The Right Platform to Drive the Future of Rail

July 14, 2023

Posted by Larry B. Jordan

Rail is more competitive than ever before. They are facing not only intra-industry and environmental challenges, but also competition from across the wider transportation industry.

If railroads want to keep their edge on innovation and safety, investing in digital platforms is the first of many steps to be taken. That’s why at Wi-Tronix, we’ve made it our mission to provide the best-in-class digital platforms in rail—because these solutions are essential for enabling the optimal performance and continuous improvement that will drive rail into the future.

Our 5G Violet Edge hardware is being implemented to future-proof our solutions against the sunsetting of LTE, expected early in the next decade. It brings together onboard sensors, artificial intelligence, comms, and functional solutions to deliver a comprehensive, immersive platform that allows users to see and respond to what’s happening on their trains in real time.

But I want to focus on the first two: our onboard sensors and artificial intelligence and how they work together.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the elephant in the room of many industries right now, and rightly so. It has the potential to transform how industries operate. How is Wi-Tronix using it to drive real change?

Simple. It is making the trains it runs on operate more safely and efficiently by working with, not instead of, crews to respond to problems that might occur.

Wi-Display and Audio give crews the ability to see and hear what’s happening on the train or rail network at any given moment. The Electronic Data Acquisition Processor (EDAP) gives railroads the ability to remotely control vehicle systems. Finally, the Cab Radio Interface enables the platform to “hear” and keep a pulse on interactions with the rail network.

AI then provides real-time analysis of the data gathered by the Edge hardware so that railroads can make better-informed decisions faster.

There are a multitude of ways that AI could be implemented into rail technology, but what makes one use better than another is determined by the outcomes it generates. In the case of Wi-Tronix, our outcomes are increased safety, better operations, and greater efficiency. Other applications of AI drive up costs with little to no return on investment. When rail companies invest in digital platforms, this is something for them to keep in mind.

Staying on the edge of safety and innovation is what will keep rail competitive into the future. Investing in the right digital platforms—powered by the latest AI technology—is a company’s best bet in doing just that.