IONX, German railroad testing wireless intra-train communications

IONX LLC, a unit of Amsted Rail, and Germany-based rail freight operator Havelländische Eisenbahn (HVLE) have initiated field testing of its standards-based wireless intra-train communication system in freight rail revenue service.

This platform marks IONX’s first European deployment of its ultra-low power wireless technology to a European freight rail system.

On the HVLE trains, IONX provides a low power wireless network running the entire length of the train, connecting sensors on each car to the locomotive. No power is required from the railcar itself. The network is built for IP compatibility based on the 6LoWPAN and 802.15.4e standards. It includes strong security features to ensure that the data being transported in the network can only be read by authorized devices, has not been modified in transit and has been sent from the device it claims to have been from.

Amsted Rail Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Brad Myers noted “the opportunity to work with HVLE on deploying the IONX intra-train communication system complements our recently announced partnership with GE Transportation to build out the next generation of intelligent freight trains and develop digital tools to take railway productivity and efficiency to new levels. We believe the technologies we are testing with HVLE will be common place in the very near future.”

“We have identified the need for a standards-based wireless network that will work in the challenging environment of rail operations, as well as on wagons [cars] with no onboard power sources,” said Frank Sadowski, HVLE Fleet Manager Freight Wagons. “The IONX intra-train system will help us overcome these challenges and provide us continual connectivity with our wagons, whether they are in the yard or in a train consist. This enhanced visibility provides us numerous efficiencies in train operations and freight wagon management.”

William LeFebvre, IONX managing director and chief technology officer said that the system is well-suited to “the challenge of reliable, low-latency communication along a train with more than 100 wagons, while meeting strict energy constraints. We have achieved this with the added constraints of working within the license-free radio spectrum and using existing wireless standards so that our platform will allow data exchange with third party suppliers.”

Amsted Rail, headquartered in Chicago, operates 40 locations in 10 countries and six continents.

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