Evolution Thanks to Closer Cooperation

Throughout the whole railway sector there is mounting pressure on system and component manufacturers to move away from closed systems and develop universally compatible and standardized products that act transparently, particularly for data communication. Train operators are encouraging suppliers to reduce costs without impairing dependability and to optimize the processes that communicate with and interpret vehicle data, their objective being that all new vehicles should have the ability to combine with one another and assure problem-free data flow. The high level of standardization of Ethernet solutions makes them suitable, and interest is focusing on an Ethernet platform for retrofitting different railway vehicles with low-cost modifications to make them as compatible as possible. A specialist in the International Union of Railways (UIC) plug connections has joined with an expert in Ethernet solutions to develop a system that appears to meet all the preconditions for developing the standard.