For Chemins de fer de Provence (CP), Stadler is supplying eight customised hybrid metre-gauge multiple units. These will replace older diesel trains on the approximately 150 km route between Nice and Digne-les-Bains. Thanks to the battery-hybrid technology used, CO₂ emissions can be reduced by up to 77 per cent. As part of this project, onway was commissioned with the design of the Vehicle Information System network. This contract includes the router and switch architecture as well as the provision of a reliable train-to-ground communication link.

A central element of the onway solution is the network architecture tailored specifically to the needs of CP. Based on our high-performance railway routers and switches, on-board IT systems such as computers, displays, audio systems, surveillance cameras, passenger counting systems and more are interconnected. A 5G mobile communications link ensures a stable and secure train-to-ground connection even under changing operating and radio conditions. Integrated security features such as firewalls and quality-of-service mechanisms prioritise critical data flows and protect transmissions through encryption.

Through virtualisation and network segmentation, the various applications on board the vehicle can be clearly separated from one another. All of this ensures the reliable operation of all on-board IT systems and additional services via a shared, robust communication platform.