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Future tech trends within the rail industry

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Sam Taylor 11 Mar 2020

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Live streaming

The rail industry is constantly striving to improve passenger experience, so it is no surprise to see technological advancements within onboard rail entertainment. Viewing habits are starting to evolve, as are passenger expectations. According to Livestream.com “47% of viewers are live streaming and live streaming topped 1.1 billion hours in 2019”. With a future vision of the intelligent journey, passenger entertainment and live streaming plays an important role in this, through the use of On-Board Information Systems (OBIS).

Within the airline industry, Emirates announced in 2019: “Emirates ensures all flights to and from England screen football finals live”, and we are now seeing similar trends in the rail industry (particularly long-distance journeys). In fact, OBB (Austria) provided their passengers with the world’s first terrestrially streamed live broadcast TV solution for passengers. Other rail providers followed in OBB’s footsteps, we have seen not only an increase in passengers for the rail provider but also an increase in passengers overall within rail.

Would you be persuaded to travel via train, should your favourite sport be broadcasted live during your journey? In effect, live streaming will enhance the passenger experience.

Streaming companies such as Amazon Prime, for example, have exclusively streamed live events such as football matches from the Premier League 19/20 season. With Euro 2020 around the corner and an influx of streaming services, could we see more events streamed for passengers on trains?

Trackside

Trackside Radio Networks could revolutionise the rail industry by providing a flawless connection for the end consumer and providing rail providers with savings in long-term use. Helen Murray, Customer Liaison Officer admits “Capital cost is the initial outlay; however, potential customers can expect to save money in the long -term, in the future we could see the government provide funding”. The process involves setting up radio transmitters along the trackside, the train’s antenna can then connect to the radio transmitter providing a regular strong signal. This process employs a train-to-ground Trackside Network solution which eradicates the transmission delay of connecting to phone masts.

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Eurostar, on-board entertainment server launched

Eurostar is the only high speed train that directly links the UK to France and Belgium via the Channel Tunnel, taking its passengers to major European city centres since 1994. It also runs to Disneyland Paris, Lyon, Avignon and Marseille and provides a seasonal service to the French Alps.

In total, the operator offers over 60 connecting destinations across France, Germany and the Netherlands, serving over ten million customers per year.
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