An inter-carriage link with the stability you expect

A stable inter-carriage link supports operational tasks

In today’s world, technology is everywhere. Few people would readily give up on their daily technology use in their private life and in business, most companies wouldn’t even be able to operate anymore without having established technological connections over the internet. That is also true for railway operations, which are directed and monitored from remote locations by pure necessity. But sending signals to a train and receiving data back from it is only one aspect of railway connectivity. Companies also need a reliable inter-carriage link for their daily operations.

Setting up an inter-carriage link

There are plenty of reasons why an inter-carriage link is essential to ensure smooth, uninterrupted railway operations. In order to achieve that, companies must use wireless components that can handle the data load generated in operations and do so while being installed in a moving train that is subject to potentially severe impacts from the outside. For this reason, communication links between carriages must meet the strict criteria of specific standards and norms, most prominently the EN50155 norm about electronic equipment in trains. A few specialized manufacturers including Westermo Neratec AG, stand ready to supply operators with that kind of specific technology.

Inter-carriage links are vital elements of the safety architecture

Apart from all other aspects of railway carriage connectivity, the ability for one carriage to communicate with the others is one of the most important cornerstones for the safety system of a train. Carriages today are equipped with several pieces of technology that enable constant monitoring of the vehicle and the goods transported in it. However, these technological solutions are ineffective if the data gathered cannot be transferred to points where they can be worked with. For example, alerts about irregularities detected while monitoring a certain part of the train must be communicated in real time to the operator via a reliable inter-carriage link system.

Specific requirements for inter-carriage links

When considering the setup of inter-carriage links, components certified to match the standards set forth in the EN50155 norm constitute the only viable solution. However, making sure that the setup works properly in moving stock isn’t the only aspect that must be considered. The data generated by monitoring devices in carriages, for example in the form of video, also tends to consist of very large data packages. Thus, any connectivity solution must be fit to transfer large batches without delay or interruptions, around the clock.