Nokia Converged IP-MPLS Solutions Improve Railway Operations
Linking American Cities By Land Since The 1800s
For over 150 years, American passengers have relied on the railway system to transport them from points near and far. In fact, by 1860 railroad companies in the North and Midwest had linked nearly every major city in the country, exponentially expanding the average person’s ability to travel quickly and efficiently and the method by which goods were transported from one place to another.
Fast forward to today, and hundreds of thousands of passengers everyday travel via rail. Some use trains daily as they commute to and from work, while others prefer it to air travel for regional travel or in place of a long road trip.
From Commuters to Commerce, Railway Transportation Is Critical to US Infrastructure
The Northeast Corridor, which runs across eight states from Washington, D.C. to Boston, Massachusetts, is the most heavily populated – and heavily traveled – railway region in the entire world. Stretching over 450 miles with over 300,000 passengers per day boarding more than 2,200 trains to travel between the major cities of New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, and Philadelphia – as well as dozens of stops along the way.
Due to the relatively close proximity of these major cities, as well as the dense population of the region in general, many of the daily passengers across the Northeast Corridor commute to and from work, taking multiple trips per day. Quick, reliable, and cost-efficient travel is an absolute necessity.
Additionally – and incredibly importantly – rail transportation plays a massive role in the country’s logistics infrastructure. In 2020, rail transport made up 28% of all freight movement by ton miles. Everything from construction materials, agricultural goods, vehicles, and chemicals made its way across the country by train.
Improving and Building Upon A Century-Old System
With so many people and materials criss-crossing rail lines at any given time, maintaining the infrastructure, logistics, and security of the railway is critical. As technology has advanced, railway management has built and improved upon systems that have been in place for decades.
With the Nokia Converged IP-MPLS for railways, continuing to improve flexibility and introduce new applications and services – while simultaneously reducing operating costs and maintaining safety and security – doesn’t have to come at the high cost of replacing the entire legacy infrastructure.
High Capacity Networks Support Multiple Applications
Nokia Converged IP-MPLS provides a safe migration path from older technologies to an MPLS core and packet-based network without compromising safety-critical capabilities.
By utilizing a single network, multiple critical applications – including interlocking, GSM-R, and SCADA systems, can be supported seamlessly. Modern, radio-based train control systems, such as CBTC and ETCS, allow more trains to run safely on the same length of track for a more efficient and profitable network.
High Bandwidth Services Run On A Single Network
Rather than being required to completely remove and replace legacy networks and applications, Nokia Converged IP/MPLS allows you to expand your existing network and improve upon your existing network. It also allows high-bandwidth services to run on – and be managed on – a single network.
- Greater network capacity and performance are able to support high-bandwidth applications, such as driverless trains and networked CCTV.
- Safety systems, including emergency contact points, mobile radios, and alarm systems, work together for greater trackside and onboard security.
- Large amounts of data, for example, station and train CCTV feeds, can be transmitted and analyzed in real-time, increasing situational awareness.
- Corporate and other VPNs and data services can be accessed through the same network, even in tunnels.
Infinity Technology Solutions for Nokia Converged IP/MPLS
With Nokia’s complete portfolio of networking solutions at our fingertips, Infinity Technology Solutions has decades of experience installing, maintaining, and optimizing networks for various industries, including rail.
