoperators.Butwhat’sthesecretto success?Howexactlydoweinstigatethosetrulyspecial,memorablejourneysthatleavea passengerfeelingwowed?
Thankfully,multipleoptionsexisttomeetthesechallenges:Powerfulreal-timeinformationsolutionsmeanthat passengerscanbeseamlesslyguidedwithaccurate,up-to-the-minuteinformationonroutes,servicesandprices…
Well,akeyelementinsurpassingexpectationsliesintransportoperatorsgoingbeyondinthepassengerservices thattheyprovide.Armedwiththerightinformationattherightmoments,keptentertained,andabletosharerelevant detailsregardingtheirtripeasily,apassenger’sjourneywillmeldeffortlesslyintotherestoftheirday. As technologicaladvancescontinuetobemade,passenger-centricapplicationswhichhelptravellersstayconnected andinformedwillthereforeundoubtedlybringsignificantvalue.
SimplifyingTripPlanning
Thosetravellingcanorderfoodandbeveragesfromthecomfortoftheirseat,whileperksandrewardscanserveas theicingonthecakewhenitcomestodeliveringafive-starservice.Forexample,it’spossibletosendselected customersmessagesofferingthemdiscounteddrinks,complimentarysnacks,oreventheopportunitytowatcha recentlyreleasedmovieforfree.
Travellerscanprovidefeedbackinamyriadofdifferentways.Simplemultiple-choicequestionsallowpassengersto quicklyexpresstheirviewsusinghappyface/sadfaceemoticons,andsurveyscanbecreatedtoaddadditional layersofinformation,deliveringfurthervaluableinsights.
•Post-Trip -Passengerscanbepresentedwithmulti-modalonwardjourneypossibilitiesviatheirsmartdevice. Thiscreatesatrulyjoined-upexperience;abletoviewdeparturesacrossvarioustransportmodes(train,bus, tram,bike,e-scooter,taxietc.),customersareempoweredtorapidlyandintuitivelyadaptastheyproceedalong eachstepoftheirjourney. 17
Feedbackcanbetaggedwiththevehicleandservicethatapassengeristravellingon,enablingoperatorstobuilda clearerpictureofwhichvehicles,routes,timeperiodsand/orstaffconsistentlyencounterthesameissues,sothat servicesinneedofaparticularfocuscanbeidentified.
UtilisingPassengerFeedback
Theonboardexperiencecontinuestoevolveinallkindsofexcitingways.Beyondaplethoraofmediacontentthat cannowbeofferedtotravellers,operatorsarealsoabletoprovidearangeofenhancedpassenger-centric solutions.
Gatheringpassengerfeedbackiskeytoimprovingpassengersatisfaction.Digitaltechnologyenablesatwo-way conversationbetweenpassengersandoperatorswhilethejourneyisinprogress,providingaregulartouchpoint thatgeneratesinvaluabledataforunderstandingtheevolvinglandscapeofpassengerroutines,sentiment,needs andexpectations.
FacilitatinganEngagingTravelExperience
CaseStudy:VyGroup AmazingEntertainmentthroughSpectacularScenery NorwegiantransportoperatorVyrecentlyupgradedthedigitalpassengerexperienceforitscustomers travellingontheBergenLine,aRailroutewhichrunsoverthehighlandsbetweenOsloandBergen.Theline offersoneofthemostbreath-takingtravelexperiencesinEuropebutalsosuffersfromlimitedcellular coverageandcapacity.Overcomingpotentialissuescausedbythis,thecontentbehindGoMedia’sonboard entertainmentsolutionforVyissecurelyuploadedtoIcomera’shardware,meaningthatitdoesnotrequire anexternalInternetconnectiontobeplayed;thisallowsVy’spassengerstoenjoytheonboardentertainment onoffereveninthemostremoteruralareasthattheypassthrough. “Weareshapingourbusinessaroundourcustomers’needsinordertodeliverthebestjourney,andworkhard tomakeiteasytotravelinanenvironmentallyfriendlywayandusepublictransportation.Thedigital passengerexperiencedeliveredbyIcomeraandGoMediawilladvanceusfurtheralongoursmarter,greener, safer,andmoreprofitablejourney”. LindaKragseth,HeadofCustomerandProductDevelopmentatVy 18
CaseStudy:WestMidlandsMetro Real-timeSentimentAnalysisLeveragingthePowerof5G Inasignificantsteptowardsrealisingthefullpotentialofpassengerfeedbacksolutions,livetrialshavebeen conductedintheUKbyGoMedia,alongsideWordnerds,WestMidlands5GandWestMidlandsMetro (WMM)onthecountry’s first5G-enabledtram. Inthetrial,freetextfeedbacksuppliedbyWMM’spassengerswasanalysedusingWordnerds’specialised AI-ledsentimentanalysissystem.Cloud-baseddashboardsthengaveWMMunprecedentedaccessto measurableandactionablelivepassengerfeedbackonmultiplelevels(e.g.vehicletype,route,ortimeof day).Therewasalsoanalerttoolthatautomaticallynotifiedtheoperatorofanypriorityissuesneedingto beaddressed. Thespeedatwhichthefeedbackdatacouldbeprocessedwasdramaticallyincreasedoverthe5Gnetwork used.Italsoallowedfortheuseofdifferenttypesofpassenger-generateddata,suchasvideosandimages ofanyissues.91%oftestresponsesthatshouldhavetriggeredanalertwerecorrectlyidentifiedbythe Wordnerdsplatform,andtheaveragetimebetweenresponsesubmissionandalertreceiptwasjust2 minutes³�.AsWordnerds’CEOPeteDaykinexplains, “Immediateproblemscanberesolvedinreal-time,and adatabaseofcategorisedissuesprovideinsightsfortheoperatortoimproveservices.” 19
AccessibletoAll DigitalTechnologiesOvercomingPhysicaland LinguisticBarrierstoPassengerTransportUse 20 SvenKoster AUTHORS: SVENKOSTER& LYNNBACIGALUPO SvenKoster isHeadofNewBusinessDevelopmentandInnovation forourGoMediateam,spearheadingoureffortsacrosstheindustry todelivermoreaccessiblepassengertransportexperiences. Lynn Bacigalupo isaprojectmanagerforIcomerainNorthAmericaand drawsonherextensiveexperienceinUXdesigntodelivertransport experiencesthatblendphysicalanddigitaljourneys. LynnBacigalupo Asoneofthegreenestandsafestmodesoftransport,wewantto seemorepeopleusingRail.Everyoneshouldbeabletotakethe train,anddosowithease.³¹ AdinaVălean,EuropeanCommissionerforTransport Modern,inclusive,andfullyaccessibletransportsystemsshouldbestress-freetonavigateforall people,regardlessofage,medicalfactors,disabilities,ornativelanguage. TheValueofAccessibleTransportSystems TheCommissioner’sstatementabovehighlightsanenvironmentalbenefittotheincreasedusageofpassenger transport;however,therearealsoimmediateeconomicbenefitstoberealisedbyprovidingeasieraccessto education,work,andhealthcarethroughamoreaccessiblepassengertransportsystem. Thiscreatesanimportantquestion:Ofthepeoplewhocouldbeusingpassengertransportand,byextension, contributingtotheeconomybypurchasingticketsandtravelingforworkorleisure,howmanyareactuallyabletodo so? 24.6millionAmericansaged18andolderhaveself-reportedtravel-limitingdisabilities,andlessthanhalfofthese passengersareaged65andolder³².IntheUK,morethan60%ofuserswithaccessibilityneedsdonotattemptor struggletomakeindependentjourneysonpassengertransport³³
Passengerssimplyholduptheirsmartphone.ThedeviceautomaticallyrecognisesanyBIDIcodesinviewand displayslocation-andcontext-specificdirectionstohelpthemreachtheirdestinationsmorequicklyandeasily. Makingtravelexperiencesmoreaccessiblewillimprovejourneysatisfactionandoverallqualityoflifeforthese passengerswhilereducingtheestimatedimpactofinaccessibletransportonthenationaleconomies,whichruns intotensofbillionsofpounds,euros,anddollarsperyear³⁴.
adultshaveself-reported travel-limitingdisabilities ofuserswithaccessibility needsdonotattemptor struggletomake independentjourneyson passengertransport Theestimatedannual economicbenefitof improvingtransport accessibility IntheUS… IntheUK… 24.660% million £72.4 billion
21 GuidedNavigation
Theergonomicdesignofstationsandvehicleswill,ofcourse,playasignificantroleinimprovingtheaccessibilityof passengertransport.However,alongsidethesemajorinfrastructuralchanges,digitaltechnologieswhichuse personalsmartdeviceswillprovidepersonalisedandat-handsupport,reducingthebarrierstouseforvisualand hearing-impairedcustomers–andaddressingsomehiddenneedsofabroaderaudienceaswell. Theseinnovationsprovidecost-effective“quickwins”fortransportoperatorsandauthoritiesduetothe comparativelysmallamountofcapitalinvestmentrequiredtodevelopanddeploythem,andtherapidspeedwith whichthiscanbedone.
IntheUK, NetworkRail chosetoaddressthisissuebytriallingaguidednavigationsolutionat LondonEustonstation -thecountry'sbusiestinter-citypassengerterminal-providingreal-timeinformationtoguidepassengersthroughthe stationandtothecorrecttrain. Thesolution,named‘Visor’,wasdevelopedbyGoMediainpartnershipwiththe RNIB. ItleveragesNaviLensBIDIcodesandGoMedia’slivecloud-basedpassengerinformationsystemtodisplay directionsintheNaviLensandNaviLensGOapps.
Transportsystems,pavements,andbuiltenvironmentsareoftennotdesignedtobefullyinclusiveforblindand partiallysightedpeople,makingthemdifficulttonavigate,particularlyiftheenvironmentisunfamiliar.TheRoyal NationalInstituteofBlindPeople(RNIB)reportsthat4outof10blindandpartially-sightedpassengerscannotmake allthejourneystheyneedorwanttomake³�
22 OnecansaythatBIDIcodesareaproventechnologywithdeploymentsinNewYorkMetro,Barcelona,andLA.They arealsousedforapplicationsbeyondtransport;forexample,insupermarketsonKellogg’scerealpackagingto provideingredientinformation. Visoriseasytorolloutinpassengertransportenvironments,asitdoesnotrequiretheinstallationofanyadditional physicalinfrastructureasidefromBIDIcodestickers,therebypresentinganeasymeansofimprovingaccessibility withminimaldisruption. BrightlycolouredBIDIcodesoffermanyadvantagesoverstandard monochromeQRcodeswhenitcomestoassistingvisually-impaired passengersonthemove: •Easiertospotandscanfromadistance(upto30metersaway) •Registered12xfasterbyamobiledevice’scamera,evenwhentheyare outoffocusororientation •Multiplecodescanbescannedsimultaneously •Secure,locked-downenvironmentcomparedtostandard,open-source QRcodes ClosedtestsofVisorrevealedthefollowing: •94% ofuserscouldlocateelementstheywerepreviouslyunabletofind •75% wouldclassifyitasafullyinclusiveservice •86% feltitwouldreflectpositivelyonthetransportoperatorifimplemented
MarcPowell, ParalympicathleteandStrategicAccessibilityLeadatRNIB
PersonalOnboardAnnouncements Trialsofanothertechnologyhavealsobeenconductedby TransportforWales(TfW) tomakejourneysbetterfor passengerswithhearingloss.
Additionally,thenotificationsaremulti-lingual,andcanbechangedintheusersettings.Apassengercanalsosetan advancednoticetimerwhenmoretimeisneededtoalight.Leveragingpersonaldevicesinthiswayisaviable alternativetohearingloops,anditbroadenstheusecasetoincludepeoplewhohaveatemporarylimitationsuchas fromanearinfection,oraself-imposedlimitation,suchasheadphones. Priortothetrials,asurveyofpeoplewithhearinglossconducted bycharitiesHearingLinkandHearingDogsfound: •Only 7% weresomewhatconfidentthattheywouldbemadeawareofchangesand disruptionsduringtheirjourney •Only 16% felttheyweretreatedequallycomparedtopeoplewithouthearingloss •96%ofrespondentscommentedthattheywouldlovetohaveasolutionlikeHEAR implementedonpassengertransport 23
Navigatingbusytrainstationscanbetrickyforeveryoneandweall wanttogetfromAtoBasquicklyaswecan,butforpeoplelike myself,withavisualimpairment,itcanbeevenmoreofachallenge. [Visor]hasallowedustopushtheboundariesoftechnologyto transformthepassengerexperienceforeveryone,throughthelens ofpeoplewithsightloss.Technologylikethisallowsblindand partiallysightedpeopletomaintainalevelofindependencewhilst provingthatinclusivedesignisbetterforeveryone.
Theapplication,called HEAR(HearingEnhancedAudioRelay),enablespassengersconnectedtothevehicle’s onboardWi-Fitoreceivepersonalisedjourneyannouncementstotheirsmartdevicesinreal-time. WithHEAR,whenanannouncementoccurs,thepassengerreceivesatextnotification,andtheaudiobeginsplaying automatically.Thepassengercontrolsthevolumeandcansetnotificationsfortheirspecificdestinationoroptto hearthemall.Ahistoryofannouncementsisalwaysavailable,whichallowsuserswhoneedmoretimeorthosewho weredistractedtogobackandreview.
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playsasimilarroleintheUnitedStates.Equally,Canada’s AccessibleCanadaActof2019³� hasenabledtheCanadianAccessibilityStandardsDevelopmentOrganisation (CASDO)todeveloparoadmaptowardsafullyaccessibleCanadaby2040,bytargetingpriorityareassuchas employment,builtenvironmentsand,ofcourse,transportation��
InclusivePrinciples
DigitalTechnologieswillbeaCriticalFactorinCreatingAccessible TransportSystemsoftheFuture Keepinganaccessible-focusedmindsetwhendesigningpassengertransportexperiencesleadstoabetter,fairer, morepersonalisedjourneyexperienceforeveryone.
DefiningAccessibilityStandardsforPublicServicesAroundtheGlobe…
TheUKsetsoutitsaccessibilityrequirementsforpublicservicesintheEqualityAct2010³�.TheAmericanswith DisabilitiesActAmendmentsAct(ADAAA)of2008³�
ForEUmemberstates,theEuropeanAccessibilityAct(2019)andthesubsequentEuropeanDisabilityStrategy20212030havedefinedtargetsforthemobilityofpeoplewithspecialrequirementsbyremovingbarrierscreatedthrough divergentlegislation.WiththeActsettobefullyimplementedbyallmemberstatesby2025,Europehasseenmany initiativestosetanewbarforpassengertransportaccessibilitythroughtechnologicalinnovation.LuxembourgCity, forexample,wonthe2022AccessCityAwardforimplementingwide-reachingimprovementsafterconsulting citizenswithaccessibilityneeds.
TheEqualityAct (2010) ADAAA (2008) AccessibleCanadaAct (2019) EuropeanAccessibilityAct (2019)
Humanneedsarediverseand,aswe’veseeninrecentyears,willchangewithcircumstancesandtime.Universaland inclusivedesignprinciplescanhelpguidethewayforward.Pairingpurpose-designeddigitaltechnologywithrealtimeinformationwillenabletransportoperatorstocaterforasmanyuserneedsaspossibleandprovidean empoweringexperienceforall.
FollowingtheprinciplessetoutintheUnitedNationsConventionontheRightsofPersonswithDisabilities(CRPD)³�, manynationshaveenshrinedstatutoryrequirementsforpublicinfrastructuretomeetspecificstandardsof accessibility.
25 PARTTWO CreatingaSafeEnvironmentThatMinimisestheSpread ofDisease,andGuardsAgainstPhysicalandCyber ThreatstotheIndividualandtoWiderInfrastructure
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AUTHOR: ANTHONYSPADARO
•LessServiceDisruption&MaintenanceDowntime –Byhelpingpreventvandalism,theft,andviolence,andbeing abletoreactquicklyincasesofmedicalemergency,operatorscansavemoneyandreduceservicedisruption. Additionally,digitalsystemsreducethedowntimesustainedthroughneedingtomanuallymonitorassethealth, anddelayedrepairstoanyunitswhichhavestoppedworkingasaresult.
UtilisingReal-timeVideoSurveillance&Analyticsto
Thankfully,onboardsecuritysystemsarebecomingever-moresophisticated,andenablingthesesystemstotransmit images,audioanddatawirelesslyfromthemovingvehicleishelpingleadtofaster,moreappropriate,andmore proactiveresponsestoincidents.Inrecentyears,operatorslookingtoremaincompetitiveinthehighlydynamic industryhaveembracedtheswitchfromforensictoreal-timedigitalvideosurveillancesolutions,andtransitioned fromanaloguetoInternetProtocol(IP)basedvideosensors,tobenefitfrom:
DespiteresearchdemonstratingthelowriskofCOVID-19transmissionthroughtheuseofpublic transit,especiallywheresafeguardssuchastheuseoffacemasksandincreasedfrequencyof surfacecleaninghavebeenputinplace�¹,theperceptionofthesafetyofpassengertransportis moreimportantthanever,andtheindustrymustworkhardtorestorefullriderconfidenceasit bouncesbackfromthepandemic.What’smore,operatorsareincreasinglyexpectedtodomorewith less,deliveringadditionalsafety-focusedserviceswiththelimitedbudgetandresourcesthatthey haveavailable.
InhisroleasaProductManageratIcomera’sheadquarters, AnthonySpadaro leveragesovertwo decadesworthofindustryexperiencetooverseethedevelopmentanddeploymentofourdigital videosurveillanceandvideomanagementsoftwaresolution.
MaintainSafer,MoreReliableTransportNetworks
•BetterLegal&RegulatoryCompliance -Aslegislationcontinuallyevolves,itisnodoubtbeneficialfortransport operatorstoinvestinadaptive,future-prooftechnologywhichdevelopsconcurrently;deliveringpeaceofmind thattheirtransportsystemswillconsistentlyremaincompliant.
•ReducedExpenditure&InsurancePremiums -Whenincidentsoccur,theabilitytoaccessaccurate,highdefinitiondigitalfootagethroughreliableandeasy-to-usevideomanagementsystemsallowsoperatorsto preventanddisprovefraudulentclaims,avoidunnecessaryclaimpay-outs,andreducetheirinsurancepremiums byhavingaccurateandreliableevidencetohand.
Technologyhasnowalsoadvancedtothestagewhereonesystemcanoftenperformthefunctionsoftwoormore others,andit'sworthnotinghow surveillancesystemsareincreasinglybeingutilisedinwayswhichgofarbeyond
Itshouldbenotedthatbyhelpingascertainhowandwhyexactlyanincidentoccurred,thecollectionofforensic evidenceremainsavitalcomponentinanyonboardsurveillancesystemtoo;however,iftheimagesretaineddonot meettheevidentialstandardrequiredforprosecution,thesolutionisrenderedineffective.Thisiswherehigh resolutiondigitalfootagemakesallthedifference,especiallywhencombinedwithpowerfulcompressiontechnology andextensivestoragecapabilities.
Whileremainingthemostefficientmeansofmovingpeopleacrossdistances,thefactremainsthatpassenger transportrequiresuserstoshareconfinedspaceswithtotalstrangers,forpredeterminedlengthsoftime,withlimited opportunitiestoremovethemselvesfromuncomfortablesituations.Itisthereforeimportantfortransportoperators toeasepotentialanxietybygivingpassengersthepeaceofmindthattheirpersonsandpropertyarefullysecuredas theytravel. Operatorssuchas RATP inFranceareactivelyworkingtokeeptheirpassengerssafethroughinnovativepreventative means�².Aspartofapilotprojecttakingplaceon30busesoperatingonthe‘170route’betweenStDenisRERstation andPortedesLilasinParis, livemulti-viewHDvideofeeds arestreamedfromcamerasinstalledonthevehiclesback toRATP’ssecurityheadquarters.The real-timeoffloadoffootage allowsRATP’spersonneltoquicklyaccessseveral videostreamsandswitchfromonetoanotheracrossallequippedbuses.Withanoptimalviewofwhat’stakingplace onvehicles,andaccesstolivesoundtransmittedfromcameramicrophones,RATPstaffcanenacttheappropriate responsetoanylivesituation,anditspassengershaveconfirmedthattheyfeelsaferasaresultofthetechnology’s use.Importantly,asDidierRobidoux,DirectorofSafetyatRATPexplains: “[Thesolution]doesn’treplacesecurity officersatall,becausetheyare[still]responsibleforintervening.So,therearenofewersecurityofficers,buttheycan intervenemorequickly.”
ProtectingPassengersWhileTheyTravel
27 simplymonitoringvehiclesforthreateningordangerouspassengerbehaviour. Forexample,nowadaysthereis reallynoneedtohaveaseparatedigitalvideosurveillanceandtraditionalsensor-basedAutomaticPassenger Counting(APC)systeminstalledonvehicles;withtoday’sadvancedanalyticscapabilities,surveillancesystemscan exceedAPCsystemsinbothfunctionandaccuracy[Learnmoreinour SouthWesternRailwayProjectSpotlight on page28].
28 CaseStudy:SouthWesternRailway MonitoringTrainOccupancyLevelstoReassurePassengersPost-COVID In2021,IcomeraundertookanexcitingcollaborativepilotwithSouthWesternRailway(SWR)intheUK, testinganindustry-firstsolutioninwhichexistingonboardCCTVcamerasandAIsoftwaretechnologyare usedtocapture,analyse,andreportoccupancydatainreal-time,intheformofaRAG(Red/Amber/Green) status.Thetrialwasparticularlytimely,giventhattravelrestrictionshadonlyrecentlybeguntoeaseafter successivecoronaviruslockdowns,andtheindustrymaximiseditseffortstoreassuretravellers. ThepassengercountingsoftwareusedrunsnativelyonthesameIcomeraconnectivityplatformalready usedtosupportothersystems,suchasPassengerWi-Fi.Withnoneedforadditionalhardwaretoinstall,it couldbedeployed‘overtheair’quicklyandefficiently,offeringconsiderabletimeandcostsavings comparedtosimilarsolutions. Theabilitytoeffectivelygaugeoccupancylevelsinsidevehiclesmakesitfareasierforpassengerstofinda freeseatorquietcarriage,helpingensurethattheycanmaintainsocialdistancingthroughouttheirjourney. And,asSWR’sCommercialDirectorPeterWilliamsexplains,operatorscanlookto “usethisenhanced informationtoinformdecision-makingin[their]controlroom,andfurtherimprovethepunctualityand reliabilityof[their]services”.
29 CaseStudy:NetworkRail ImprovingOperationalEfficiencyusinganInnovativeRailPositioningSolution Accuratelydeterminingthelocationofanyissuesalongatrackhelpsreducethetimeneededtoresolve them,deliveringabetterperformingrailwayatalowercost,andultimatelyhelpingofferthetravellingpublic amorereliableservice.InarecentUKtrial,NetworkRail-theownerandinfrastructuremanagerofmostof theBritishrailwaynetwork-leveragedIcomera’scentralisedconnectivityplatformtotestRailLoc,ahighly accurateRailpositioningtechnologydevelopedbyMachinesWithVision. TheRailLocsystemworksbyusingapairofcamerasmountedunderthetraintomapthousandsofVisual Waypointsperkilometre;theseVisualWaypointsarethenaccuratelygeolocatedovertheentirerailway network.Testsperformedaspartofthetrialproject,whichwasfundedbytheRailSafetyandStandards Board(RSSB),provideevidencethatRailLocimprovesrepeatability,whencomparedtotheexistingGlobal NavigationSatelliteSystem(GNSS)usedforpositioning,byafactorof100;theRailLocsolutionhasan averageerrorvarianceof27mm,whiletheGNSSsystemhasanaverageerrorvarianceof2.7m. KevinHope,NetworkRail’sPrincipalEngineerforMobileMonitoring,commented: “Theabilitytolocateasset datatothelevelofaccuracypossiblewithRailLochasthepotentialtosignificantlyimproveourcurrent measurementandmaintenanceofthenetwork.” 20.0 17.5 15.0 12.5 10.0 7.5 5.0 2.5 0.0 -6 -4 -2 0 ExistingGNSSPositioningSystem RailLoc Run-on-runErrorinDirectionofTravelinMetres NumberofRuns 2 4 6
Byfollowingthebestpracticeswhichweoutlinehere,companiescanlaythemostsolidfoundationpossiblewhen itcomesto(i)designingandbuildingresilientonboardnetworksand(ii)ensuringaneffectiveresponsetoan attack. BecomingSecurebyDesign
AUTHORS: MARKHOFFMAN&CHRISBAKER MarkHoffman worksasaSeniorBusinessContinuityConsultant forIcomera.Aco-founderoftheResilienceThinkTank,hewonthe GlobalBCIContinuity&ResilienceConsultantAwardin2021.Inhis roleasIcomera’sGlobalCybersecurityEngineer, ChrisBaker ensuresthatsystemsaredesignedwithsecurityfront-of-mindand thatbestpracticesarefollowed.
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Thetransportindustry’smovetowardsdigitalisationofferssignificantadvantagesintermsofsimplifyingnetwork architectureandfacilitatingcommunicationbetweendifferentonboardcomponents.However,greaterconnectivity canalsoincreasethenumberofpotentialentrypointsthatcanbetargetedinacyber-attack.Withouttherightdesign inplace,asinglevulnerabilityinonesystemcanbeexploitedtoputothernetworkedsystemsatrisk.Similarly,the factthatmoreandmoresystemscanbeaccessedremotelybringsnewchallengesthatmustbeconsidered. Thisiswhyit’simperativethatsecurityisprioritisedrightfromtheoutsetwhenplanninganonboardnetwork,rather thanasanadditionalconsiderationtobeinvestigateddowntheline.Indeed,onesimplycannotthinkofdigitalising thecomponentsonavehicle,withoutkeepingsecurityfrontofmindfromtheinitialdesignphase.
MarkHoffman BuildingCybersecurityBestPracticesintoNetwork ArchitectureDesignandIncidentResponsePlanning
ChrisBaker Cybercrimecontinuestorise�³ andhasbeenclassifiedasthebiggestthreatbusinessesfacetoday��.Itislittle wonderthatnewlawsarebeingproposedandpassedintheEU��,UK�� andUS�� whichwillpushorganisationsto furtherstrengthentheirresiliency. Thisupwardtrendisclearlydisconcerting,andtransportoperatorsmustcontinuetodeploynewdetectionand responsetoolsinordertoestablishrobustprotectionsystems. However,thesetoolsaresimplyoneelementinthe overallarsenalofcyber-defencesthatorganisationsshouldrelyon. Therearealsoarangeofframeworks,processes andmethodologiesthatshouldbeincorporatedintoacompany’scybersecurityplanningwhicharefundamentalin helpingensurethattheyarewellprotectedandprepared.
NIST Framework Cybersecurity Identify Recover Protect Respond Detect Thesystemarchitecturemustbedesignedinawaywhicheffectivelydetersandpreventsagainstbreaches,following bestpracticestandardsinlinewithestablishedprotocolssuchasISO27001��, IEC62443��,andtheNationalInstitute ofStandardsandTechnology(NIST)frameworkforcybersecurity�� AstheNISTframeworkoutlines,thestartingpointinarobustcybersecurityapproachinvolvesbeingabletoidentify andprotectagainstthreats;thesearekeytothenbeingreadytodetect,respondandrecoverfromanattack appropriately. 31
32 DesigningandMaintaininganOnboardNetwork: ThreeKeySecurityConsiderations 1 2 3 SystemArchitectureDesign Itiscommonforlegacyonboardsystemstoconnecttooneanotheroveraflat networkwithnosegmentation.Theproblemwiththisapproachisthatpenetration inoneareaofthenetworkcanresultinaccessthroughoutthesystem.Theuseof networksegmentationisolatesanypenetrationtoasinglearea,significantly reducingtheoverallexposureandrisk. AccessControlandMonitoring Intelligentlymanagingandmonitoringaccesstoanetworkhelpsensurethatonly thosethatrequireaccesscangainentry.Accesscanbecontrolledbymeans includingestablishingarobustpasswordpolicy,allowingaccessonlytoauthorised devices,andimplementingautomaticaccountlockoutsaftermultiple unsuccessfulloginattempts.Additionally,changelogsshouldbeactively monitoredtoverifythatnopotentiallymaliciousupdatesaremadetothesystem. ContinuousImprovement Aneffectivecybersecurityapproachmustacknowledgethatprotectionisan ongoingandevolvingprocess.No-onecanaffordtobecomecomplacentin thinkingthatasystemiseverfullyprotected;adefensivemeasurewhichwas robustattheinitialdesignphasemaynotbetomorrow.Regularpenetrationtests shouldbecarriedouttodiscoverandreacttoanypotentialnew/existing vulnerabilities,andmulti-layeredlinesofdefenceshouldbedeployedtohelpform thestrongestpossibleprotectivewebaroundanetwork.
RespondingEffectivelytoaCyber-Attack
Beforeanyattackoccurs,adetailedassessmentshouldbecarriedoutintowhichsystemsareusedbythecompany, whatrolethesedifferentsystemsplay,whichdepartmentsrelyonthesesystems,andwhatthebusinessimpact wouldbeifasystemweretobetakenoffline.Fromthisanalysis,itwillbepossibletoformaclearerunderstanding ofwhereabreachwouldincurtheleast/mostdamage,andforthecrisismanagementteamtogaugeanappropriate levelofresponse.
Itshouldgowithoutsayingthatanorganisation’sITdepartmentwillplayanintegralroleinanyresponseplaybook; technicalexpertswillneedtocarryoutforensics,worktocontainanderadicatethethreat,andtakestepstoget systemsbackonlineassoonaspossible.
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Unfortunately,evenwithanoptimalsystemarchitecturedesign,andwiththebestpossibledetection/defence processesandtoolsinplace,operatorswillstillbesusceptibletoabreachatsomepoint,andtheymustbereadyto respondquicklyandappropriatelywhenoneoccurs.
However,thereisanequallyimportantparallelworkstreamthatoftengetsoverlooked,andthisinvolves establishingarobustcrisismanagementresponse.Thiscomponentinvolvesmanyotherstakeholderswithina companyandreliesongoodplanningacrossarangeofdifferentdepartmentalareas…
BusinessImpactPlanning
Operatorscannotaffordtowaituntilanattackoccurstodeterminetheircyber-insurancecoverage.Theyshould researchthescopeandlimitationsoftheirpolicy,aswellasconfirmingtheprocessforhowtheymustengagewith abreachcoachduringacrisis.Additionally,it’sessentialtopayattentiontolegalconsiderations,ascertainingahead oftimewhatmustbedonetomeetanyobligations,especiallywhenitcomestoprivacy-relatedmatters(e.g.inthe eventofadatabreach).
Importantly,awell-formedcrisismanagementplanisnotonlyanexpectationthatoperators shouldplaceonthemselves;itshouldalsobearequirementtheyplaceoneachoftheirpartners andsuppliers.
ThebottomlinehereisthatoperatorswhorelysolelyontheirtechnicalITteamstodealwithanattackareonly consideringhalftheequation.Withouttherightcrisismanagementplanning,it’simpossibletoproperlyunderstand whatthebusinessimpactofanybreachwouldbe,andthereforealsoimpossibletomakegooddecisionsaroundhow todealmosteffectivelywithit.
Whenacyber-attackhappens,someextremelytoughdecisionswillneedtobemadeunderconsiderabletime pressure.Thankfully,it’spossibletoplanahead.Conversationscantakeplacebetweenrelevantstakeholdersbased onpossibleattackscenarios,anddefaultpositionscanbebuiltintoanorganisation’sincidentresponseplan.These defaultpositionsmustbebasedonanoperator’scorevaluesandprinciples,anditsappetitefordealingwithrisk. However,companiesmustalsobewillingtodeviatefromthisdefaultbasedonlikelyaccentuatingcircumstances; forexample,stakeholderscandiscusstogetherwhethertheywouldbemoreorlesslikelytopayaransomdemand inaliveincidentiftheransomwereextremelylow,orinacasewheretherewastheadditionalthreatofdata exposure.
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CrisisCommunicationPlanning
Incontrast,withtherightpreparationinplace,teamswillbefarbetterplacedtomakegoodbusinessdecisionsduring acyber-attack,leadingtoafarhigherlikelihoodofthemgainingthebestpossibleresultfortheorganisation.
InsuranceandLegalPlanning
CrisisDecisionPlanning
Oneofthemostimportantaspectsofacybersecurityresponsewillbeinworkingtoprotectanorganisation’s reputation,andeffectivecommunicationiskeytosecuringthisaim.Again,it’spossibletoanticipateandprepareon thisfront.Basedonlikelyattackscenarios,choicescanbetakeninadvanceonwhatinternal/external communicationswouldneedtobepublished.Pre-draftedtemplatescanbecreatedwhichformthefoundationfor whatthesecommunicationsmightstate,allowingteamsopportunityforinternaldiscussiononthetonalityand messaging,andhelpingeasepressurewhenitcomestimetodealwithaliveincidentitself.
35 PARTTHREE RespondingtoRapidlyChangingEnvironmental, Societal,andEconomicNeedsinaCost-Effective, ResilientWay
TakingOlderRollingStockintotheFuture
TimeTravel
Ifthehardwarerequiredtosupportthattechnologyisnotinstalledduringvehicleconstruction,itcanfaceafive-year waitforthenextopportunity,andthedifficultieswillonlyeverincreaseeachtimethewindowopensagain.Eventually therewillcomeapointwherethetraindesignpre-dateseventheconceptualstageofanewtechnology.Thisis somethingIcomeraencounteredwhenfirstinstallingitsconnectivityhardwareonolderrollingstock,tryingtofind thebestwaytoroutefibreopticcablethroughatrainthatwasdesignedlongbeforemanufacturersunderstoodthat fibreopticswasevercomingtotherailways.
MikeMortimer and MarkHoptroff arethedirectorsofDG8, Icomera’sin-housedesignandengineeringprofessionalservices businessunit.Acreativeandversatileteam,DG8hasextensive experienceindeliveringprojectsfromconceptthroughto implementation.
PlayingCatch-up
TenyearsisnotalongtimeinRail,withlimitedvaluablewindowsofopportunitytomoderniserollingstockrealisticallyonlyoneortwoatmostpervehicle-andequipthemtomeetchallengesthatarealreadyverypresent. Vehiclesarealwaysplayingcatch-upwithnewtechnologies,evenbeforetheyhaveenteredserviceforthefirsttime. Itstartswiththelongtrainprocurementprocess,wheremanufacturersarebuildingvehiclestospecificationsthat weredefined4-5yearsearlierandtryingtoincorporatetechnologies-particularlyinthecasesofthosethataredigital -thatrefreshevery5-7years.
Whileintroducingmorenewvehiclesintoservicewillcontributetothetechnologicaladvancement ofthetransportindustryoverthenextdecade,itisthelife-enhancing,life-extendingupgradesof oldervehiclesthatwillhaveagreater,moreimmediateimpactonsupportingthetransportindustry’s overarchinggoalsinasustainableandcost-effectiveway.
MarkHoptroff MikeMortimer 36
AUTHORS: MIKEMORTIMER&MARKHOPTROFF
Wewillencounterthismorefrequentlyoverthenextdecadeasglobaleventsdictatetheneedforthefasteradoption ofawiderrangeofnewtechnologies,frommultiplevendors,acrossmultiplevehicleclasses.IntheUK,forexample, theaverageageofpassengerRailrollingstockoverthelast10yearshasbeenbetween17and21years�¹.Thisisa
Theprojectsthatmostsuccessfullyblendnewtechnologieswitholderassetsarethosethatkeepthepassenger’s engagementwiththeirjourneyinfocus:Design-led,fromconceptthroughtoimplementation,workingacrossalltiers ofthesupplychain.
DG8workedtoconverttwoBritishRailClass153passengerunitsintoVisualInspectionunitsforNetworkRail Intelligent,Space-EfficientDesign:TheBlueprintforSuccess
37 hugenumberofvehiclesthatpre-datethewiderunderstandingofconceptsliketheInternetofThings,oremissions targets.Buttheywillallbeexpectedtoplayanequalroletotheirnewercounterpartsintermsofdeliveringasmarter, safer,andgreenertravelexperience.
When(re)designinganddeliveringtheonboardnetworksofdevicesandsystemsthatwillsupportthedigitaland energytransitions,themainchallengesare(1)limitedspaceand(2)theneedforintegrationwithcurrenton-board systems.
Therapidinstallationofsafeandreliablemodularsystemsacrossawidevarietyofvehicletypesthereforerequires innovative engineeringdesign work.WhenDG8wastaskedwithaddingIcomera’s5GconnectivitysolutiontoaWest MidlandsMetro(WMM)tram- thecountry’sfirst5Genabledtramproject -thelimitedspaceavailableonthevehicle requiredacompactdesignsolution.Collaboratingwithmultiplepartners,weworkedtoneatlypackagethenew connectivitysolutionsaroundtheexistingequipment,andtoensurethedeploymentmetallindustrystandards;once designed,installationwascompletedoverthecourseofaday,withthesupportofWMM’sdepotteam[Readthefull WestMidlandsMetroProject Spotlight onpage19].
DG8DesignandEngineeringwasformedin2008.Inourearlyyears,retrofittingvehicleswithknownthird-party systemsmadeupthelargestpercentageofourwork.Now,withtheincreasinginterestandavailabilityofinnovation funding(suchastheUKgovernment’sFirstofaKindcompetition),retrofittingnewandadvancingtechnologies accountsforatleast60%ofouractiveprojectsatanygiventime.Thiswillonlyincrease.
Similarly,designchallengesmustbeovercomewhenitcomesto electricalengineering. DG8recentlyledthe installationdesignandengineering,approvals(RIS-2700-RST),materialsupplyandinstallationworkon Network Rail’s projecttoconverttwoBritishRailClass153passengerunitsintoVisualInspectionunits.
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Theunitconversionwasbasedaroundthreecomplexdigitalsolutions:1)Atrackconditionandgeometrymonitoring system,2)acamerasystemrecordingimagesofthetrackanduploadingthefootagebacktotheNetworkRail viewingplatform,and3)apositioningsystemthataccuratelytagsthedatafromtheothersystemswiththelocation onthenetwork.Thesesystemsrequiredahybridpowersourcewithmulti-modecontrolstosupportrecordingwhile inservice,andpost-processingwhileinsidings.DG8’ssolutionwastoinstallaninternalgeneratorandsupporting lithiumbatteriesworkingintandem-Thesystemsweresplitintocriticalandnon-critical,withcriticalsystems receivingconstantpower,maintainingcommunicationwiththevehiclefordatatransferon-demand.[Readthefull NetworkRailProjectSpotlight onpage29]. Theseexampleshelpdemonstratethepotentialofwhatcanbeachievedinthenear-termwhenpartnerswiththe requiredcompetencyandcapacityareengagedattheearlieststagesofaproject. DG8designedtheinteriormeetingandsocialareasforHydroFLEX,theUK’sfirsthydrogen-poweredtrain
39 CaseStudy:HydroFLEX SupportingTheUK’sFirstHydrogen-poweredTrain TheHydroFLEXproject,ledbyrollingstockassetmanagerPorterbrook,involvedtheconversionofa30+ year-oldBritishRailClass319train,fittedwithhydrogenfuelcells,givingittheabilitytorunautonomously onhydrogenpoweronnon-electrifiedroutes.HydroFLEXisexpectedtoplayakeyroleindecarbonisingthe Britishrailwaynetwork,byhelpingtoreplacediesel-onlytrainsby2040. DG8wasresponsibleforthetrain’smechanicalinstallationdesign,includinghowbesttointegratekey componentssuchasthehydrogenfueltanks,fuelcellandbatterymodule,andtheinteriordesignofthe train’s‘onboardboardroom’conversion,givingpassengersthechancetoworkwithIcomera’s5GPassenger Wi-Fiwhiletravellingonthetrain. Inaddition,DG8supportedtheelectricalinstallationdesign,workingtoensurethatitconformedtothe railwayindustry’sspecificationsandbestpractices;performedstructuralcalculationstoverifythatthe itemsinstalledonHydroFLEXmetstructuralcompliancerequirements;andprovidedsupporttovalidatethe widerapprovalsprocess. Workingcollaborativelywithanumberofskilledpartners,wewereproudtohavebeeninvolvedinthis ambitiousprojecttomakethevisionofthehydrogenpoweredtrainarealityintheUK,successfullycreating theUK’sfirsthydrogen-railsupplychainintheprocess.
Traditionally,addressingthegrowingdata-demandsofthetransportindustryhaveraisedtwoprincipalchallenges: (1)PassengersandonboardsystemssharethesamefinitebandwidthoftheonboardInternetconnectivity (2)Connectivityneedstobeavailablefortheentirejourneythroughruraland/orurbanenvironments Buthowcantheseconnectivitychallengesbeovercomeinthetimescalesrequired,andwiththeappropriatesense ofurgency?Inthisarticle,IwillexaminetwoapproacheswhichtransportoperatorswouldbediligenttoconsiderLinkaggregationandtracksidenetworks-Butfirstlet’stalkaboutcellulartechnology…
“Rather,anyinvestmentinconnectivitynowmustconfidentlyoffercompatibilitywithfuture communicationtechnologiesasandwhentheyarrive.”
Indoingso,transportoperatorswillbeabletotakeadvantageofthesenewtechnologieswhileutilisingtheirexisting assets,future-proofingtheirconnectivityoverthelong-term.
40 AUTHOR: MATSKARLSSON MatsKarlsson isIcomera’sChiefTechnologyOfficerandco-foundedthecompanyin1999.The originalinventorofIcomera’slinkaggregationtechnology,MatsestablishedtheRailPassenger Wi-Fibusinesssegment,creatinganewindustryintheprocess.
TheFast-Trackto Future-ProofConnectivity
Withpassengersdemandingconstantconnectionswhiletheytravel,andtransportoperatorslookingtoleveragerealtimeoperationaldatatoandfromtheirvehicles,thereareanever-increasingnumberofonboarddevicesand systemsrequiringconnectivity.And,astheotherauthorsinthisreporthavealreadydemonstrated,ensuringthatthis connectivityis fast,reliable,robustandsecureiskey toassuringthattheindustrywillbeabletocaterforthe evolvingneedsofbusinessandleisurecommuters,aswellasmaintainingtheirsafety. What’smore,we’veexploredhowtheindustrymustdeliverallthisconnectivityinawaywhichis bothcost-efficient andresilient,andthatallowsittoadaptquickly basedonshiftingenvironmental,societal,andeconomicneeds.It’s nogoodfortheconnectivityonoffertosimplymeettherequirementsoftoday,onlytobecometechnologically redundanttomorrow(orinayearortwo!)whennecessitiesshift;undoubtedly,thatwouldbeawasteoftime,budget, effortandresources,inaperiodwhenallofthesemustbetreatedwithgreaterimportancethanever.
41 MaximisingValuefromCellularConnectivity Today,personalandcommercialInternetconnectivityonthemoveislargelydeliveredthroughcellularnetworks; however,inmostcountries,geographicalpatchesofpoorcoverageandcapacitymeanthatthestabilityand throughputoftheInternetconnectionvariesalongavehicle’sroute,causingdatapacketstobedelayedorlost.In real-worldterms,forpassengersthismeansslowwebpageloadtimes,videobuffering,brokenVPNtunnelsand droppedconferencecalls;and,fortransportoperators,unreliableconnectivityisasignificantconcernatatimewhen manyonboardsystemsarebecomingincreasinglybusinesscritical. Withitspromiseofhighercapacity,lowerlatency,andgreaterthroughputthan4Gnetworks,5Gisoftentoutedasthe cure-all.Indeed,5Gdoesprovideseveralgreatopportunitiesforincreasingdatacapacityonpassengertransport; withmoreavailablespectrum,moreadvancedantennatechnology,andmoreefficientroutingfromMobileNetwork Operators(MNOs),5Gisabletodeliverfaster,morecost-efficientcommunicationsandincreasednetworkcapacity andavailabilitythanwaspreviouslypossiblesolelywith4GLTEnetworks. Music VoiceOver Wi-Fi >1Gbps 800Mbps 200Mbps 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028 2030+ CourtesyofEIMandCER,StrategicDeploymentAgenda,April2020 ForecastofFutureDataDemand…
•Secondly,duetotheCAPEX-constrainednatureofcellularnetworkdevelopment,itislikelythatthefull5Grollout willstilltakequitesometime,atleastinsomecountries.Ruralareasthatsometrainroutespassthroughwillbe someofthelastplacestoreceive5G.
stillacellularnetwork,andthereforehasthesame challengesassociatedwithpreviousgenerationsofwirelesscommunicationstechnologies:
However,itisfarmorefittingtothinkof5Gasbeinganupgraderatherthanatotaloverhaul,oran “evolution,nota revolution”.Despitetheadvantagesitbrings,5Gisnonetheless
•Firstly,frequencylimitationswith5Gmeanthatcoveragechallengeswillremain,when5Galoneisreliedupon. Thetechnology’shigherfrequencyRFbands,suchasmmWave,aremoredesignedforstationaryenvironments andarethusgenerallynotthebestchoiceformostpassengertransportconnectivityuse-cases(particularly wherelong,ruralroutesareconcerned);5Gand4G’s“Sub-2GHz”frequencieswillremainthemostversatile optionsfordeliveringconsistentconnectivityalongentireroutes.
Todeliverthishybridsolution,transportoperatorscantakeadvantageofexistinglinkaggregationtechnologies,such asIcomera’sSureWAN™ solution,phasinginthenextgenerationsofconnectivityastheybecomeavailablealonga route.
TheEfficiencyofLinkAggregation
Whenitcomestocellularconnectivity,usinga“5G/LTE-hybrid”approachwillremainthebestwaytomaximisethe effectivenessofexistingcoverageandcapacity,plugginganygapsalongtheline,anddeliveringmoreconsistent performanceacrossbothruralandurbanenvironmentsinacost-efficientmanner.
Because5Gsuffersfromtheselimitationswherepassengertransportisconcerned,transportoperatorsshould thereforeadoptawiderconnectivitystrategy,selectingtherighttechnologiesthatwillmakethemostof5G’s eventualbenefits,whilecontinuingtoresolvetheexistingchallengesofworkingwithcellulartechnology.
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Optimisingaggregationhelpsdeliverthefastest,mostreliableconnectionpossibleandcaninvolvevariouslevels:
Inlate2020,thepoweroflinkaggregationtechnologywasdemonstratedinareal-worldtrialofIcomera’s5G-enabled X5routertravelingonan SJtrainontheStockholm–Gothenburgroute. Inthetrial,theX5achievedarecord-breaking throughputlevel,deliveringoveronegigabitofdatapersecond,surpassingthebenchmarkreferredtointhetransport industryas“theGigabitTrain.”
Importantly,theX5’sbackwards-compatible5Gmodemsalsoyieldgigabitspeedswhenusingonly4GLTEnetworks, thanksto“LTECAT20”technology,whichallowsforfasterdatatransferbyaggregatinguptoseven“frequency carriers”atonce.Thismeansthattransportoperatorscanseesubstantialincreasesinthroughputfromexisting networks,evenbeforetherolloutof5Ghasbeencompleted.
Intrials,Icomera’sX5routerachievedover1Gbpsthroughputusingcommerciallyavailable4Gand5Gnetworks
•MNOAggregation: Eachroutercancontainmultiplecarrier-aggregatingmodems,capturingallavailablecapacity providedbyallMNOsinthecoveragearea
•MIMOTechnology: Routersuse“MIMO”(MultipleInput/MultipleOutput)antennatechnology.“Multiplexing MIMO”makesitpossibletosendandreceivemultiplesignalsalongthesameradiochannelbyusing(typically) twoorfourantennas,increasingthecapacityevenfurther
•CarrierAggregation: EachmodeminaroutercanaggregateallavailableradiofrequenciesfromasingleMNO alongtheroute
•Multiple-routerAggregation: Multiplerouterscanbedistributedalongavehicle(e.g.acrosstraincarriages), aggregatingcapacityacrossdifferentcoverageareas
Additionally,SD-WANsolutionssuchasSureWANallownetworktraffictobeintelligentlyprioritised,throttledand/ orblocked,asrequired;usingthistechnology,transportoperatorscanbettermanagetheircellulardatacosts throughefficientbandwidthusage,andprioritisetheirbusiness-criticalapplicationsthatneedInternetaccessmost (e.g.videosurveillancesystemsorstaffWi-Fiovere.g.PassengerWi-Fi).
•Dual-Connectivity: Thisfeatureallowseachmodemtoutiliseboth4Gand5Gtoimprovenetworkcoverageand datarate
DesigningandImplementingDedicatedTracksideNetworks Longer-term,transportinfrastructureownersandoperatorslookingtotakegreatercontroloftheirconnectivity strategywillinvestindedicatedbroadbandradionetworksinstalledalongthetrack.Tracksidenetworkssolvethe existingconnectivitychallengespresentedbycellularnetworksbyensuringhigh-bandwidthcoveragealonganentire route:Overground,underground,andinstations.Significantly,tracksidesolutionsalsoofferseveralcost-efficiencies whencomparedtocellular-onlysolutions:
3.Thosewhoinvestinprivatetracksidenetworkswillhavetheopportunitytocreatenewrevenuestreamsby licensingaccesstothesededicatednetworkstoothertransportoperatorswishingtoshareaccess
1.Thepresenceofpre-existinginfrastructure,fibre,andpoweralongthetrackcanbeusedtoreducecostsduring theinstallationprocess
Bytakingahybridapproachasdocumentedhereandintelligentlyutilisingarangeofdifferent connectivitytechnologiestogetherintandem,transportoperatorswillbebestplacedtogain maximumvaluewellintothefuture:Efficientlinkaggregationwillcontinuetoprovidethemeans bywhichthefullpowerof5Gand/ortracksidetechnologiescanbeachievedwherepossible, whilethenextbestavailablecellularorsatelliteconnectivitycanbeachievedinthoseareasin which5Gand/ortracksidenetworksareunavailable.
2.Onceconstructed,theseprivatenetworksoffergreatercapacityandbettersecurityatalowercostwhen comparedtopurchasingdatadirectlyfromMNOs
Conclusion: CombiningTools&TechnologiestoDeliverOptimalPerformance
44
Lookingahead,withcontrolandreliabilityremainingkeymeasuresofanygoodconnectivitysolution,well-integrated monitoringandmanagementsoftwaretoolswillplayavitalroletoo.Transportoperatorsseekingtoattainmaximum valuefromtheirinvestmentwilltakeadvantageofthesetoolstogaindeepinsightsacrossmultipledatastreams simultaneously,proactivelyanalyseandoptimisetheirnetworkperformance,andmitigateagainstanypotential issuesattheearliestpossiblepoint.
Finally,despitethesignificantbenefitsthattracksidetechnologyoffers,itshouldbenotedthatlinkaggregationwill remainimportantinorderto(i)managetheseamlesshandoverinconnectivitybetweentracksideradiosalonga route,(ii)aggregatebothtracksideandcellularand/orsatelliteconnectivityalongstretcheswhereboth/allare available,(iii)offerfall-backtocellularnetworks/satelliteconnectivityifpartsofthetracksidenetworkfail,orin areaswheretracksidenetworkshavenotyetbeendeployedforsomereason.
4.Tracksidesolutionsofferfurthercostsavingsusingthe“unlicensed”5GHzspectrum,deliveringstable,highbandwidthconnectivity,withnoneedforadditionallicensingoverheads
Wedeliverthefastest,mostreliableandsecureInternetconnectionavailabletoamovingvehicle,supportingawide rangeofdigitalapplicationswhichincreasepassengersatisfaction,enhanceoperationalefficiency,andimprove safetyandsecurity.
ABOUTICOMERA
45
Icomeraistheworld’sleadingproviderofintegratedconnectivitysolutionsfortrains,trams,busesandcoaches, servingmillionsofpassengersandtensofthousandsofonboardsystemsonadailybasis.
Oursolutionsmaketransportmoreattractiveforpassengersandpartofasmarter,safer,greenerfutureforeveryone, acceleratingthetransitiontowardsacarbon-neutralworld.
Weworkinpartnershipwithclientstobuildlong-termrelationships,listeningtoyourneedsandadvisingyouonthe solutionsthatfityourrequirements,withroomtogrowinthefuture.Wearewithyouthroughtheinstallationprocess andovertheentiretyofasolution’sservicelife.Wecanpointtoourproventrackrecordofsuccessfulprojects, providingrelevantcasestudiesonrequest.
OurWorldinData. https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions-from-transport
Aneweraofconflictandviolence
Backgrounder:Aplantopermanentlyfundpublictransitandsupporteconomicrecovery
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� Snug,J.,&Monschauer,Y.(2020,May).
TheIoTrundownfor2020:Stats,risks,andsolutions.SecurityToday. https://securitytoday.com/Articles/2020/01/13/The-IoT-Rundown-for-2020.aspx?Page=2
GreatBritishRailways:Forthepassenger https://www.gov.uk/government/news/great-british-railways-for-the-passenger
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© Icomera PublishedSeptember2022 47
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icomera.com linkedin.com/company/icomera GETINTOUCH ICOMERA Odinsgatan28,41103Göteborg,Sweden T+46317992100 sales@icomera.com