The BAI Communications connected train solution provides an aboveground train with a secure high speed cellular, IP or Wi-Fi connection throughout its journey.

For the passenger, this ensures continuous connectivity. High speed data provides access to live streaming, social media or simply the ability to email colleagues. It also allows passengers to stay informed via real-time travel information and apps.

For the transport authority, this connectivity allows for live diagnostic information from IoT sensors to be passed back to the control centre. This can lead to further improved train and track maintenance, digital ticketing systems and increased passenger monitoring.

Our infrastructure solutions are 5G ready and our solution design is adjusted based on the unique challenges of each rail corridor such as tracks space, height restrictions or whether the train travels through dense urban, urban or rural segments.

Validated design exercise

As a technology agnostic, neutral host, BAI is a key player in the global ecosystem that specialises in the delivery of connectivity solutions in transport. In partnership with Cisco, BAI successfully completed a validated design exercise, demonstrating the delivery of high-speed continuous connectivity to a moving train.

Exercise details:

• BAI, in partnership with Cisco, participated in a testing session at the Quinton Rail Technology Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom from 22^nd July to 7^th August 2019.
• This testing demonstrated our enhanced passenger experience and link aggregation/loadbalancing use cases and compared strengths and weaknesses of the two solutions.
• Testing focused on functional performance, as opposed to speed/throughput performance of solutions.
• Track length: 3km (more than 150km of track testing was completed)
• Main vendor: Cisco
• Other vendors/partners: Fluidmesh, Klas

Technology solutions

Link aggregation and load balancing

BAI Communications tested its own design solution for link aggregation and load balancing with:

• Multiple aggregation vendors
• Parallel streams with various TCP Windows/UDP packet size

Results were within expected and theoretical values. Greater than 750MBps total aggregated download speeds were recorded.

Enhanced passenger experience

BAI designed customer experience portals assessed through user testing:

Results were as expected, with no problems in loading or authentication.

BAI and Cisco will present detailed results of this testing at the CISCO Live event in May 2020.