Seamless Connectivity On Track for Rio Rancho Railway System

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Seamless Connectivity On Track for Rio Rancho Railway System

1SimpleConnect specializes in delivering connectivity solutions tailored to businesses’ operational needs. Their expertise in Wi-Fi, 5G, Starlink, and other technologies have led them to provide reliable connectivity in both fixed and mobile environments, such as Rio Rancho’s railway system.

Challenge

Rio Rancho’s railway system faced several challenges with its existing connectivity solution. The Wi-Fi system, deployed along the rails, failed to meet speed requirements and rendered the network nearly unusable with speeds of only 3-5 Mbps. A more reliable wireless setup was required as running data cables throughout different cars was not a viable option.

Adding to the complexity, the railway system operates under unique conditions where the engine and coach cars remain permanently connected, while cab and additional passenger cars are frequently detached. This means that the railway needs a connectivity solution that could provide uninterrupted coverage across all configurations even when parts of the train are detached.

Solution

Aware of their expertise in mobile solutions, the railway system turned to Peplink partner, 1SimpleConnect. They immediately thought of leveraging Peplink’s mesh technology to build a mesh system. After proof-of-concept testing, 1SimpleConnect deployed a BR1 Pro 5G and Mobility 42G antenna to the coach to utilize 5G connectivity.

AP One AXs were placed in a chain design across the different cars to build the Wi-Fi mesh network. Each car had 2 AP One AXs connected by wire to minimize hops and maximize available bandwidth throughout the whole train. To ensure full coverage throughout the entire railway line, especially in more remote areas where 5G or LTE coverage was not possible, a Starlink was added to the coach.

Result

While a complete train length of four cars spans 400 feet, the new connectivity setup achieves a coverage of 600 feet. Internet speeds improved significantly with tested speeds up to 300/20 Mbps. Now, using bonded 5G and Starlink connections, all passengers of the railway can enjoy stable Wi-Fi and remain connected throughout their journey without drops.

“This is a great example of how you could use [Peplink’s mesh technology] in a mobile application. So I definitely encourage folks to use the mesh technology on any type of mobile application as well.” Jonathan Pitts, co-founder of 1SimpleConnect