UK-based Veea Systems, the company delivering business-ready services at the network edge, has launched a new on-board edge computing and mesh Wi-Fi platform for trains.

The SmartRail VeeaHub allows operators to deliver connectivity to passengers and staff, as well as provide multi-media entertainment, staff comms and engineering monitoring applications, regardless of whether the train is connected to the internet.

“The deployment-ready platform is being publicly demonstrated for the first time at InnoTrans, the international trade fair for transport technology,” said Veea Systems.

The firm said as smart transportation changes the way passengers travel, the need for reliable connectivity to facilitate a new range of services for transit agencies and travellers had become ever more urgent.

“From ongoing maintenance and staff communication, to streaming media content servers and advanced CCTV functionality; the opportunities are endless,” Veea Systems  added, highlighting that the SmartRail VeeaHub provides localized mesh network connectivity across all rail carriages.

“This allows a new class of business, safety and passenger applications to be deployed and operated simultaneously at the Edge without any backhaul connection” the company said.

The system has been designed and certified for deployment on a UK rail passenger vehicle, with an initial preloaded set of applications targeting the rail industry.

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Veea Systems CEO Alan E Jones

“As connectivity has become ubiquitous travelers demand the provision of services throughout their journey regardless of whether the train is in a cellular blackspot,” said Veea Systems CEO Alan E Jones. “At the same time train operators are looking to update legacy rolling stock with technology for train engineering monitoring and staff communications tools.

The VeeaHub SmartRail has been selected by the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) and InnovateUK to receive grant funding to demonstrate an edge computing service for use on board trains with the UK ROSCO, Angel Trains. The ongoing joint project, which is part of the wider £3.5M DfT programme, First of a Kind: Demonstrating Tomorrow’s Trains Today, utilizes the VeeaHub to deliver a variety of applications for train operators and passengers.

Veea will be demonstrating the new product at InnoTrans 2018 in Berlin at Hall 6.1 Booth 116 along with a range of other vertical-specific market applications.